By Cindy Wentz | From BayLines Express, February, 2025
While I have always been legally blind, my vision has taken a huge hit in the past few decades. I’ve gone from reading print and walking without a cane or dog to not seeing much at all. Fortunately, technology has developed in the inverse proportion to my vision tanking, and my drive and curiosity are as active as ever.
You might think it takes a lot of courage to travel on your own to an unfamiliar destination. If so, I beg to differ. It is true that I usually have to make my way to Belize or Peru or Jackson Hole on my own. That’s easier than making my way independently to an unfamiliar destination for a medical appointment, movie, or other mundane task. There’s generally plenty of help in the airport and only once have I encountered personnel who did not speak English. (It took me a few minutes to grasp that the guy was using Google translate and holding up his phone for me to see). Upon connecting with the tour group, there is pretty much always a sighted traveler to help with finding the restroom, describing the sights, reading the menu, or various other tasks. Even if it’s their first experience hanging out with people who are blind, most of them seem to get the hang of it. So, if you don’t mind figuring out unfamiliar hotel rooms, getting on and off buses and other forms of transport, walking on various terrains and getting along with a group of fellow travelers, you will do fine.
Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have family or friends with whom to travel. (I’ve done that as well but am lacking in those options at this point in my life). Or perhaps camping or gardening or sitting on your porch is more of your thing. But if all this talk of interesting destinations finds you yearning for new adventures, pack your bags: let’s go!
In July 2021, I wrote an article for Baylines Express on traveling to distant destinations as a blind person. The first sentence of that article was “I love to travel,” And I still do love to see unfamiliar places and do new things. A year ago, I went to Belize with a cross-disability travel company called Wilderness Inquiry. September found me on a Mind’s Eye Travel trip to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone. One month later I did a music tour of Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans with Travel eyes. The next two destinations on my docket are Portugal and Costa Rica.
So that brings us back to the possibly more challenging form of travel – just negotiating your way independently through the necessities of daily life. Online shopping and streaming services aside, there still are reasons to venture outside your four walls. Should you do this on your own? Can you do it on your own? Do you choose to do it on your own? These are the questions I repeatedly ask myself. And sometimes the answer to one or more of them is ’no.’ More frequently, however, the conclusion is ‘yes,’ and out I go. Here are some factors that greatly increase my odds of a successful venture.
* Planning. Know the name and address of your destination. Whether you call ahead for any additional information is up to you. Choose your method of getting there. Drop off by family or friend, public transport, ride share, paratransit, walk, other? Think about a backup plan if things don’t go as intended and you can’t problem solve your way to success.
* Tools. Practice those orientation & mobility skills: whether you use a cane, a dog or can safely travel without these, endeavor to be the best you can be. Bring your (hopefully smart) phone with you: make sure it is charged. Bring your brimmed hat, sunglasses or whatever if you are bothered by glare. Put a few blind friendly GPS apps on your phone and make sure you know how to use them. Same goes for Aira or Be My Eyes.
* Attitude! attitude! Now that you are adequately prepared, get going! Cultivate perseverance and patience with yourself. Don’t be surprised if there are literal or figurative bumps along the way. (Even on a walk home from the store, I’ve been known to wander off route, much to my surprise and chagrin). Be resilient. Be a problem solver. Don’t panic. Remember: you have a phone with you and all those helpful apps to get you out of a pickle. Ask for help if you need it and politely rebuff it when you don’t. Know that you may occasionally fail for any number of reasons. Pat yourself on the back for your successes, learn from your failures. Pick yourself up and do it again sometime.
There’s no doubt that getting out and about on your own might be stressful. You might have an easier way of getting things done, or you may decide that it’s just not worth the effort, or you may accept the challenge of leaving your comfort zone to try something new. Whatever you decide is OK.
Whether your travels take you near or far, happy trails and bon voyage.