World Sight Day 2011

Today is world sight day.

According to the World Health Organization:

• 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision.
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• About 90% of the world's visually impaired live in developing countries.
• Globally, uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of visual impairment; 
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• cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness in middle- and low-income countries.
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• An estimated 19 million children are visually impaired. Of these, 12 million children are visually impaired due to refractive errors, a condition that could be easily diagnosed and corrected. 1.4 million are irreversibly blind for the rest of their lives.

So what does this mean to us? 

 Well it means we should be bubbling over with gratitude that we live in a country 

where the medical services are available.
Without the surgery given to Elsa at 5 weeks old, she would be completely blind.

Thank you Dr. B!!!!

And in light of world sight day, at my house we will celebrate what vision we have,

But we will also celebrate what vision we don't have.

It may sound crazy but living with 

someone with visual impairments

 has reformed my concept of blindness altogether.

I realize that things could be easier for Elsa 

with perfect vision.

But what if her impairment gave her some benefits?

More valuable than the generalities...

she will be able to hear really well...etc.

It is hard to put into words.

Elsa is valuable as she is. 

 I do not long for her life to be different.

 I do not want pity.  

I do not want people to feel like her life is hard. 

 It is different, yes...

 and that difference makes her unique....

  

and that uniqueness will impact the world around her.

Click Here to read more about what you can do to celebrate World Sight Day!