“I have plans for my life and I will adapt until I achieve my goals, even when things get tough. I know I have challenges just like everyone else, but I will conquer those challenges in a different way.”
~Rachel Carver
Today’s Woman On The Move, Rachel Carver shares real life examples of workarounds when accessibility is lacking. As people with disabilities, creative thinking is required to accomplish many nominal tasks. We are so used to figuring out ways to do what we have to achieve, we do it without thinking. This is our real life.
Adapting | The Key To Conquering Challenges | A Case For Accessibility
Blind since birth, I learned early that the sighted world is not going to adapt to you, so you better figure out how to adapt to it – whether you want to or not.
Like most 17-year-olds, I was stubborn. But being the only blind student in my small town high school made me different, and I wanted to blend in.
I used Braille for everything until my senior year of high school. My teachers told me to start listening to my books. Blind college students did not use Braille. I resisted. I was angry. Normal students carried books, not a weird tape player from the 1990s. I was in government class with the tape player. We had our homework, and this was my first time listening to the text. I hated every minute of it. My classmates flipped pages and chatted while I attempted to operate a clunky machine.
Just as my anger was subsiding, I dropped my tape player. It was dead. My sociology book report needed citations from the text. I was furious. A Braille book would not do this to me. In tears, I asked my teacher for an extension. I did not have time to order a Braille book, but I received the extension while the tape player was fixed. Then I grimly set about reading the book with the machine I came to despise and taking notes for my book report.
Out of all my college prep work, learning to do my school work by listening instead of reading was the hardest part. But without this ability, the first semester of college would have been a nightmare.
Creating a Way Out of No Way
My teachers were right; Braille college textbooks did not exist. I developed multiple tools for accessing my books. Sometimes, I bought the print book and scanned the chapters I needed to my computer. I used electronic books. Other students did not care about me using my laptop for tests and studying. It was normal to be different.
College further taught me to adapt to succeed. During my first semester, I signed up for a trip to Mexico. When asked if I needed a companion, I responded with a firm no. Then a special meeting called by my Spanish professor ruined my excitement.
I learned the university ignored my answer and hired a trip companion for me – without my knowledge and against my wishes. My jaw dropped. I could not speak.
In tears, I told my friends I was not going. This trip companion probably thought I was a clueless girl that needed help in the shower. My friends sympathized but pointed out the trip was paid for. My parents agreed with them and told me to make the best of my situation.
When we arrived in Mexico, we spent two weeks at a school studying Spanish, and the trip companion served as my reader. In her hometown, we rode in her boyfriend’s jeep and went to a restaurant off the beaten path. My hired companion became a friend. She learned about the capabilities of a blind person. I took my negative situation and made it a great experience for both of us. I have great memories of Mexico.
The Most Difficult Challenge
My most recent adaptation has been the hardest. I sat in the hospital waiting room, focusing on work to stop my brain from thinking about the surgery results. The doctor confirmed my fears; my husband’s left retina had detached. I cried because diabetes had started taking his eyesight and the life we knew was gone. I wiped my eyes and put on a brave face to tell my husband. We remained optimistic about the right eye, hoping the laser treatments would keep it stable. Three months later, I was back in that same waiting room, praying the retina in this eye was still in place.
I will never forget the last time my husband drove. It was snowing, and we took our son to the park. After arriving home, we put a pizza in the oven. Before the pizza was done, his right eye was a blurry fog. I was nervous but optimistic. Maybe he would drive again.
My heart ached watching him struggle to read our son printed stories he could barely see. I stood strong through four surgeries, trying my best to take care of a house and adjust to not having a driver. I could not step into our van because I would feel sadness. And I did not have time for sadness. I had to keep going.
Surgery improved my husband’s eye sight in one eye but did not give him back his keys. He is employed after deteriorating sight and four surgeries resulted in three months without work. We found other transportation methods. We grew closer as a family. I processed my emotions. I adapted to another change.
Continuing To Conquer
I have plans for my life and I will adapt until I achieve my goals, even when things get tough. I know I have challenges just like everyone else, but I will conquer those challenges in a different way.
Adapting | The Key To Conquering Challenges | A Case For Accessibility Featured Image Description:
Photo of Woman On The Move Rachel Carver is in boldblindbeauty.com’s WOTM template. The entire template contains the photo and a transparent gray overlay with the opening quote in white text is near the bottom. Rachel is positively beaming in the photo as she smiles broadly for the camera. Her cropped hair is pulled back from her face revealing a dewy fresh face with minimal makeup. She’s wearing a royal blue jacket over a black and white print top.
Connecting With Rachel Carver:
LinkedIn: @Rachel-Carver-APR