Maggie’s Story
Vision loss can be sneaky. It can creep up on you slowly. You make adjustments over the years and compensate for the loss. Until you can’t.
Or, it can steal your vision over weeks, in days or even overnight.
Some people are born blind or visually impaired. Other lose their sight in their 80s, and every point in between.
For Maggie, it happened when she was in her 30s. Just starting to build a life with her husband.
Maggie contacted Second Sense just after she moved to a new house in a new town. Change can be hard on anyone. But, for people with vision loss it can be much more of a challenge. Maggie was finding it more and more difficult to compensate.
One thing Maggie really missed was the social interaction. She worked as a hairdresser before her vision loss. She had daily contact with her clients. Conversations about restaurants they tried. Suggestions about movies they saw. Or just chats about family and holidays.
Social connections are so important – both to our mental and cognitive health. Often, people with vision loss become socially isolated. You can no longer just hop in the car to meet a friend for lunch. And, without training, you are afraid to leave your house. Afraid you will get lost. Afraid you will trip and fall. Afraid to cross the street.
After Maggie worked with our mobility instructor, she was able to use her cane to safely navigate the sidewalk around her house. She went on daily walks — going around the block several times. Maggie didn’t feel the need to venture farther than that. Her neighbors grew accustomed to seeing her. Pretty soon they would call out, “Maggie, what lap are you on?”
“I go out for a walk and come home two hours later. My husband knows my routine so he doesn’t worry. He just asks, ‘So, who did you meet today?’”
Maggie is one of those clients. In addition to mobility training, she worked with Cody, one of our Vision Rehabilitation Therapists, to learn how to do all her daily tasks independently. She learned how to safely use all the appliances in her new kitchen. Cody also introduced some handy tools and simple techniques that make measuring ingredients less stressful.
They spent lots of time learning to use VoiceOver on her phone. This setting allows Maggie to use a variety of finger swipes and taps to operate her phone without needing to see the screen. She learned to use apps that allow her to identify objects using the camera, order groceries online, listen to books, and schedule and manage Uber rides.
Cody introduced Maggie to the Rideshare Assistance Program, a service that offers $2.00 Uber rides to adults with vision loss. “Before I knew about RAP, it would cost about $30 to simply run an errand. Every time I wanted to go out, I had to weigh the cost and ask myself if it was really worth it.”
But with RAP, the cost is less than hopping on a bus. Something that Maggie used to do all the time.
“People are amazed how often I use Uber by myself. I can go out to get my nails done, get my hair done or go the store. It helps me get out of the house and feel like I am being social.”
Maggie and her husband are looking forward to one more change. They are expecting their first child. “I don’t have a network of young mothers with vision loss,” Maggie shared. “Friends I can ask about which bottle they like, what diapers they use, what recommendations they have for strollers or car seats or high chairs.
“But, I do have Cody. He is a newer father and he is always ready to help. We spent one lesson putting together my Pack ‘N Play. Then taking it apart and putting together again.
“Then we did the same thing with baby bottles and strollers. Nothing is standard, so I have to know how to take each thing apart and put it back together.
“I can now turn around and show my husband how to do this. I feel like I still have that independent role. I don’t have to feel that my husband has to do everything. That I have to be dependent upon him.”
Like any expectant parent, Maggie wants to experience every aspect of parenthood. She told Cody about her upcoming sonogram. Just like anyone else, she wanted to see her baby.
Cody did some research. He found that it was possible to have a 3D printer produce a tactile image of a sonogram. When he told Maggie, she was so excited. But, then he kept hitting roadblocks.
“We had our hopes built up, but then it seemed like everyone said they couldn’t do it. Finally, Cody said, ‘I am going to print your baby.’”
Second Sense had received funding to purchase a small 3D printer to produce tactile maps for our mobility clients. And, Cody had a little experience working with 3D printers.
With Maggie’s permission, Cody worked with the company to have Maggie’s sonogram files sent to him. He then printed out a 3D image of the sonogram. So, Maggie got to see her little girl.