American Association of the Deaf-Blind

by Cathy Haney of Thibodaux, LA

I am blind in my right eye because of glaucoma. I can still see with my left eye but it is more and more difficult to see out of that eye. I need to have SSPs because although I can still drive during the day, I can't see well enough to feel comfortable driving in dark areas. Also, my doctor has ordered me to stop driving at night.

I can't see well enough to drive on a foggy or rainy day. If it rains hard, I have to stop and wait until the rain lets up. My boss understands, but it affects my work sometimes. I keep on driving as long as I can because Thibodaux, where I live, has no public transportation. We have taxis, but I can't afford to take them all the time.

I was able to get help from my sister to go to my doctor's appointments and other places I need to go. But recently, she had a stroke and cannot drive me around any more. She can't speak, can't help me communicate with others or help me read materials when I have a hard time reading them. I tried my best to go to the doctor on my own, but again, I have a hard time seeing in dark areas like the parking garages.

I also notice I am having more and more trouble finding my way around if I am in a crowded area like downtown Thibodeaux because of the heavy traffic and so many people around. My eye is affecting every area of my life.

I tried calling Lafayette, another city in Louisiana, because Lafayette has an SSP program, but I live too far away to get services from that area. Thibodaux is about an hour and a half from New Orleans, so I am not near Lafayette at all. It's very hard to get help here. I really need SSPs.

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