Happy Thanks Giving and What I’m Thankful For Part 3

by Chelsey Zumpano

I’m writing this while the delicious smell of turkey fills my house. Here’s another list of what I’m thankful for.

1 I’m surrounded by a loving family. My family is all healthy and happy.

2 My animals may drive us all crazy sometimes, but I love them anyway.

4 That I have a ruth over my head and food to eat.

5 I’m thankful for this Blog and YouTube and that I’m able to educate and help people with every new post.

6 I’m thankful for every new follower, like, subscriber, comment, and share.

7 I’m thankful for my vision and the fact that being legally blind means I get to help others in our community.

8 My cane helps me get around and for people to recognize me as blind.

9 My coping skills for my anxiety is something I’m extremely grateful for.

10 The fact I will be applying for a guide dog very soon.

Tell me what your thankful for in the comments.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

Preparing For Thanks Giving and Some Blind Shopping Tips

by Chelsey Zumpano

Thanks Giving is tomorrow and so I have a few things to prepare. I have to figure out what dessert I’m making. I used my Amazon Alexa to tell me a crackle cookie recipe. I also found a simple chocolate pie recipe. All I have to do is get a graham cracker crust, (already made) and some chocolate pudding that I have to whisk together. I don’t even have to bake it. Then I’m going to help make mash potatos.

Some tips for when your feeling overwhelmed with people.

1 Wait in a quiet room until everyone else gets there.

2 Eat in a room with less people.

3 Enjoy yourself and have things to help calm yourself down.

here are some tips for you brave souls going out on Black Friday.

1 Take pictures of the things you are looking for and save them in your notes with what the thing is written above it.

2 Take a friend with you, it works best if they are tall so they can reach over heads to grab things.

3 Don’t be afraid to use your cane to make people move out of your way!

4 Bring a backpack to put all your items in.

5 Have your wallet already out as your in line to pay.

6 You can also ask Alexa for shopping deals and just have them delivered to you.

7 You can also look on Cyber Monday, which is on the Monday after Thanks Giving. This is only online and so you can shop from home.

Let me know what your plans are for Thanks Giving in the comments.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

Blogging vs YouTube

by Chelsey Zumpano

I’m writing this while I drink hot chocolate and cudle with audrey. I’m going to tell yall some of the things I like about YouTube and Blogging.

YouTube is easier when I just want to say something real quick and I don’t have to worry about writing for the moment. It’s easier to show you certain things in a video, like how I edit videos or how I take out and clean my fake eye, (by the way, let me know if you’d be interested in seeing a video on that)? I’m a lot more spontaneous with videos because I over think my writing. Making videos have help me to be more confident with talking.

When I’m blogging it takes longer because I’m constantly spell checking and worrying about how things sound. I can write anywhere! In a crowd of loud people, in the car, when I’m jamming out to music, and in a dark room. I feel like sometimes I can be freer with my writing, but at the same time I have to have a plan of what I’m writing. I can stay in my PJs all day and curl up with my animals. I don’t have to worry about what I’m wearing or what my hair looks like. My eyes get to take a brake.

Editing for both is a pain! I get so annoyed hearing my own voice sometimes that I have to stop for awhile. When I’m editing a blog it’s a little easier because I can ask my Alexa how to spell things. Writing these past 15 days, (Yay, I’m doing great), has taught me better spelling and that writing is easier to do when I’m feeling overwhelmed and don’t feel like being on camera.

Let me know what you think of YouTube and Blogging in the comments. If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

We Need Representation!

by Chelsey Zumpano

A girl walking in the ocean with her white cane out in front of her. She is wearing a red baseball hat, her brown hair in a ponytail, purple sun glasses, Christmas tree earrings, a purple sweater, and blue jeans.

(painting credit goes to Chelsey Zumpano).

Representation is extremely important because it allows you to see yourself in that character, to identify with their experiences, to have a character just like you, and to not feel alone. I know of a lot of LGBTQ representation from Korra and Assami who are bisexual and girlfriends from The Legend of Korra,’ Nico  di Angelo coming out as gay in Rick Riordan’s ‘Heros of Olympus,’ and my favorite character Alex Fierro being Gender Fluid and Transgender in ‘Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard’ by Rick Riordan. Then I can name to characters on the Autism Spectrum Sam from ‘Atypical’ and Shaun Murphy from ‘The Good Doctor'” But there is very little representation of characters who are blind.

Imagine all those lives the characters touched and helped come out, accept themself, or give them hope that they can do more then they think! Now imagine you were born blind, or you just lost your sight or discovered that you were going to lose it over time. You need something to show it’s okay and to help accept yourself. No matter what your trying to accept about yourself you need a little help getting there.

I can only think of three characters that are blind!

• Matt Murdock ‘Daredevil’

Now I haven’t watched much of ‘Daredevil’ and so far the representation is okay. Matt lost his sight from radioactive chemicals, (which according to google), gave him super heightened senses. The fact that his senses are heightened is lots better, then just Hollywood making it out like us blind are all super humans. But the one thing I don’t like is that there’s this seen where matt’s two friends are on a date and they are touching each other’s face, “to see how Matt sees” and no that’s not a thing we do! Please don’t add that in movies’ books or TV shows! If we want to know what you look like describe yourself to us. The reason why I think people think we do this is because Helen Keller, (who was both deaf and blind), so she had to touch people’s lips to feel what they were saying. (Don’t quote me on that because I saw it on facebook, so correct me if I’m wrong about her touching people’s lips).

• Toph BeiFong from ‘Avatar the last Airbender’

Toph was born blind and her parents treated her like she was helpless, but she proved them wrong by learning earthbending from the Badgermoles and she then uses this ability to do echolocation by feeling the vibrations in the earth. She secretly participates in Earthbending tournaments where she has several wins. She then goes to teach Aang Earthbending, (against her parentts wishes). She becomes the first metalbender and starts an academy for it. In ‘The Legend of Korra’ she was the former police chief and raised two daughters.

• Ethan Nakamura from ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ by Rick Riordan

Ethan was a Demigod son of the Greek Goddess Nemesis. Nemesis is the Goddess of balance, retribution, and revenge. Epan’s mother promised him that he’d one day balance the world’s power in exchange for his left eye. He proves just because you have a visual impairment that doesn’t mean you can’t fight with a sword and we can be on either side of a war.

That is only three characters, from three different medias and genres. There needs to be way more! Here are some tips for having a blind character.

• Having your character move your cane from side, to side out in front of them in an ark gives lots more tactile feed back because your keeping constant contact with the ground.

• Less then 10 percent of blind people do not have any light perception at all.

• I personaly wear regular glasses, (with out any prescription), to protect my eyes and sun glasses because my eyes have truble adjusting when I go in and out, so keep in mind that others could have light sensitivity as well. I also wear reading glasses when drawing to help with blurryness.

• Guide dogs do not see traffic lights and so the handler has to tell the dog when to go by listening to the trafic, but the dog can stop if there’s a car right in front of them.

• When using a phone I have the brightness and text at 100 percent. I also use VoiceOver, (which is a screen reader for IOS).

• If your character is in main stream school they will have an IEP, (Individual Education Plan), and this is for kids and teens with disabilities to get extra help and accommodations You can read about mine in ‘My true story growing up visionally impaired.’

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

In the comments let me know of some good movies, books, or TV shows with a blind character.

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

Purple Tuesday UK: Accessible Shopping

by Chelsey Zumpano

Chelsey wearing a purple sweater, purple leggings, purple cat-eye glasses, and gray boots. She has her orange, blue, and yellow cane in her right hand.

Purple Tuesday is on November 13th in the UK and is an accessible shopping day for those of us with disabilities. I think this is a great starting point and should be an on going thing! Now I’m not in the UK, but I’m in the US and I’m going to give some of my tips to make shopping accessible for us blind.

1 Treat us like everyone else and ask us if we need help when we walk in the store.

2 Say I’m looking for a sweater and you say, “It’s over there.” Yeah don’t do that! Take me to the sweaters by doing sighted guide, “my hand on your arm just above your elbow.” I can also follow you or you can tell me where the sweaters are by saying, “The sweaters are to racks to your left.”

3 If I ask what colors you have, then you describe them to me. Don’t just say, “it’s purple.” Say, “It’s dark purple with red tones.”

4 Then when I’m paying let me know where the card reader is. I can put my pin in myself, and let me know if it asks me for cash back. If the keypad doesn’t have the little dot on the five, I’ll do credit instead. Then you will direct me where to sign.

5 Please let me know what bag you put the receipt in. When handing me the bags make sure you hand me both handles.

6 When shopping online please have ALT text on your pictures and this allows you to add image desscriptions. Make sure image descriptions are extremely detailed, from the style of the outfit, to the color, if it has any graphics, lace, if the jeans have holes, or if the shirt falls off one sholder.

7 Make sure all the links are readable with a screen reader and able to be clicked on when using a screen reader.

If you have any tips leave them in the comments and if you went shopping today let me know what you got.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

An Idea To Help Us Blind and Others With Disabilities During Disasters! #LetsStartTheConversation

by Chelsey Zumpano

With all the fires going on here in California: there needs to be something to help us with disabilities! A lot of us with disabilities can’t drive and there for when something like these fires are going on we can get traped! We need a service that can come check on us during an emergency and make sure we have some way to get out, then if not they can provide a ride to a safe place.

This service can be provided if your on social security, (SSI and SSD), if you were recently released from the hospital after surgery or some other health problem that means it would make it hard to leave in a hurry, people that have a Dial-A-Ride card, people who are in a wheel chair, people who have a seeing-eye-cane, people who have a service dog or emotional support animal, and more.

You might be wondering, “but how is this going to work?” It would be a volunteer service and the volunteers would check on the clients during a voluntary evacuation and if the client wanted to leave then they’d take them to somewhere safe, (which could be the volunteers’ home). We’d spread the word about this service at all different organizations.

In the mean time here is a list of things you can pack in an emergency!

1 water

2 nonperishaple food

3 gummy candy/something sweet for low blood sugar

4 first aid kit

5 a pair of PJs

flashlight and batteries, (even if your blind because you can use it to get others attention).

7 extra food/water for your service dog

My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone who has been effected by the fires. I hope this is helpful and if anyone does want to help me with this project send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

What I’m thankful For Part 2

by Chelsey Zumpano

Today I’m thankful for nice people and my cat.

Yesterday I hung out with my brother’s girlfriend and she painted my nails and we made dinner. My nails look awesome!

Chelsey's nails painted two shades of pink, (a sparkly pink and a bright pink), and with pawprints on her thumbs

When we went to the store to get food: I didn’t hold on to her at all because I’m trying to be more independent, but she did tell me that I could hold on to her if I needed to. She’s very good at helping me. We made turkey meatloaf and she taught me how to make mash potatoes, (which is awesome because mash potatoes are my favorite food).

Meatloaf, mash potatoes, and a roll on a red plate.

My cat Audrey has been sleeping in my room the past two nights and its nice to have her lay with me. Last night she was attacking my feet and hands, (it’s not something she usually does), because she doesn’t like being around people. She will let me pet her sometimes, but she’ll run away when she doesn’t want to be touched. She slept by me all last night. I tried to take a picture of her, but she moved. I did get a cute piture of her in the morning though.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

A Twilight Adventure

by Chelsey Zumpano

If you clicked on this thinking it was a fanfiction: well I’m sorry to disappoint. LOL I’ve never wrote a twilight fanfiction, yet, but anyway on to today’s post.

Last night at twilight me and Mom went on a walk to practice my first rout. We hadn’t intended to walk that late, but it was a great experience! We walked to the park with me leading the way, Mom would remind me how many streets to cross. I only held on to her shoulder once on the way back because I wasn’t sure if I could walk a strate line with out being able to see the crosswalk, but I realized I could see the lines with the help of the street lights.

I’ve never done mobility at night before and it really helped me put my skills to the test. I did pretty well, but I don’t walk a very straight line and I hesitate when I think there’s going to be a corner. I’m good at street crossing, but I could be better because I do hesitate. I rely a lot on my vision, (which isn’t a bad thing), just something I noticed.

Mom and I decided that I’m not aloud to hold on to her unless there’s a crowd or we are going into a store and my eyes need to adjust. This way I become more independent.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

Twilight isn’t my favorite time of day!

by Chelsey Zumpano

The sky a mix of blue, purple, and Cotton candy pink.

(Picture credit goes to Chelsey Zumpano).

Twilight is one of my favorite book series, but it’s not my favorite time of day. It’s the safest time of day for our favorite sparkly vampires, but it’s the worsed time of day for my vision. It’s the time of day where the sky is a combination of purple and blue that makes the sky look like a bruise, when the last raies of the sun glint pink along the horizon. It’s then as Apollo drives his Sun Chariot one last time across the sky and his twin sister, (Artemis), prepares her Moon Chariot to replace her twin in the sky, that people start to look like silhouettes to me.

During twilight I can’t follow people, so I usually hold on to my mom’s shoulder or my sister’s arm, (just above her elbow). When we go into stores the lights are to bright at first and then my eyes adjust, but when we go outside my eyes take a long time to adjust to the dimness.

It would be better if it just skipped strate to night because my eyes try to focus on the blurry, indistinct people and objects. At night as Artemis begins her journey across the sky: there are no more deep shadows, no more straining my eyes, or hyperfocusing, (just the sky the darkest shade of blue and the street lights to light my way). The darkness is better because my eyes don’t have to constantly adjust to the changing light. The darkness is soft and not flitting from deeper and deeper purples and blues.

It hasn’t always been this way: when I was growing up twilight was just another time of day for me. After I had my eye surgery in seventh grade it changed. The first time it happend: it felt like a dream, like it wasn’t really happening to me, but at the same time the memory feels sharp and stuck in my brain. It was like everything went dim and fuzzy around the edges. It was tarifying, but my eye Doctor told me that this was my new normal and that reassured me. It was just something i’d have to adjust and get use to.

Over the years: I’ve gotten use to the new normal that twilight has become, but sometimes I still get hyper aware of it and that’s just my normal anxiety talking.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment

Chelsey’s Tips on How To Help a Blind Person

by Chelsey Zumpano

For the month of November: I’m going to post a blog post every day because it’s National Novel Writing Month, So I’m going to make this blog my project. Instead of doing a word count I’m going to post every day.

These are my personal tips for people who want to help me.

1 Ask me if I need help.

2 Don’t grab me: if you want to guide me have me hold your arm, (just above your elbow), or hold your shoulder if your shorter than me. I can also follow you, but you have to give me verbal directions, “Turn left, go strate, turn right to go around a cart.”

3 don’t point at things or say, “It’s over there.” Instead you can give me verbal directions such as, “Go out the door, turn lef, and Rue 21 is three stores down on your right.”

4 When at a restaurant: please tell me where your puting my drink and food, then tell me where my food is on my plate by using clock directions. “Your chicken is at one o’clock, your mash potatoes are at six, your green beans are at nine o’clock.” (I don’t always need you to tell me where my food is, so ask me first).

5 if you see me coming up to a door and you want to hold it open for me say, “I’ve got the door for you.”

The main thing to is to ask if I needed help and then I can explain how to help me.

If you would like to be interviewed or otherwise contribute to this blog or YouTube send an email to:

viblindresources@gmail.com

VIBlindResourcesLeave a comment