Sarah Taylor vowed when she got married she would never become dependent on her husband due to her low vision.
But when the relationship deteriorated a few years later, she found herself in a difficult situation.
“I stayed longer than I probably should have because I did rely on my partner a lot for mobility,” Sarah says.
Speaking to Vision Australia’s Nothing’s off Limits podcast series, Sarah says with kids and a routine she was used to, any change seemed hard.
But the fear exacerbated when she considered her vision limitations.
Thankfully, reconnecting with the blind and low vision community made her realise she was not alone. Others had gone through similar situations and managed to cope. It was possible to live independently.
Sarah Taylor now coordinates some of Vision Australia’s emotional support groups, and coaches others on the changes in relationships that might come with vision loss.
Relationship changes are the perfect opportunity to look inwards, and improve for yourself, not rely on others, she says.
Listen to the full interview on Nothing’s Off Limits in the player below.
Also featured in the episode is lawyer Natalie Wade from Equality Lawyers says it’s important for people with disabilities to be prepared for relationship breakdowns.
“Some feel scared they will be reprimanded for taking a stand against a person’s behaviour,” she told Nothing’s Off Limits.
“It’s really important for people to have a game plan if things do go bad.
“Have at least one or two professional organisations you could ring for help like the police or NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.”
Nothing’s Off Limits is a 10-episode series and aims to tackle life’s more awkward, embarrassing and uncomfortable topics from a blindness and low vision perspective.
Episodes are available as podcasts from the Vision Australia website, Podbean, and Spotify.