A dream of about a quarter of a century old

Do you remember?

What did you answer when asked: what do you want to be when you grow up?

Initially, at least from what I remember, I would say, a doctor.

Because I spent so much time in hospitals, undergoing eye surgeries, with or without results, I continued.

And there were all sorts of doctors, but most of them were so nice, their manner made me see them as role models.

Then, I wanted to be a Romanian language teacher. I was passionate about words, especially writing, but I was more in love with my Romanian teacher. He had such gentleness in the way he spoke to us and in what he did, that I couldn’t remain indifferent.

I didn’t become a Romanian teacher, but to this day, I’m allergic to *illiteracy.

Then, I wanted to be a lawyer. I liked justice and in my naivety at that time, I believed that a lawyer was a defender of justice. I’m not debating that now. I kept my thirst for justice and correctness, became a jurist, but when I understood the lawyering business, my desire was cured. 😊

Then, I wanted to be a smart person, without understanding at that age that being smart is not a destination or something you just obtain.

Being smart is a journey you continuously travel on, always becoming someone, better today than yesterday and less wise than tomorrow.

And always, but always… My biggest dream has been and is to be independent!

And you know, independence can be discussed in many ways and linked to many aspects of life.

It could be emotional independence, where you don’t wait for a savior nor seek a victim to rescue.

I would call it social independence, but we could name it anything, which involves freedom of movement.

Being able to manage without human help to board a bus or enter a building if you are in a wheelchair.

Being able to walk in your peace and rhythm even if you are visually impaired and use a white cane or a guide dog, without worrying that the sidewalks are full of obstacles or living in fear that the greatest risk in moving around is crossing the street, not having crossings marked in a way that you can identify them.

And here we arrive at what I particularly value—financial independence, not that the other forms aren’t important.

You can truly enjoy independence only when you’ve found the balance between all the pieces that constitute it.

But still, money seems more important when you don’t have it, and in our beautiful yet still developing country, to not outright call it poor, this applies.

Why? Well, let me tell you.

I finished university, after many years of studies where jobs were scarce, even volunteering was tough.

Considering that I go to an interview and the HR specialist notices right away that I am visually impaired, before asking me anything else.

What I know, what I can do, without seeing what their needs are and how I could be useful to mutually benefit us, they tell me:

“We need volunteers who are stable both physically and emotionally.”

And then I thought to myself, how, in the absence of interaction, did they conclude I was unstable?… ☹

Rhetorical.

But back to the story.

I start applying for various jobs, go to interviews, all good and beautiful, I wait for them to call me, which is when I’m glad I’m patient. 😊

Also, I’m glad I’m a very sociable person, otherwise, I definitely would have had plenty of opportunities to have panic attacks, considering the number of people I’ve met at interviews. 😊

In my experience, I haven’t met too many malicious people, but rather, those with little understanding.

To explain:

“-Can a visually impaired person come to work?

But how do they use the computer?

How do they perform this and that?”

It’s a matter of education and social culture.

And then money comes into play.

Adapting a workplace costs money. We, used to thinking short-term, don’t allow ourselves to see the bigger picture.

A person with disabilities who is employed becomes a valuable member of society/community.

By working, they secure that financial independence we started talking about.

From being just a consumer, they become a contributor.

Thus, accessibility means not only improving the quality of life for the entire community but also making childhood dreams come true!

#Accessibility_is_not_a_luxury

It’s the path to a better life for everyone.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I’m looking forward to hearing your story too.

Come join the discussion in the comments!

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