Living with a visual impairment
It was hard for me growing up with a visual impairment. Fellow students used to slag me because I couldn’t see that well. That changed in third year of secondary school when I received help from Childvision. The additional help was a great success in getting me through secondary school. Since then I have completed Fetac Level 4 course in Sports & Recreation at Roslyn Park college plus I was attending National Council for the Blind in Ireland (NCBI) until earlier this year to complete an computer course.
Through the assistance of NCBI I applied for a journalism course in Colaiste Dhulaigh college. I got accepted for the course in March 2020. I wasn’t sure if the course would happen due to Covid-19 restrictions. After a few months I was told through email that my course would go ahead. I’m currently participating in this corse. I am learning new blogging websites and correct ways to write blogs and articles. The course is challenging because a lot of it is visual and with a visual impairment that part is hard. With additional support from college there’s plenty of ways to get around it. I’m enjoying the course so far and if I can do this course with a visual impairment there’s no reason why someone else with a visual impairment can’t do this everything is possible.
A few years ago I was embarrassed about using a cane. I’m a young man and it isn’t stylish to use one. A little bit of stubbornness on my part thinking I could get everywhere without banging into things. Since then my sight has decreased a little bit and started to hitting of things more than normal. While I attended NCBI the Orientation & Mobility officer showed me how to use a cane. I was a bit nervous at the start because I wasn’t sure how comfortable in adapting to using a cane. Through practice I use my long cane everywhere I go and it’s a great help in getting past obstacles. I wouldn’t go anywhere now without it it’s like my phone. I would recommend to anyone who is visually impaired to start to using one if you haven’t tried one already. People are more aware and understanding when they see someone with a cane. This has been a big success in developing my independence skills in the last 12 months.
I always had an interest in sport from an early age. I played mainstream football from the age of 6 to 15. When I stopped playing mainstream football I continued to play with Sportsclub 15 a Special Olympics club on a social level. While I was playing football I developed an interest for golf.
I played my first game of pitch& putt when I was 11 years old. I enjoyed it and started to play a few holes with my dad when I was 12 years old. I completed my first game of golf (18 holes) when I was a teenager. I loved it and got the bug to play more. One summer when I was off school I just played golf for whole summer. Through chance I found out about Irish Blind Golf. My dad became my guide and I went along to one of their monthly outings. It was in Westmanstown golf club in 2013. All their members were welcoming on the day and I really enjoyed this game. Since then I have played all their monthly outings and still a member of Irish Blind Golf to this day. Through playing with Irish Blind Golf I have played International Blind Golf Competitions.
Some of the countries that I have played in over the last few years are Japan for World Blind Golf Championships, Arizona for U.S. Blind Golf Open, Rome for another World Blind Golf Championships and England British Blind Open. The best experience that I had travelling playing golf was Japan because the country was so clean plus the golf course was in immaculate condition and some of the food that I tasted was different but I would definitely recommend to go to Japan if you get a chance in the future. The best finish that I had in a International competition was winning the Italian Blind Open in 2016. This was one of the proudest memories of my life. There is great opportunities in sport regardless whether you have a visual impairment or not.
Over the last year Covid-19 has affected me with golf courses in Ireland closed for more than 1 period. With not been able to travel my International competitions were postponed in 2020. I had to adapt in an attempt to keep busy I have been doing this by participating with more duties around my house to develop my independence skills and to attend zoom sessions with personal trainer to maintain a good level of fitness.
If you want to find out any information about me you can follow me on Instagram @patrickmorgangolfer on Facebook @irelandsblindgolfer and @patrickmorganj1 on Twitter. I have no problem in asking questions on the socials just by giving me a DM on Instagram and Twitter also PM on Facebook.
I hope this helps in fellow visually impaired people to accomplish the daily skills in life.