“Okay, everyone – this is Jackie. Jackie has a ‘special condition’ she’s going to need our help. Jackie, please come to the front of the room. Explain your condition and how the class can ‘help you.’ Now remember everyone, she’s just like you and me. But she was born a little bit different and is going to need A LOT of our help. Can you be a good ‘helper’ and help Jackie when she needs it?”
How condescending.. .
This pattern continued from first grade until sixth grade. Step in front of the room on the first day of school, only to be ostracized while I was forced to tell peers something I never wanted them to know: that I had Albinism, with legally blind in both eyes, or as kids saw it, “different and not like us.” I constantly felt embarrassed and less than, like a science experiment that everyone was staring at and questioning.. . .I wasn’t treated like a human being. I was treated like an object. A thing that was different.
Soon after, the questions always started, usually on day two or three, furthering my point:
“Why can’t you see?”
“Why are you so white?”
“Why do your eyes go back and forth?”
“You’re weird.”
“Egghead.”
“Whitey.”
“Why are you talking to the blind girl?”
This was my experience growing up until about Sophomore year of high school. But most importantly, it’s one I cherish and don’t regret. I’m thankful, grateful, and thank God. Being treated this way (and I blame no one) pushed me to be as resilient as I possibly could. It pushed me to refuse every accommodation that was offered to me.
They told me I would need to learn how to use a cane. Nope, I refused.
They told me I would need to learn how to read Braille. Nope, I refused.
They told me I needed to be placed in “special education” classes with the other handicapped children. Nope, my parents refused. Making it very clear that, “There is nothing wrong with her mentally, she’s staying in regular classes.”
They told me I would always be dependent, would never have a “real” job, and that I would likely need to rely on everyone around me for help and guidance. My life, as they predicted, was supposed to be very different and very difficult as a “blind person.” Boy, did they get everything wrong.
When I was diagnosed, they made my parents feel like my legal blindness and Albinism were a death sentence. “She’ll never. Be. NORMAL.”
Well… who wants to be normal anyway?
I made it my mission to prove everyone wrong. All I wanted was to be like everyone else, so I worked as hard as I could to blend into society. I forced myself to read print I could barely see. I learned how to adapt to the world around me without accommodations, picking up on cues and using other senses to compensate for my lack of vision. My desperate desire was to do things my way.
I didn’t get here overnight. I learned a lot of tips and tricks along the way. Tips I’d love to share here with you about Business, Blindness, and Breakthroughs!
Just because you’re born with something doesn’t mean it defines you. Instead, use it as a challenge that you learn to work through, using the tools and resources around you to build a meaningful and impactful life, even if you can only see more than two feet in front of you.
Who would have ever guessed that I’d build a successful executive assistance business from the ground up? Ten bucks says they didn’t.
So, if you’re interested in hearing my stories, what life was like then, what it’s like now, and the helpful advice I’ve picked up along the way, I’d love to take you on this journey with me. I’ve been told countless times by vision teachers, school professionals, and others that I’m the most resilient person they’ve ever met. That my story is unique and needs to be heard. I’ve always brushed it off, but something just feels right about right now. So – here we go!
My name is Jackie, it’s lovely to meet you. I don’t fit the mold, and honestly, I don’t want to anyway!
