Today I made a special phone call to white, male student with visual impairments. I received his name from the practitioner I met with from the Office of Disability Services. While I was hoping to meet "David" face-to-face he is off campus living back in his hometown near Dayton, Ohio for the summer. "David" is a junior majoring in history. He is in the Honors program and serves as captain on the BGSU mock trial team. His vision is 20/400 with correction (glasses) and he is considered legally blind. He shared with me that most of his vision problems stem from oculocoeataneous albinism, meaning he has a lack of pigment that has resulted in pale skin, white hair, and a visual impairment. "David" shared with me that as a teenager he always knew he wanted to pursue a college degree. During his senior year of high school, "David' was initially considering attending Wright State University, which he said is located near his hometown and has a great disability service reputation. Interestingly, he said that those are the two reasons why he decided not to attend Wright State. He said he felt it was time to move away from home and he did not want his disability to dictate his college choice. Bowling Green, he said, had a great mock trial team, was in the state of Ohio, and he could get a scholarship. He went on to share how welcoming the admissions staff were when he came to BG for a campus tour. The day he toured the campus, he also met with a representative from the Office of Disability Services. He said he felt that they would help him to obtain the things he needed for his courses (i.e. getting reading materials in large print and providing a place for me to take my exams). Brian went on to share that he loves history and decided to make that his major. He added that for someone who is blind, history is actually a poor choice for a major because there is so much more reading required compared to other majors. Nonetheless, he said he wanted to challenge himself to pursue something he loved. Next, "David" shared what he was anxious about when he made the transition from high school to college. He said he was involved in so many extra-curricular activities in high school and with his college workload he would likely have to be more selective about what he said "yes" to. He also knew the layout of his high school so well and was intimidated by coming to campus that was completely new to him. He was worried about finding his way around. He said he has a horrible sense of direction and he is terrible at memorizing landmarks. He said his method of orienting himself to a new area usually involves getting lost and trying to figure out where he is. He went on to mention that he receives services from the Ohio Bureau for the Services of the Visually Impaired (BSVI). I mentioned this organization in the blog post previous to this one. The BSVI set "David" up with a mobility instructor who took him around campus before classes started his first semester. Since his first semester at BG, he said he has gotten very comfortable getting to and from his classes and other locations on campus. "David" explained that he also uses a monocular. He explained that it is very similar to binoculars, but there is just one lens. He went on to explain that he does not like some buildings on campus because of the location where they place the room numbers. Because he is near sided, buildings where the room numbers are located above the door are very difficult for him to see. To use his monocular he has to remove both sets of glasses- a standard pair that he uses for walking around and a second pair that block out 90% of the light because he is extremely light sensitive. Initially, "David" said he was also nervous about making new friends at BG. None of his close friends from high school were planning to attend BGtv shows and movies. David said that he is often asked about dating. He would like to date at some point, but right now he said there is no time for dating because going to class and staying up-to-date on his school work takes up so much of his time. In the future, "David's" goal is to go to law school. I asked "David" to share some of the common questions, myths or stereotypes that he hears from others regarding someone like him who has a visual impairment. He told me that the most difficult question for him to answer is "How well can you see?" He explained that he has nothing else to compare it to because he this is the way his vision has always been. He asked me how I would answer the question and I told him I didn't have a way to explain that either. In addition, he said that he is often asked if he could undergo surgery to correct his vision problem. This answer surprised me, but at the same time it made me realize "David's" level of maturity. He said, "If there was a surgery to correct my vision I'm pretty certain I would never explore it because being visually impaired is part of my identity. It is part of who I am." He went on to say, "I have been afforded opportunities to meet some amazing people that I would have never met had I not been visually impaired." He said that it is hard for him to see other students who want to hide their disability in hopes that others will not notice it or question it.
Having the opportunity to talk with "David" directly really expanded my view of the life of a white male with visual impairments. He was so transparent with me and willing to answer my many questions. Even though my voice project will be completed when "David" returns to BG for fall semester, we have plans to meet face-to-face so that I can buy him lunch to thank him for his willingness to talk with me. I can't wait for that day. I am so thankful for the opportunity to talk with him. In so many ways, I realize that he is like any other college student. And what struck me about "David" is how comfortable he is with who he is and how he has to manage as a student with visual impairments. His desire is not to change that, rather to succeed and pursue his goals despite his challenges.
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