Losing my sight has been difficult but it has also opened my eyes to a new world – one filled with colour, beauty and strength!
During Disability Pride Month, we have asked Team BSMHFT colleagues to share their stories to help us raise awareness of all types of disabilities and health conditions.
We want to celebrate the diversity and dignity of people living with disabilities. We also want to emphasise that with the right support and understanding, people with disabilities and long-term health conditions live happy, healthy lives with good mental health and wellbeing.
Bethany Brown, Project Support Administrator wanted to share her story.
“In February 2021, I learnt that I was visually impaired. My consultant informed me that I would go blind at some point in my life, possibly in about 50 years or so, so it was a huge shock to learn of a significant deterioration just four months later.
Learning to live with sight loss has generated a number of challenges; from learning to be independent again to learning to walk with a long cane, but I was surrounded by kindness and support by my family, friends and colleagues.
I worked across two teams at the time of my diagnosis and both teams did some training around living with sight loss including sighted guide training, understanding of a variety of conditions that effect sight and helped me get the right equipment and support in place to effectively do my job to the best of my ability. Honestly, I was overwhelmed with compassion from everyone and felt supported to reobtain my confidence in doing my role!
Losing my sight has been difficult but it has also opened my eyes to a new world – one filled with colour, beauty and strength! I’m an artist in my spare time, I also volunteer with the Royal National Institute for the Blind and have found tremendous support through Focus Birmingham!”
Published: 19 July 2024
