Adams Esther Oluwatomisin, a visually impaired 300 Level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, cleaned up nice for her birthday photoshoot few months.
She recently shared her experience on the first time she went out without her mobility guide. Read below:
I will title my post disability can’t define me, being blind obviously can’t be a fantastic feeling but I try to make the best of every situation, I could remember doing so many stupid things and hiding under the excuse of being blind, after all my society thinks I can’t think straight , that’s a gist for another day. Back to the main gist. So, I decided to go home before the normal semester break to oversee what has been happening to my poultry, after all I can’t always leave my responsibilities to other people who might not handle them the way I do. I was just about to step out of the room, when my roommates reminded me that I take my mobility guide, (how will I be able to hold the guide with my hand bag) this were my words to them. In my mind, una won make this stick spoil my fine dressing. Then I embarked on this journey, in the first two busses I took, I was able to talk to the person sitting next to me or even the conductors to help me get into the next bus. This is the normal way of doing it after all Nigerians are good at doing this and I am always never scared of going places all by my self, but I never knew my people will fail me this time . I got into a bus and explained to the the conductor that I will be aliting at ajah bus stop, it was less than twenty five minutes when the conductor instructed me to come down, I jejely carried my hand bad and jumped out of the bus waiting for other passengers to, so I can tell one of them to help me get into the a bus to my final destination, when suddenly I heard zooooom( yee, mogbe, moto yi ti lo) the vehicle has gone. How now will I convince passers by to help me, to make matters worse I was not even with my mobility guide to back my point, my eyes are clear, who would believe I needed to be held to get into a vehicle? Of a truth una sister no dey carry last o. I tried talking to a few people who ran off even before I end my story, I can’t Blaim them this is Nigeria, I was still standing when I heard the voice of an elderly woman, shouting buy gala buy gala, heading towards my direction, i gently moved towards her and the following conversation took place
Me :mama good afternoon, pls I need you to help me get into a bus going to eleko
Mama:stretching her hand towards a direction, just det go like this , you go see garage, na dere you go enter eleko bus
Me :mama I no dey see road o
Mama:u sure say you no see me?
Me:yes
Mama :oya bring your hand make I carry you go enter boss
She held me, led me to the garage and started asking several questions like, (how you take know sey I be woman, how you take know were I dey dat time. I answered her questions even though I was tired of answering same questions all the time, shebi na blind I blind, I no deaf join
Fast forward to the bus, I started to think, does disability have to make me? Does blindness have to smell around me, do I have to appear rough or disabled, before I can convince people that I need their help
I know who I am, always feeling happy and strong
Thanks to aunty Lola and my over one million sisters across the globe
This Is a picture of me below
#merry Christmas in advance
