Blind Abilities Presents: Robin Ennis: Overcoming Obstacles Through Blindness By @Walking_TheTalk #BATeenCast

(Transcript Below) Robin Ennis @Walking_TheTalk tells her story through blindness. Losing her eye-sight and facing her return to college, entering graduate school and facing the largest obstacle of gaining employment. Robin prevales through her determination and her ability to never give up on herself. #BATeenCast #College #Blindness #RobinEnis

Transcript: [Music]

Blind Abilities presents Robin Enis, Overcoming obstacles through blindness. We hope you enjoy.

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October is national disability employment awareness month. In recognition of this month I want to share with you my story through blindness.

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It all started in 2002 when I was 18 years old about to turn 19. My vision declined started with me having difficulty seeing the mass on the computer, 4-6 weeks later being barely able to count fingers. My eyesight was rapidly declining and there was nothing I could do to stop it and there was nothing I could do to bring it back. I did not know what future lies in front of me. Would it be one without eyesight? If so what would that look like? How would I be able to carry on with my daily activities? All of these thoughts and then some were twirling around in my head as I was watching day by day my eyesight leave.

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I was scared to say the least. I was scared, sad, I was uncertain about what was happening to me. Eventually when my eyesight stabilized I received a diagnosis of Optic Atrophy, my optic nerves were a pale white when they were supposed to be a pinkish color. So this Optic Atrophy would result in permanent blindness, permanent. My eyesight was not coming back, so literally one month ago I had it and one month I didn't.

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I had to figure out what was next. So when my official after 6 months had passed since the deterioration of my eyesight the window of time if you are going to get any eyesight back, when that time had come and gone I bought my first white cane. A symbolism of the new world that I was entering, a world of unknown.

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I took a year off from school to recuperate and to adjust to my new circumstances. Returning to college the following year was one of difficulty. I started off my freshman year as a person who was able to see the chalkboard, able to see my peers, able to visually, physically see the professor. Now I was sitting in a classroom not being able to do any of those things relying on sound to be my eyes to help me learn my environment and my course materials. In many instances I was the professor's first student who was blind. So not only was I embarking on this new journey myself, but in many instances so where my professors. So we collaborated. We thought of ways to help me have access to the same opportunities, the same materials as my sighted peers so that I could have an equal opportunity to succeed as my sighted peers did. So with their help I excelled, with their help I was given a fair chance. With my families support as well I knew that I could do anything I could set my mind to. With God, my family, my professors I was ready to handle whatever lied in front of me.

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So with college come academics, then also comes the social aspect, my peers. I felt like an outsider looking in, I felt isolated from my peers. I felt like I was not given a chance to be a part of the group. I felt like I was being judged. Judged on something I had no control over Judged by something that did not define me as a person. I was still Robin, but all they saw was the girl who was blind. So it was my mission to show them otherwise. I was left out of peer groups because they didn't think I could do the school work. They thought that I would bring down their grades. So I proved them wrong by studying and studying and studying, by getting good grade on my tests, on my presentations, by showing them that disabilities does not mean inability, that my blindness does not define me, that my blindness is not a weakness and that I if given the right chance the right opportunity, the right accommodations can do the same thing that they can do. Through the shedding of tears, through the hard work, the stress I ended up graduating with a 3.5 GPA. And I was inducted into the Sociological Honors Society. So my mission was completed I showed my peers that I too can do it.

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I went on to graduate school were I found myself yet again in a situation where I felt like I was being isolated by my peers particularly at my internship. So here I am a student who with a visual impairment, but now I am also entering the work force. What did that look like? What type of accommodations would I need as an employee who was blind? This tough me many lessons that I carried on with me to my next internship in the years to come. Particularly there was an incident when one of the other fellow interns who felt like because of my blindness I was receiving more preferential treatment then she was. So instead of putting my field instructor in the middle I tried to make a situation beneficial for everyone around. So I switched days to where she would have the field instructor to herself and I would have an opportunity with my field instructor as well. But during that time it was the first time that I had actually pinpointed been alienated in the employment field because of my blindness. Sure in academics I was uses to it, but here we are in a different arena. Ultimately I felt like that internship was not the best for me. So I found a different placement. A placement were I felt like I was valued for my skills were I was seen as an individual, independent worker. I was seen for Robin. I was seen for assets, my abilities not my disabilities. I was able to prove myself to prove what I am capable of doing. To prove that disability does not mean inability. I was able to succeed. This internship showed me what it was like to work in a team environment. What it was like to collaborate with one another. What it was like to be accepted for me.

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As I graduated from graduate school I found myself yet again with another struggle. Employment.

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So here I am looking for jobs, sending out my resume, applying, applying and applying, going on interviews, nothing. During this time however I was volunteering for my sisterís non-profit Beautifully Blind Incorporated. To which she started as a way to help blind individuals has access to assistive technology so that they could too have equal access to information as sighted individuals. So this in essence gave me a purpose. It gave me something to keep working towards. But again I still wanted my fulltime employment. I wanted that job. I wanted what I had worked so many years towards. I wanted to continue in addition to Beautifully Blind continue on my path to helping others. But as the years kept coming by one year, two year, three year, four year, five years, six years, I grow frustrated, tears, sadness, disappointment all of the above flooded my body. I was ready to give up. I was discouraged, I felt like I would never get a job. I watched my friends to whom I graduated with go to their first jobs, their second job, and so on and here I am still trying to get my first job. I stopped looking for a while a year to be exact I gave up because my confidence plummeted. I felt like I would never find a job, I felt like nobody would see my potential. Eventually with the encouragement of my family and my friends I started job searching again. One of my friends sent me this job announcement to which I had applied for years ago and so I decided I overlooked it I didn't even apply. Then in September of this year, September 2015 that job opening came open again and I decided to apply. On October the 1st the first day of disability awareness month I was hired for my first full time job. I was excited beyond belief and shocked because I have been waiting for this moment for 6 years, 6 long years, this moment was finally here. I was finally given a chance to shine, to show my potential. So here I am ready to embark on this next journey. This next journey of employment, this next journey of an opportunity to where I can fulfill my destiny of helping others a destiny to continue on my career path. I am excited and I am nervous. I want to succeed and again I want to show everyone that I can do it. That disability does not mean inability. I want to show people that with the right faith, the right hope that anything is possible if you just set your mind to it. Keep going it may be hard, I definitely understand that through the tears and through the hard work at the end of the road you will look back and see everything that you overcame and it will be worth it. You will be able to pat yourself on the back and say well done. I encourage you to believe in yourself to see what your family what your friend see in you. To see the amazing person that you are and the amazing asset that you will be to others and that you are to others.

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Blind Abilities Teen Cast is produces for Minnesota State Services for the Blind. You can find out more about State services and what they provide at www.mnssb.org and to find more podcast go to www.blindabilities.com