April 6 - A Fine Balance

For those of us who are blind or visually impaired, we need to think of walking a fine line between dependence and independence. Personally, I strive to stay as independent as possible but at the same time, I recognize that there are things that I positively cannot do. For those things I need to rely on other people. That is where the balancing act begins.

I was reminded of this when speaking with Peter last week. It was election day in New South Wales and I asked Peter if he had been out to vote. This was no ordinary question and needed more than a yes or no answer. Peter is completely without sight so I wondered how he had managed the voting procedure.

Peter was fortunate in that a voting station was within walking distance of his home. He was also fortunate in that he had no problem in speaking about his voting preference. Peter has strong political preferences and is happy to share his opinions with anyone who will listen. So, voting didn’t present a problem for him. He was perfectly okay to have a trusted sighted friend mark his ballot for him. Of course, being accompanied by a friend doesn’t work quite as well if the voting person wishes to maintain a secret or private ballot.

Peter and I also discussed the challenges of travelling. Next month, Peter is to fly to Queensland to visit his daughter. While Peter has no qualms about the flight, his problem was in getting himself to the airport. He knew he couldn’t do this alone but did he want to depend on a friend? The trip to the airport would involve a bus trip with a train transfer and then the walk to the check in counter at the airport terminal. While Peter would then be in the hands of the airline, the accompanying friend would then have to do the train/bus trip in reverse. At the time of our conversation, Peter hadn’t thought of another way to overcome this challenge.

While there is a fine line between dependence and independence, sometimes that line is set in stone. When there are things that we can’t do on our own, seeking help and support from family and trusted friends is nothing to shy away from. The balance comes in developing positive relationships before that help or support is needed. Whether we are blind or sighted we all walk a similar fine line to maintain a balanced life.