8541RB Reading for Me Level 4 Part A

Imaginative
A Day in the Life of a
Blind Person
Close your eyes. Try to imagine what it would be like if
that darkness is all you knew. Does it seem difficult?
I can tell you that it is difficult, but not impossible.
Let me tell you more about my life as a blind person.
I wake up extra early to get ready for school. I like
to have about 30 minutes spare, because if I can’t
find something or drop something, I need that extra
time to find it.
After my mum drops me at school, I use my
walking stick to get to the classroom. I walk the
same route every day, so I know precisely where
the pavement is and where the corners are. I
count 17 steps down the corridor to my class.
My assistant, Mrs Jenkins, is already waiting in class. She helps me with
anything that I need or don’t understand. It’s quite challenging to try to
do new things when you can’t see how the people around you do it. That’s
where Mrs Jenkins come in. If she sees that I’m doing something wrong,
she will quietly come and help me set it right.
My teacher, Mr Fallon, is also very helpful in class. Today in mathematics,
we had to measure things using a scale. I couldn’t see the measurements,
so Mr Fallon brought me a talking scale.
I can’t use the same workbooks and textbooks as my classmates. All my
learning material is in Braille. It takes longer to read in Braille, because
you have to read letter by letter. I prefer audiobooks. I use a Brailler (a
Braille typewriter) to complete written assignments in class.
I enjoy break times the most. My friends and I sometimes play with a ball
that makes a sound. This helps me to know where it is. Sometimes I talk
to my friends, but they have already left. I wish they would remember to
tell me if they were leaving!
In the afternoons, I take part in athletics. I do sprinting. An older boy
runs next to me so I know where to go and when the race is finished. I
really enjoy taking part in sports.
Being blind is hard, but I get along. I am lucky to have an amazing support
system to help me through the school day.
56 Reading for Me Level 4 (Part A) 978-1-922843-63-0 R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing