As a new addition to Berks-Mont News, I figured I would use these early columns to give the readers a chance to learn more about me. I stated in a previous column that I struggle with being legally blind. I suffered from a lack of oxygen at approximately one month old which severely inhibited the proper development of my optic nerve.
I also stated previously that I am a self-described nerd. I often spend my free time reading or practicing advanced mathematics. There is also one more hobby that I still enjoy, and it continues to surprise many people who meet me. I am a videogame fanatic.
If readers are surprised by that statement, they should not worry as they are far from alone. Often times when I tell people of my vision impairment and then state that I play videogames it is like you can feel the shock of that information hitting their ears. I will inevitably be asked how a blind person can possibly keep up with the events on the screen particularly with today’s advanced games and technology (long gone are the days when players simply ran around a maze eating dots). When this happens I simply tell them the truth; I am only legally blind.
It has often been my experience that most people hear the word ‘blind’ and automatically assume that I cannot see anything, but in the case of legal blindness this is not necessarily true. Essentially, it is called ‘legal blindness’ for a reason; the term is used as a classification by the Social Security Administration to determine eligibility for disability benefits on the basis of visual impairment. According to the Social Security Administration’s definition, legal blindness is defined as having best-corrected central visual acuity of 20/200 in the stronger eye (only being able to read the large ‘E’ on a standard eye chart from 20 feet away), or having a best-corrected visual field (the amount of vision a person has in front of them without needing to move his/her eyes) of less than 20 degrees in the stronger eye; the previous condition is most commonly referred to as ‘low peripheral vision’ or ‘tunnel vision’. This definition can encompass a variety of eye disorders that result in varying degrees of vision impairment according to the individual.
The best way that I have found to describe my particular impairment is as follows: I have tunnel vision and I am extremely nearsighted. I also have limited depth perception which means that I have some difficulty noticing when there are sudden drops or levitations in the ground. I use a magnifying glass for reading, a telescope for long distance sight, and usually need to sit very close to a television or computer screen to obtain the best amount of visual detail possible.
Without question my condition has presented me with obstacles. I do fit the legal definition of blindness which means that I will not be receiving a valid driver’s license any time soon. Yet I believe that I have done my best not to let my condition get in my way. My condition has not stopped me from graduating from college, it has not stopped me from embarking on my new path as a writer, and it has not stopped me from defeating the darkspawn invasion in ‘Dragon Age: Origins’, winning numerous underground street races in ‘Need for Speed’, or piloting an 18th century pirate ship in ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’.
Michael P. Hill is a native of Elysburg and currently lives in Exeter. He has an Associate’s Degree in Specialized Business and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Due to the difficulty that people with visual impairments have finding employment, Michael is currently working in a sheltered workshop alongside people who are living with multiple physical and mental disabilities.
