Monthly Beauties | Monica Pruitt
Meet The Faces of Bold Blind Beautiful & Accomplished Women
Representation Matters! Bold Blind Beauty believes that “Real Beauty Transcends Barriers” and today’s cover model, Monica Pruitt is an example of our belief. As a young woman who only recently found out she is losing both her eye sight and hearing she’s working hard to empower and educate others about the specturm of blindness.
Below are some words of wisdom from Monica and below her Beyond Sight Magazine cover is her bio where you can learn a little more of her story. Enjoy! ~Steph
Going blind has given me the freedom to be myself. I keep my head up and eyes forward, allowing the constant contact of my white cane to keep me grounded as I pave my way through my path in life.
~Monica Pruitt
Beyond Sight Magazine Cover
Monica’s Bio:
Hi, my name is Monica; I’m 29 years old, live in South Florida and found out in March 2021 that I’m legally blind. I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa and Usher syndrome after an eye exam that was only scheduled because I thought I needed a new contact prescription.
Being told “no more driving” and “you’re legally blind” “White Cane Mobility Training” after spending hours getting eye exams felt like a joke.
At first I didn’t tell anyone. I was too embarrassed. I was too ashamed to say “Oh, I can’t go out because I can’t drive…Why can’t I drive you ask?…Well…” I was too ashamed to say that I likely had been legally blind for years and how could I not have noticed! How could I not have noticed that I can’t see in dim lighting. How did I not notice that I had tunnel vision? How did I not notice that I was blind?
My vision was clouded by my fears to use my voice (and the cataracts). I had learned to hide the anxiety I felt while navigating at night. I learned to compensate for my tunnel vision by constantly scanning the environment with my eyes. I learned to just laugh it off everytime I would trip over a wet floor sign- “dumb blonde moment”, right?
Going blind means you lose your eyesight. It never means you lose your vision.
I can see now that there is beauty in blindness. I found my voice and I hope that by sharing my story it can empower others to find their voice- we can truly be whoever we want to be (except for maybe a pilot).
Connecting With Monica Pruitt
- Instagram @bendyblindblonde
- TikTok @bendyblindblonde
- Facebook @BendyBlindBlonde
Image Descriptions:
- The header photo is identical to the image used on the Beyond Sight Magazine cover. Monica glances back at the camera. She holds her cane folded up. Pink sunglasses, pink earrings her long blonde hair is down. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight January 2022 | Monthly Beauties | Monica Pruitt.”
- Graffiti Wall: In the background says Miami with a heart around it. Monica stands in foreground wearing a green romper with cane in one hand and other hand up grinning at the camera.
- Hiking Trail: Monica wearing jeans, socks in sandals, winter coat, hat, and gloves standing in a hiking trail covered by fallen leaves. The trees are mostly bare but a few remain as the blue skies illuminate the way. She is looking up while holding white cane with Omni Sense tip