On this week’s episode of Talking Vision, Stephen Jolley speaks with Ben Page as part of Vision Australia’s “Let’s talk about vision loss” series, which explores the lives and achievements of those who have experienced vision loss later in life.
“Vision loss presented its fair share of setbacks,” Ben said.
It even affected his self-esteem.
Ben admits negative self-talk can occasionally take over but, talking to people to let them know how he’s feeling, for instance a parent, someone at school, or someone at university like a staff member, has gone a long way.
“Because those thoughts are so easy to spiral, it was really important for me that when I start feeling this way, I let people know and I can talk through those kinds of things,” Ben said.
Being able to speak to people and identify how he’s feeling and what he wants to achieve has helped Ben to rebuild his confidence, especially when thinking about employment or further study in counselling.
“Yes, I have low vision, but in a way that lived experience gives me an advantage over other people. In a counselling setting for example I’m able to be more empathetic, or to know more about what supports are available for somebody who may be going through something, because I’ve been there,” he said.
Listen to the full Talking Vision episode on Omny or in the player below:
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Talking Vision is Vision Australia Radio’s flagship program, discussing the latest news and issues from a blindness and low vision perspective.
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