Getting Out The Door

You might not know it to look at me but I am utilizing six things to accommodate me and my disability. There are six things I use just to get out the door and walk down the street. Lets start at the top and work our way down.
Tilley Hat
Part of my disability is “extreme” light sensitivity. I have been wearing Tilley hats for years to help manage the amount of light I am exposed to and have to manage. Tilley hats are awesome providing protection against UV and sunlight. Wearing a Tilley hat helps me reduce eye strain and associated pain, and significantly reduces the number of eye related migraines I have.
Noir Filter
Light sensitivity is a big deal and in addition to my Tilley hat I use a couple of different colour filters to help me manage the light. I use a yellow coloured filter for inside light and darker outside lighting conditions. I use a dark red filter outside for bright sunshine or high glare lighting conditions.
Eye Glasses
People as me all the time don’t your glasses help you improve your vision? Can’t you get stronger lenses to see better? The answer to both is no. I use glasses like everyone uses glasses to get the most out of their visual capability. My glasses have always sharpened up the image I see. Without my glasses its like looking through a camera lens that is slightly out of focus. My glasses bring the image into focus for me.
Tissot Silen-T Watch
My Tissot watch is totally awesome. The watch allows me to tell the time by feeling the watch face. The face of the watch has a tactile bevel edge and to tell the time you run your finger around the edge of the watch. The watch vibrates one long vibration when your finger passes over the current hour and the watches gives short vibrations when your fingers passes over the current minute value.
TIMBUK2, Bullitt Pannier Massager Bag
I am all about being visible, safety first. This bag is bright orange and is very visible night or day. I want to be so bright and visible that if someone hits me its intentional and not accidental. This bag helps to keep me safe and carry around all my stuff.
Ambutech Graphite Mobility Cane
I carry a white cane because I need to to navigate and be as safe as I can be. I have sprained or broken my feet and ankles over a dozen times while being stupid proud, or lying about my disability. It’s not worth it I prefer to not mess up my feet and be safe. I love Ambutech they provide great service and great canes. I use a wheel tip which really messes people up not what they expect. Yes, its really a white cane yes I’m really blind.
All of these things are necessary to keep me safe. I want to be as visible as possible so I don’t get run over. I remain highly tenacious and love to go out and do things, to work, to play, to walk, to hike, to goto movies, to go shopping, and on and on. To do all of those things and more I need these things to function. You take any one of them away and the loss of functionality to me is significant.