Loading ...
IMAGINE the challenge of making a cake without the use of your sight, only to discover you’ve used salt instead of sugar; or the embarrassment of hopping into the wrong car; or putting a jumper on inside out and walking to the shops in it.
These are some of the everyday challenges faced by Gerry Flood, who has been vision impaired since she was a child.
After moving to Portland from Bendigo Mrs Flood noticed that there was very little support for low vision and blind people in the area. She set up the Portland Sightseers Group after being asked about her cane and guide dog Wren, while walking down the street. Now the group of around seven people meet for lunch on the first Monday of each month for a “purely social get together”.
“We have to help ourselves; it is about taking back our independence. When you have a disability you lose so much of your independence and mobility,” she said.
The aim of the group is to share the lurks and quirks of life with this disability and generally support each other, so people “know they’re not the only one”.
This grass roots group meets next on June 4, in the Gordon Hotel, Bentinck St, from 12.30pm. For more information call Mrs Flood on 5523 5918.
Print 
PDF
