Audio Visual Media, dominated by our culture, frustrating for the low sighted

I was attending my children’s transition ceremonies today (one from Elementary going to Middle and the other going from Middle to High School).  As part of the ceremony they had the dreaded “video show”.  It is dreaded because a) it causes most moms’ to burst into tears and b) for those of us with low vision can’t see them at all.  It is amazing how many factors play into the quality of my sight.  If there is too much back light it washes out everything I am trying to look at.  If there isn’t enough light I can’t see either.  Then you do things like overheads, videos, or anything visual and I can’t see it.  So what is a visually disabled person to do?  Well I had to ASK, that’s right ask if someone could send me the video to my computer so that I can see it zoomed and close up and therefore actually SEE my kids in their video presentation.  No big deal right?  Well, let me tell you, since I became visually disabled a year ago I feel like all I do is ask for help.  I ask for more accommodations and help in an hour than most people ask for in a week.  There is nothing wrong with the act of asking for help, it is just simply that inner two year old really wants to be able to do this life ALONE and finds the whole process of asking for help to be demeaning, humiliating, frustrating, and downright annoying.  Think back to a time when you had to ask for help.  Think of all the things going through your mind on ways that you could do this by yourself and that you really didn’t need help.  Think of how much you gloated when you did it by yourself and actually accomplished what you originally thought you couldn’t do.  Now, pause, think how it would FEEL if you really needed help and you really couldn’t do it by yourself.  Now, think how that would feel multiple times a day.  Guess what I am learning, I have to learn to shelf those feelings and ask for help.  I don’t get to choose, it is for sheer survival and enjoyment of life that I ask for such things.  Over the last year I have gotten much better and it doesn’t bother me as much anymore.  It was just for some reason today asking for these videos of my kids made me feel awkward, but I did it anyway and I am glad I did.