I lost my sight completely right after my first year. I had lived with partial blindness since childhood, but complete loss was a different story.
First, I had to defer my admission. It was a stressful process, from writing letters to getting a medical report and going back and forth to submit things. I couldn’t appear physically in school to inform them, because I needed time to think and process things. It was my brother who became my eyes in those moments.
Then I had to go to a rehab centre where I spent a year learning how to be independent to an extent. I learnt computer skills and Braille, a form of writing for people with visual impairments. I was taught how to move with my mobility aid, dress up, and cook, amongst other basic skills. When I felt like I had acquired the necessary skills, I decided to return to school.
But there was a problem.
The school was contemplating whether or not I was fit to continue studying German because of my disability. In UI, students with disabilities, such as visual impairment, are usually found in special education or communication. But I stood my ground. I had already lost one thing; I was not going to lose another, especially not a language I loved.
When I insisted on studying German, I was placed on probation to see if I could survive it. But luckily for me, my department shrouded me in support and care. And they tried all they could to make studying a bit easier for me by getting me a social worker, getting my textbooks in Braille, and ensuring that I got everything that I needed. I used to be an academically inclined student. So, to become a student who needs help with academics is painful.
But academic war was just one of the many I’d have to fight to survive as a blind student.
As a resident of Queens Hall, I was assigned A block, the supposedly most accessible block for people with disabilities. But I think that even the block meant for us is not inclusive at all. One time, I had to wear a nylon on my sandal, because there was faeces on the floor and I might step into it blindly. I can fetch water and wash clothes myself, but where we get water and spread clothes is a bushy place that I can’t access.
To ease things, I outsourced the water and laundry to cleaners in the hostel. But that also came with its own problems. I’ve had cases of them using a bathroom bucket to bring water to the kitchen, which I found unhealthy. Even worse is the cleaners’ lack of accountability. Sometimes, they lose my clothes. Maybe they think I don’t know what I’m doing.
Moving through campus is another trial if one doesn’t have assistance. I think the roads are unsafe because there are no traffic regulations or parking rules. Sometimes, if I want to take transport, I have to cross to the other side. But now I have a caregiver who comes around based on my schedule to help me navigate from the hostel to classes and church. In UI, the caregiver can’t live with me, unlike in some other schools.
Living with blindness has changed my perspective. I have experienced being taken advantage of, and that has made me insecure and defensive. I mostly stay indoors to avoid becoming a source of attention. Back when I could see partially, I went out with someone, and the way people were staring was too much because the person was holding my hands. I’ve even experienced someone trying to detach themselves from me, ‘Don’t touch me o.’ Sometimes these things get to me and I cry; other times, I wave it away.
Regardless, I always try to attend classes. I have even participated in a cultural exchange programme. But I think I’m lucky. Because if my department hadn’t helped me, I’d still be struggling like many others.
If I could redesign my university, I’d start with infrastructure: accessible hostels for disabled students, traffic regulation, and hostels that allow caregivers. Maybe even a board that’s accountable for students like us.
As narrated by: Grace Adebiyi (Ibadan, Nigeria).
This snippet is published as part of the series, Beyond What You See.
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