In the autumn of 2010, I took one of the most fascinating and challenging courses of my entire graduate program, Introduction to Old English. Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, was spoken by the inhabitants of the British Isles from 449-1066AD. A Germanic language, Old English is an ancestor of Modern English (what we speak now). During … More Word-power
Today my campus is covered in words. All over our sidewalks, the following messages call out in cheerful pastel chalk: “Delta Gamma’s purpose is to stop blindness before it starts.” “80% of all blindness in adults is preventable or curable.” “Delta Gamma’s service for sight began in 1936 to stop blindness before it starts.” “1/4 … More Walking on Words
Well, this essay was supposed to enter a contest, but it doesn’t meet the specifics. So I’ll share it with you instead! ***** Last semester, I returned home after a long day of teaching and found a large flat box on my bed. I could just make out a logo in the top left corner, … More Touching the Wild Shape of Poetry
Any linguist worth her salt will explain that the metaphors we use in casual conversation actively shape our perceptions of reality. We ride emotional roller coasters, package our ideas, hope our arguments will hold water, and cast our spells over the ones we love. These metaphors make our language rich and descriptive; they help us … More Metaphor by Candlelight
On Friday morning, I sit across from Elena, a soft-spoken student with a thick Cuban accent. She is a cellist and a dear friend who struggles with writing in English. She explains that she needs help with an essay assignment for one of her music theory courses. Her voice is gentle and husky, full of … More Uncommon Reader
Yesterday, on the trail of poets with disabilities, I came across the following book review. For poet Craig Romkema’s collection, Embracing the Sky: Poems Beyond Disability, Amazon.com had this to say: “In this collection of poems, Craig Romkema describes the daily journey of an individual whose body is encumbered with the symptoms of autism and … More Mind Over Matter
“I’m not very good at this,” he says, smoothing out his page of single-spaced writing. “You want me to read it aloud?” I nod. “And read your punctuation as well, please.” “Okay…” he clears his throat and begins shakily. Several times a week, this exchange repeats—with different students and occasional variations in the dialogue. Two … More The Editor and the Edifice
Fifteen minutes before class, I prepare to leave my office. I place a stack of 25 graded student essays into my large bag, wrap my soft red scarf around my neck, hang my small brown purse from my right shoulder, and slide my sunglasses over my regular glasses. I pick up my keys and unfold … More Illumination
Several personal items sit atop my nondescript office desk: a red aluminum water bottle, a set of keys, my folded cane, a red cellphone, a silver and gray lamp, a box of tissues (nearly empty), a carafe of peanut butter M&Ms (almost empty), and my sunglasses. Of all these items, the sunglasses are easiest to … More Transition Lenses
Subtitle: A letter for Henry I have decided to break out the Perkins braillewriter. Henry and I are going to exchange braille letters with the hope of improving my braille skills. As the novice, I must write the first of these missives. Henry says this will force me to remember my skills, but I suspect … More Deliberate Communication
Today I came across this quote by 19th-century politician Robert G. Ingersoll, and it did not agree with me. “The superior man is the providence of the inferior. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, and a shield for the defenseless. He stands erect by bending above the fallen. He rises by … More Inferiority Complex
I am working in a summer program for blind and visually-impaired teens. We teach a class of about twenty students, each so full of personality and wit. I watch them learn to master resume-writing, typing, cooking, and other skills as they prepare for adult life. Many of them attend the same school, and I imagine … More Blind Envy
When you carry a white cane, a very visible marker of disability, you receive a lot of free information about other people’s lives, especially their medical history. Whether you believe that the white cane signifies impairment or independence, its presence is hard to ignore. Sometimes, it elicits a troublesome graveyard silence from onlookers – which … More Disclosure and Fascination
I’m standing in the hallway, talking to J and K, two girls from class. J and I stand, enthusiastically discussing the merits of “Downton Abbey” while K, seated against the wall, reviews the 40-page article we had to read. A lull in our conversation gives me the opportunity to notice two guys standing just behind … More “The Blind Leading the Blind”: Watch your language.
On the Blink 