Posted by: CJ Gorelik
Februarty 16, 2010

I started working for The Chicago Lighthouse about ten weeks ago as a marketing/communications intern. What I like most, and one of the reasons I chose to receive my undergraduate degree in communications, is the requirement of this field to keep learning and widening one’s field of knowledge. Thus, when I began my internship, I got a great chance to do just that.

I do not really have any relatives who are affected by low vision and blindness. Like most people, I have interacted with someone who is visually impaired a few times throughout my life, but that was it for my understanding of visual impairment. As you can imagine, this became one of the challenges in working for a leading organization for the blind and visually impaired. This did not come as a surprise, to me, and I knew that learning of different eye conditions would be part of the job. What I did not expect, however, was all of the other information I would need to master.

There are so many products, services, groups, organizations, etc. that I am steadily learning. With each day, I discover new specifics of low vision and am becoming more aware of the prevalence of low vision throughout daily life. Day after day I notice people, on the train, in the store, at the gym, virtually everywhere, who are overcoming low vision.

With 14 million Americans, one out of every 20, diagnosed with low vision, why did I not notice this population before? In my opinion, it is because most people have learned to overcome their vision impairment to such a point where they do not show any signs of difficulty. It is truly an inspiration! While most believe that legal blindness would entirely destroy the normality of one’s life and make happiness unachievable, the human spirit thrives to prove otherwise.

So February is AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration)/Low Vision Awareness Month. What does this mean… Should wear and blanket your neighborhood with flyers? Or stand on a street corner with a megaphone? In my opinion, why not? While those types of activities would spread the word about low vision, they would not do much for true understanding of what it is like to live with it. To clarify, I am not saying that it is possible for someone with regular sight to fully understand, but an attempt to receive some comprehension is beneficial.

In conclusion, people without sight; instead of tying ribbons and screaming through megaphones, talk to your relatives and friends to find out who in your life is living with vision impairment and use this information. Visit the person, talk to him/her, and, most importantly, listen to their experiences and the challenges that they had to, and have to, overcome on a daily basis. Then start noticing the many people, in all the arenas of your daily life, who are living with low vision and never let on to their challenges and obstacles.

For the visually impaired, contact your relatives and friends. Tell them something new, educate them, let them know anything and everything. With this, you will inspire them. They will be become more aware enabled to spread the message and build the awareness of others. Perhaps they will familiarize themselves with ways in which they can help, speak up on your behalf, work toward fairness, and maybe even pass legislation to better this world for the visually impaired community. This, I honestly believe, is the true meaning, goal, and purpose of the Low Vision Awareness Month.

For information on a particular eye condition, symptoms and diagnosis of low vision, products, programs and services available for the blind and visually impaired, or ways in which you can help, visit Chicago Lighthouse online at www.chicagolighthouse.org or call 312-666-1331.