May 31 - Guide Dogs

Each year the Lions Foundation of Canada holds fund raising walks to support their dog guide program. The walks are held nationally in towns and cities across the country. Our local chapter of Lions has been supporting the cause for a number of years.  Knowing the importance of the money raised, I usually try to participate in the annual walk.

The Lions Foundation offers guide dogs to Canadians who are in need of the service. This isn’t only for people who are visually impaired, but could also be for the hearing impaired or for people with other forms of a mobility disability. The cost to raise, train and then match each dog with a potential owner is around $35,000. The dogs are then offered to the new owners free of charge.

If you want to find out more about the program, you can google "Lions foundation of Canada, Dog Guides". You might also want to mark the date for next year’s fund raising walk – May 31, 2026.

There is a picture with this post. I am standing beside my friend Irma near the beginning of this years walk. We have walked together for a number of years now. You might call the picture the long and short of it. I am tall and there is quite the difference in our two heights. In the background is a path leading to a bridge across the river. It is a lovely place to walk.

Sue and Irma on the path

 

 

 

 

May 23 - Beyond Sight

This week I participated in a night called Beyond Sight. The event was organized by CNIB in order to showcase what people with limited vision could accomplish. I was there as an author with my several writing projects.

It was a great night and Lyle and I both enjoyed the camaraderie as much as seeing the various table displays. I spoke with Hazel who had some of her completed knitting projects with her. The most impressive was a beautiful red shawl. She wore this and I couldn’t help but to admire it. She said that most of her projects were done as small gifts for friends and family and that she just liked to knit.

I was pleased to meet Lorena in person. For the past year or so Lorena and I have been part of a Zoom call for facilitators of support groups. I have never been able to actually see Lorena on the computer screen but meeting in person was a plus. Lorena explained how she loves baking – not cooking so much as baking. She had brought quite a few samples with her for the evening.

Then there was Amanda. Amanda started her own small business and her table featured a variety of items that would identify someone as having low vision. There were caps and buttons all of which had the identifying tag that would show that the wearer couldn’t see well. I often wear a badge that identifies me as being partially sighted. I find that this is helpful both to me and for others. I don’t have to explain my sight and other people don’t need to ask. If I’m not using my white cane, sometimes the ID badge is sufficient.

Lyle spent some time chatting with Susan who was there with her Celtic Harp. Susan said that it was the first time she had played in public but I hope it won’t be the last. Susan’s music was a lovely backdrop to the evening. We learned that Susan was also an avid gardener.

One of the best parts of the night for me was meeting up with an old friend. I had met Carrie near the beginning of my journey with vision loss. It was with her encouragement that I began learning to use JAWS. JAWS is the audible screen reading program I use on my computer. The program doesn’t use the mouse but rather uses keyboard commands to navigate the screen. It did require quite a bit of initial learning. I had also interviewed Carrie for Chapter 5 of my book, Out of Sight. The Chapter was titled, Winning the Gold – something Carrie did as a member of the Canadian goal ball team in the Paralympics.

Carrie also introduced me to Viviane Forest. What an amazing person! Viviane was the first Canadian woman to achieve a gold medal in both the summer and winter Paralympics. Initially her gold was for goal ball, but after an injury she took up downhill skiing. I was impressed by her athleticism.

For Beyond Sight, Viviane was there to display her paintings. Viviane has travelled extensively and her paintings, bright and colorful, helped us to travel with her. Viviane said that her sight is quite poor and that sometimes when she was painting she would need to get very close to the canvas – sometimes so close that she would end up with paint on the end of her nose.

Next to Viviane’s art work were some very colourful quilts. I found myself wondering how someone with low vision could create such intricate and beautiful  coverings. I was impressed with the design and the craftsmanship. Kristin was a very talented quilter.

Beyond Sight was a great event. A big shout out to Sanduni for organizing it all. Like Sanduni, I would hope that this could become an annual event. Life doesn’t need to stop with vision loss. There is indeed life “beyond sight”.

 

 

 

May 8 - Award

Yesterday I was presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The award was such an honour and I was pretty excited by both the nomination and the presentation itself. It was a wonderful day with friends and family helping me to celebrate.

The award also gave me cause for reflection. I remember how panicked, confused, frustrated, sad and even diminished I felt when I first experienced lost vision. I had lived my first thirty years as a fully sighted person and I had no idea of what it was like to be visually impaired, legally blind or partially sighted. I would never have made it through those first years without the support of my immediate family. At that time, every step of the way forward was taken after little family conferences around the kitchen table. Even though it was my eyes, my sight loss affected each of us.

It took a while – well, years in fact – before I was able to open up about my sight challenges. When I finally stopped trying to bluff my way, I found additional support from our friends. While family gave me that first emotional support, friends now offered practical help and encouragement.

When my life changed direction all those years ago I never imagined where the path might lead. I have been fortunate. While the King Charles award recognized what I have been able to achieve and to give to others, the award has made me even more cognizant of what others have given to me. I am happy with the award, but I am also grateful when I think that I might have inspired others who are struggling with vision loss. I don’t look at this award as the end of the path. Rather it is a stepping stone in my efforts to promote an awareness of the significance of the white cane and of people who need to use one.

The picture with this post shows Craig Peterson, Executive Director of CNIB for Alberta and Saskatchewan, standing beside me after he presented the award.

 

Sue with Craig Peterson of CNIB Alberta receiving her Medal

 

 

May 3 - White Cane and Rain

For our last week in Sydney, there were on and off rain showers. Fortunately we were able to dodge between the showers and continue with our outside activities. However, the rain did remind me of how awkward it is to balance both my white cane and an umbrella.

If the truth be told, I rarely use an umbrella. It is just too tricky to be holding my cane pointed down in the one hand and an umbrella pointed up in the other. Somehow or other the up and down of it throws me off balance. If I do need to be out in the rain, I tend to wear a raincoat. Even this isn’t very satisfactory. When I hold out my cane, by hand usually gets wet and consequently, cold. As I move my cane about, sometimes the rain water trickles up the edges of my sleeve. All in all, walking outside in the snow is preferable to being outside in the rain. Then again, being outside in the sunshine is better yet.

There is a picture with this post. I am sitting beside the fountain in the plaza at Summer Hill drinking my morning coffee. Morning coffee outdoors is one of my favourite things to do when we are away.

Sue sitting at a fountain in a plaza at Summer Hill