She Lived: Notable Women with Visual Disabilities

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:37:50 -0400
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As we end Women's History Month during this period of COVID-19 remote work, learning and social distance, we find ourselves looking for diversions and engagement while we are staying-at-home. We've curated a global who's-who of women who identify as having a vision-related disability and have led historic and noteworthy lives and provided links for a deeper dive into their lives and experiences:

Helen Keller has spent her life as a speaker, author and advocate for people with disabilities, and her biography is posted on the American Federation of the Blind's website (link). She is also the namesake for Helen Keller Services (link), which has a Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults, as well as services for people who are blind.

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree in 1849, and lost sight in her left eye while treating an infant with an infection. In 1875 she helped found the London School of Medicine, where she taught as a professor until 1907. More about her life can be found on the Amazing Women in History site (link).

Trischa Zorn was born without irises and is the most medaled Paralympian of all time. When not working in athletic endeavors, she taught science as an educator and went on to become an attorney. She shares more about her journey on her website (link). Team USA writes of her as The Most Decorated Athlete You've Never Heard Of (link).

Sabriye Tenberken lost her vision to retinal disease at the age of twelve, and went on to found Braille Without Borders (link). She was interviewed by Oprah (link) and featured in O Magazine (link), and has a fascinating TED talk on the right to be different (link), which shows more of her work in Tibet and nearby countries.

Matilda (Tilly) Aston was born in 1873 with a vision impairment, becoming blind by the time she was seven. She is described as the "Helen Keller of Australia", given her many accomplishments as a disability activist, teacher, and poet. (link). She was honored more recently with the Tilly Aston Bell (link).

Sinead Kane, with 5% vision, is legally blind, and lived through bullying and discouragement during her schooling. She went on to earn a law degree and found The Kane Ability (link) to address bullying and adversity. She has now moved on to study bullying towards earning her PhD, and can be followed on Twitter via @blindrunner777.

Haben Girma was the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2013. She has recently written a book about her life and experience, as well as advocated for accessible design, including this 2016 presentation at Apple (link).

These women have navigated grief, loss, and uncertainty, as well as their successes, progressing with academic accommodations, work accommodations, and assistive technology. UMBC's Student Disability Services (link) and Accessibility and Disability Services (link) are resources for students, faculty and staff with disabilities who wish to explore accommodation in academic endeavors, employment, and while visiting UMBC.

Photo of smiling woman with sunglasses was shared by Philip Cavalcante on Unsplash.com