How I Felt There are many misconceptions about blindness and blind people with which I’ve been successfully coping for over three decades. I’m often told, “We’re going to <fill in the blank> for your own good.” When flying the things with which the blank can be filled in range from “Move you to the bulkhead…
An Open Letter to American Airlines: I’ve always enjoyed adventure and new experiences and have, thus, flown many times with my five Seeing Eye dogs. Over more than thirty years I’ve developed a system that works quite well in terms of ensuring both I and my dog are safe, comfortable, and out of the way…
An Open Letter to American Airlines: I’ve always enjoyed adventure and new experiences and have, thus, flown many times with my five Seeing Eye dogs. Over more than thirty years I’ve developed a system that works quite well in terms of ensuring both I and my dog are safe, comfortable, and out of the way…
Home Again I think we always knew we’d come back to Maine. We’ve lived here twice, once in the Rockland area and, later, in the Ellsworth area. We, both of us, love everything about the coast of Maine. Our new house is a geodesic dome on 18 acres on Great Pond in Franklin. We have…
“I Should Have Known” The next morning we loaded into vans and the trainers took us all to the downtown training center. One by one each student had their first “Juno walk.” “Okay Sue, you’re next.” Rising to my feet I waited for Joan to approach. “Are you ready?” “I’m beyond ready, I replied. “Okay,…
We’re Getting There It was the first time I had flown without a dog in twenty-five years. Everything was different. First, no one seemed to believe I was really blind. I was using the collapsible cane I had kept in my office for ten years. When collapsed nobody seemed to know I had it with…
Thirty Years With Harness In Hand I brought my first dog home to Birmingham from The Seeing Eye in 1985. Her name was Sadie and she was a yellow Labrador. Since then one dog or another has been guiding me everywhere: at work, on leisurely walks, on mountain trails, through busy airports, and on…
And Gavin always had an answer. For almost four years I shared an office with Gavin Wiggins. While neither of us rates a private office this semi-private office was a compromise. For Gavin it was to ensure the privacy of his work and for me it was a reasonable accommodation. Gavin is…
Jim and I lived in Ellsworth, Maine on September 11, 2001. Jim was on the road downeast of Ellsworth. I was in the Ellsworth Career Center. I was talking with Jean who was, then, the director of services for blind children when the line went silent. It didn’t go dead – Jean just abruptly stopped…
“S U I C I D E” There, your computer didn’t blow up. Your phone didn’t burst into flames. I guess it’s no secret that people are afraid of blindness and, by extension, blind people. But what about suicide. If you want to empty a room in ten seconds flat start talking about suicide! Towards…