I haven’t operated a desktop or laptop computer since I lost my sight, something I used to be rather adept at. Now I do everything on my iPhone and iPad, both of which I have the larger sized models. Vision accessibility features are turned on, set to both bold and the largest font, the Zoom feature called into action as necessary. I don’t use any voice or audio options because I can manage without. That said, I am glad they are there if I ever need them.
Everything I write for this site is first drafted on my iPhone in the Notes app, using both thumbs. Once completely written, I proof and tweak the piece within an inch of its life on my iPad. I don’t always catch typos which makes the perfectionist in me furious. I try to counteract those thoughts with the reinforcement fact that at least I can use these devices the way that I am able. Facts aren’t feelings though, are they? Especially when used in an attempt to thwart the F word: FURIOUS.
About a year after my vision loss, in December 2013, I had surgery for a trigger finger – my right thumb – that would get stuck and not bend. It was a painful nuisance. When neither multiple cortisone injections nor physical therapy corrected the sticky finger, surgery did. The cause of the problem was no doubt not one BlackBerry but the two I had carried when working as a corporate meeting planner, a device for the job, another for my personal life. Although I only operate a single phone these days, I can guarantee you that my usage now is far greater than when I also used a laptop and home desktop to communicate with the world. My iPhone is now my method of texting, emailing, notes and writing Sister Rain.
I am not a big fan of the word “accept” but “adapt” and I have been very close friends since my childhood. We work with what we’ve got. Obviously my hand-eye coordination is not what it once was but my thumb-mind collaboration has reached new heights. I am intellectually quick to credit my Apple products for changing my life when my life was changed, giving them two thumbs up. My heart and my soul, from where deep gratitude comes, give my thumbs a standing ovation.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindwriter #blindnessisaspectrum #opticneuropathy #visuallyimpaired #blind #sisterrainisallthumbs #thunbsarefingerstoo
