Happy Mothers’ Day!
Parenting Without Pity is a storytelling project and podcast series where disabled parents draw from our own experience of disability as children to help non-disabled parents be better allies for their disabled children.
We are honored to be part of this project. Listen to our episode here about our experiences growing up with low vision. Then, when you are finished check out the growing catalog of stories they have published!
I recently saw the motion picture premiere of Madeline L’Engle’s infamous A Wrinkle in Time, and was reminded of the rich wisdom enclosed in this childhood classic. I first read this story at age 10, during a time when I already knew there was something different about me compared to kids my age. I felt an immediate connection to the characters in this story, especially Meg – stubborn, caring to a fault, and easily angered by questions that didn’t seem to have concrete answers.
As I re-read this story with my daughter recently, I was struck not only by all the familiar characters and riveting plot lines, but also by the many morsels of wisdom that had escaped my memory. Especially one involving blindness. Continue reading “A Wrinkle in Time: What Madeline L’Engle Understood About Blindness”
BAM! Blindness Awareness Month is coming to a close, and we have a hot topic to discuss.
Joy and I used to think we were the only ones who tried to keep our vision loss a secret growing up and even into adulthood. Then we started this blog, and we heard from so many people with similar stories of trying to hide the fact that they couldn’t see. And then we read Not Fade Away and Now I See You, and discovered still more stories of cover-ups, secrecy, and shame over vision loss.
While it was comforting to learn that we were not alone in choosing to hide our vision loss, it also made us wonder…How many people have tried to hide their low vision at some point in their lives? And why?
Just to be clear, we’re not condoning hiding vision loss, nor are we condemning it. We’re exploring the reasons behind it. Continue reading “Why We Hide”
View and share “DoubleVisionBlog Fight Song” Video on Facebook
Hi DoubleVisionBlog friends! I’ve been secretly working on this video for the past month as a surprise for Jenelle. Happy Blindness Awareness Month!
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In honor of Blindness Awareness month this October, Joy shares her journey of shame, vulnerability and courage. With both humor and insight, Joy and her twin sister, Jenelle, share their stories of life with RP at doublevisionblog.com. Continue reading “DoubleVisionBlog Fight Song”
I just finished reading To Kill A Mockingbird. Of course this was not my first time reading this modern classic, and it likely won’t be the last time I find myself engrossed in Harper Lee’s masterpiece. The story has not changed in the 18 years since I last read it. Yet, it somehow feels new to me. While Scout, Jim, and Dill feel like long-lost friends, they also seem different from how I remember them. While I recall feeling infuriated by the prejudice and injustices in the story, my understanding and analysis of these events has more depth than it did as a teenager. My own life experiences over the last two decades influence how I interpret this powerful novel. (Side note – feeling so damn old as I write this) Continue reading “Story”
Growing up, we were the best of friends.
Joy: Except for that time, in utero, when she sat on my head for nine months, and then made me wait four laborious minutes while she made her grand entrance into the world.
Jenelle: Or that time when we were 18 months old and she sunk her teeth into my arm after I stole her stuffed bunny.
Joy: Or that time when we were eight, and she poured a glass of milk over my head at the dinner table.
Jenelle: Or that time when we were nine, and she signed my dad’s Father’s Day card, “Love, Joy. p.s. not stinky Jenelle.”
Joy: Or all those times as teenagers when she chased me around the house trying to whip me with a wet bath towel, while I ran away, chanting “Violent lady! Violent lady!” Continue reading “What it’s Like Being an Identical Twin: The Good, the Bad and the RP”
Tip #8: Live Your Life and Allow Your Child to do the Same
Tip #7: Seek Out Mentors
My very first mentor was an attorney from Utah. Mormon. Married, with children and grandchildren.
I was a 24-year-old teacher from the Midwest, entering a Master’s program, newly married and just on the cusp of adult life.
Tip #5: Talk About Blindness in Positive Ways in Everyday Conversation
Your child’s blindness doesn’t have to be the elephant in the room, even if your child struggles to talk about it. I think it’s possible to help normalize a tough topic when you find ways to bring it into casual conversation. While you don’t want your child’s eyes to be the thing you’re constantly talking about and obsessing over, you also don’t want it to be the thing you never bring up.
Tip #4: There’s No Such Thing As Over-Communication With Your Children’s Vision Itinerant
Growing up, my sister and I had a Vision Itinerant who was responsible for meeting with our teachers and parents to go over our IEPs and any necessary modifications. She came to meet with us monthly in elementary school and every so often in middle school and high school. I always dreaded her visits, Continue reading “Navigating the Education System: Advice for Parenting Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired Tip #4”
