Osmo 62 years
Oma- tai vuokra-asunto, Central Ostrobothnia
Description of daily life
My spouse and I are retired. Alarm clocks and strict routines are not part of our everyday lives. We take it as it comes. If we have stayed up late, we naturally get up later in the morning. However, our aim is to get up by around 9 a.m., after which we make coffee and porridge for breakfast. After this we do something. I never seem to get bored. I can always think of something to do.
My spouse and I finally started a project of eating according to the nutrition recommendations. This actually takes up a surprising amount of time. I do all sorts of things during the day. The last thing I did was wash the car. I also take care of washing the doors of our flat. I listen to audiobooks while I’m doing it. I can also wash my laundry using the standard cycles. To select more exotic cycles, I need help from my spouse. I can determine the right cycle by listening to the clicks of the dial.
Limitations
Being blind limits my life. I am sort of ‘fumbling around’. Working with the computer is slow, and when I’m washing the car, for example, I can lose the car. My spouse stays close by and gives me instructions. Blindness also affects my relationships with people. I find it difficult to get to know new people. There are so many things I would like to do. I am used to living and doing things with a visual impairment. I do not even think about it every day.
At home I can manage myself, despite the visual impairment. If necessary, I can heat up my meals myself. If I’m eating in public, somebody needs to tell me what the food on my plate is. In my daily life, I mainly need my spouse’s help for stuff related to my clothes and what they look like. Outside the home I always need help.
I use a white stick when I’m out and about. When I’m waiting for my spouse in public spaces, I hold the phone in front of my face and look at it. This means that outsiders do not pay attention to me and ask if I need help.
I have often been asked if I really cannot see anything. Sometimes it feels like people who are not blind would want to hear me say that I can see a little bit. People are sometimes inconsiderate when dealing with a visually impaired person. For example, in group meetings they give me a stack of papers and ask me to pass them around in the group, or the others leave the room without telling me. Sometimes I spend a little while talking to an empty chair. This seems a bit rude.
Joys
I like to read audiobooks. Doing things and falling asleep in peace and quiet make me happy. As a visually impaired person, I am lucky. I have a good spouse. I have also always had good assistants.
Housing
I live with my spouse. We have been living here for about twenty years. The house was built in 1939, and it served as a school until the 1980s. The floor area is about 400 square metres. We spend most of our time downstairs. We only heat a part of the house.
Service use
We look after all our affairs ourselves. My spouse drives in all seasons. Nowadays they no longer drive long distances. I also use trains and taxis to get about. A train is an affordable option for a visually impaired person.
Friends and family
My spouse is the most important person in my daily life. I have a brother and a father who live further away. My mother has passed away. I don’t have much to do with my brother. We speak on the phone on a rare occasion. We have such different ideas about things. We visit my father regularly. He lives in a more remote area. The surroundings of his house are quiet, which I like. Our place is close to a busy road, and we can hear the noise of the traffic.
Turning points of life
Becoming blind over ten years ago. Six months after I had gone blind we travelled abroad. This gave me courage to do things despite my limitations. I have completed my Master's thesis, and now I am studying English. After completing the degree, I worked in the parish. I retired from that job, which was unexpectedly pleasant. I can live freely with no schedules.
I have also taken up shooting with a Japanese bow and arrow. We have markers on the floor that help me identify the space and the field with my feet. Shooting is the point, not hitting the target.
In the past, getting my driver’s licence made me feel free. I always liked cars. This is why giving up my car was a big thing for me. The turning points of my life also included moving to the countryside and meeting my spouse.
Use of digital devices
Digital devices cannot be bundled into a single category. They have brought me unbelievable relief. I use a phone, two computers, a printer, a scanner and Dictaphones. I also have an Oura ring and a smartwatch. Personally, I like Apple devices. They offer smooth usability and compatibility for a visually impaired person. Each phone user gets a speech synthesiser as a free add-on. For example, I can take pictures using Apple's scanning program. The program estimates the distance.
I use Word in my computer to give me reminders. I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration qualification once, as part of which I learned to touch type. The keyboard also contains markers that make typing easier.
To conclude
It's important for me to do something. I also like audiobooks a lot.
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