Returning safely back to work after lockdown will be a challenge for Sarah Stephenson-Hunter, who started losing her sight aged seven, and is now completely blind after more than 50 eye operations. The half-marathon runner says friends received verbal abuse for not social distancing, despite their white cane or guide dog. This is her story.
“ ‘I can tell you that getting around Oxford as a totally blind person using a white cane is no mean feat.’ ” Life under lockdown has been tough for everyone, but I think the specific needs of blind and partially-sighted people have been ignored. Read: ‘For me, the uncertainty generated by coronavirus isn’t new,’ explains this 21-year-old Oxford University student tackling stage 4 cancerPlatforms such as Microsoft Teams MSFT, +2.34% and Zoom ZM, -1.30% have good levels of accessibility, so I’ve been able to use these in much the same way as my sighted colleagues.
It is great that some of the restrictions are being lifted but I still have serious concerns around how I’ll be able to get out and about. It has been particularly hard knowing that others have been able to go out and exercise when I’ve not been able to, especially as I’m a keen runner and can’t see myself running outdoors with a guide for a long time yet.Even with some vision, sticking to social-distancing rules is incredibly difficult.