Alan Brint, age 19, is a swimmer at Beloit College in Beloit, WI. He loves to read and watch sports. He describes his vision as light perception from Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). He travels with a white cane. You can find him on Facebook as Alan Brint.
What is the most consistent challenge or frustration you experience with your blindness? How do you handle it?
Socially it can be hard to fit in sometimes. But even then I am not doing poorly in it. Sometimes I do not know what is going on when, but I almost always eventually figure it out someway, although it is not always a consistent way. I have to ask sometimes, which can be a bit embarrassing, but such is life.
What resources have helped you to handle your blindness best, either in everyday matters or in moments of crisis?
I tend not to use my blindness as a crutch ever—well except in a car, although my brother decided even that was an unacceptable place to call it a crutch when I was 13. Don’t worry, it was just a parking lot where he put me behind the wheel, and my parents had enough brains to almost take away his license. But now that he is 23 and I am 19, we have brains and we don’t do that, but I guess you can say that I go to my brother as my way of living “sighted.” But honestly, I have a good friend, Peter, who I go to with questions about blindness related stuff. Also, you would be surprised how receptive friends can be. It is more than you would think, even if they are not blind themselves.
What would you say is the most harmful or annoying belief that people have about blindness? How would you change this belief?
It is extremely shocking how dumb people can be sometimes. People think we cannot get around physically. We have two legs that function just as well as most pairs of legs. We can do absolutely anything anybody else can do with our legs, just not necessarily in the same way as everyone else. People are always shocked out of their minds when they hear me say that, but unfortunately that is a good thing and I look for those reactions in people sometimes, it makes me feel really good.
What is a book that you could read over and over again? Why do you feel this way about it?
Harry Potter. I am rereading the books again. It is just such a universe, and I get immersed in it all the time. It is great. Who knows, the Foundation Fighting Blindness may not be needed anymore if J.K. Rowling can come up with a spell that will give full sight back to us? If you can think of it, please charge me in dollars for the wand, I do not have galleons, sickles or knuts in my pockets. I guess their hard work is for nothing…
What book, person, or perspective makes you feel most centered?
I love it when people believe that people can always do everything, just not necessarily the same way. This is the perspective that many of my friends have, and it makes me feel the best about myself.
What is one dream you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?
I want to swim across the English Channel. I am not sure if any people have done it without sight, so it would be very cool. Plus, a challenge in the water is where I am most like me.
What topics do sighted (or blind) interviewers usually ask you about?
I typically am asked about swimming in interviews honestly. This is the time where I got interviewed the most. They ask me how I do it differently than most people, and the answer is simple and consistent with what I have said before: not that different. I don’t need to see the wall when I get used to a 25 yard pool.
What topics would you prefer to discuss?
I can talk about anything with any intelligent people. As long as your question doesn’t ask about my physical mobility, I am all in for anything!
On the Blink 