Dear fellow person who is blind,

You may be a child struggling to tie your shoes or play on the monkey bars at school. You may be a teenager who can’t seem to get the hang of cutting your food or crossing streets. You may be an adult who remembers struggling with mastering “life skills.” You may still have trouble doing some of these things or others that you have been told all your life you should have mastered years ago. I am writing today to tell you that you are not broken!



You need to know that there is a lot more to life than life skills. While it might be great to be able to travel around unfamiliar places without assistance, cross intersections, cook or cut up your food, tie your shoes, shave your face, or even swing on those monkey bars in the end it won’t stop you from having a good life. What will stop you from having a good life is buying into the judgemental garbage you encounter out in the world. You are still a valid person if you wear slip-on shoes, go to the barber to have your face shaved once a week, or use a GPS/transport assistance/special transport to get around. These things won’t stop you from getting a job or traveling the world if you want to. You will have friends and lovers even if you can’t cook or need to ask for your food to be pre-cut at restaurants. The only thing that will happen if you use cups with lids and/or straws, or ask for that martini in a normal glass is that your clothes won’t end up spilled on.



There are people in the world that will intimate or outright tell you that you are not good enough because you can’t do one thing or another. Most of them do not know any better and think they are trying to help you. They are still wrong. There are others who are doing this because they feel insecure in themselves. You may have skills that they wish that they had or come across as happier and more confident than them. You can try to be a friend to them if you wish to however, do not let them make you feel ashamed. Finally, there are a few people who might wish to gain profit from your lack of skill by offering you training or tools. If you wish to pursue these areas, do it because you genuinely wish to do so and not out of guilt or shame. Also, make sure that what is on offer will suit your needs and learning style.



I am not here to tell you to give up on learning life skills that you genuinely wish to perfect. If you really want to travel through an airport on your own or fry and cut up that steak, by all means keep at it. If you genuinely are unable to do something however, never be afraid to ask for the things you need and keep asking until you get them. You are not only asking for yourself but others who may be too ashamed to advocate for themselves. Finally, if you find other blind people who may be struggling, please make a point to let them know that they are not alone and that they are just as worthy and even capable in their own way as anybody else.