Niki Bevins | Blind Beauty 62
“Having been diagnosed at the age of 4 with Stargardt’s, I have known my whole life I was going to grow up to be “blind.” A lot of things have surprised me about vision loss along the way, but the thing that surprises me the most has nothing to do with vision at all. I have learned that I must speak up and advocate for myself. The most surprising thing along my vision loss Journey, has been how it’s helped me find my voice!”
~Niki Bevins
Generally speaking, people seem to be fascinated by the capabilities of blind and visually impaired people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked who does my makeup or pulls together my outfits.
Sometimes I feel the questions are a test where my answer will prove or disprove my level of sight. As I’ve discussed many times on Bold Blind Beauty, blindness is a spectrum condition.
The number of people who are completely blind is roughly around 10 percent. What this means is the majority of blind people have some residual sight which varies greatly from person to person. Our remaining sight is severe enough to impact day-to-day living and requires adaptations.
Today’s Blind Beauty, Niki Bevins aka The Blind Avon Lady, is, well, an Avon Representative. Niki, who has Stargardt Disease, a form of Macular Degeneration, focuses on what she can do, not what she can’t.
While Niki received her diagnosis at a very young age, she has to acclimate to declining levels of sight. Recently she decided to take Basic White Cane Training to maintain her independence and she shares her journey on Instagram.
Blind Beauty 62 Featured Image Description:
Featured image is a faux fashion magazine cover titled Blind Beauty. Niki is on the cover in black and white. She is sitting at the entryway to a barn on a wooden step. Beside her are decorative corn stalks with a couple of Halloween pumpkins. In the entrance behind her are stacked bales of hay. Niki’s outfit is described under additional images.
Blocks of text superimposed on Niki’s photo are: “Bold–She Keeps Pressing Onward, Blind–She Has Deeper Insight, Beautiful–She Sees To The Heart Of Others.” “Real Beauty Transcends Barriers.” “Makeup Trends for 2019–How To Maintain A Flawless Look”
Additional Images:
- In this color photo of Niki, she’s dressed for fall. She’s in a cream-colored jacket with tan pants and fashionable brown boots lace-up boots. Her look is completed with a burgundy/cream print scarf tied loosely around her neck.
- This photo of Niki in the same outfit described above is a closeup of her sitting in the back of a blue truck bed. Whisps of wheat/blond hair frames her pretty profile.
Connecting With Niki Bevins:
- Instagram: @theblindavonlady
- Facebook: @blindavon
- Website: www.youravon.com/blindlady