As a parent of a child who is blind, and as a teacher of the visually impaired, I try hard every day to disprove myths about blindness. I talk tirelessly to educators, peers, and other parents about all of the things people who are visually impaired CAN do, which is pretty much everything. I encourage all of my students to be independent, and push my son, too. However, I still keep saying that ugly wordâŚâcanât.â
This weekend, I spent time working with students who are visually impaired, and introducing them to a variety of recreational opportunities including using the tandem bikes pictured here from the NW Association for Blind Athletes. The camp was for children who lived in our region, ages 9-13. My son happens to fit that demographic, and yet I didnât feel comfortable having him attend.
It isnât the visual impairment that kept him home, but his additional disabilities. He does have an orthopedic impairment, which makes physical activities challenging. He also has Autism, and is prone to outbursts. A recreational camp just sounded like it would be too much for him.
Even though he didnât attend, I still talked about him a lot. I explained to the other parents that I also had a child who was blind, but that he wasnât prepared for this kind of camp. I went on to explain his multiple disabilities, and even after the introduction found myself bringing Eddie up frequently.
I heard myself saying, âEddie canât play beep kickball.â âHe canât ride a tandem bike.â âHe canât understand board games.â âHe canât sing along with karaoke.â By the end of the weekend, I was beginning to see a pattern, and a little bit of disappointment in myself.
I donât regret not having him attend. I truly feel he wasnât ready for this type of event. However, that doesnât mean he canât be ready someday. I need to rephrase all of those icky âcanâtâ statements and instead say things likeâŚ
âHe can ride a tandem bikeâŚif itâs adapted for him.â
âHe can play board gamesâŚif he is taught in a meaningful way.â
âHe can play beep kickballâŚif I provide support as needed.â
Recreation is so important for our children who are visually impaired. They donât always find hobbies and sports on their own, and we may have to lead them to it. The kids I taught at camp this weekend picked everything up fast, and itâs just going to take more time for Eddie. I do know that just because something takes time, certainly doesnât mean he âcanâtâ do it. I also know that I can help him find a way.