In early 1970, my eyesight started to deteriorate. I was only forty years old. Things were getting blurry and harder to see, and I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. My vision degenerated over the next ten years. I had four car accidents in the last year I worked as I was not seeing as I should. Luckily, the only damage from the mishaps was a few scars.
As a result of my driving problems, I started to ride my bicycle to work and relied on my hearing to avoid accidents. Unfortunately, a car hit me while I was on my bike. It was my fault. The lady who was driving was just about scared to death. I felt it was not fair for me to be out there, so I put in for disability retirement in 1980 at age 51. At that point, I had completely lost my sight. It was frustrating to figure out how to do things with no vision and I had a fear of what the future would hold.
Blindness is more of a nuisance than a disability. The hardest part is to overcome the beliefs of sighted people who think it is more of a problem than it is. Many people who develop a disability have trouble admitting they need help. You have to be aware that you cannot do everything and not be afraid to ask for help.
What happens to you in life is not important. What is important is how you handle it. You can let adversity knock you down and destroy your life, or you can accept it. Focus on what you can do and then work harder at those things.
Bio: Richard Sammons was born with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa that caused him to gradually lose his vision. Provided by: www.survivingadversity.com
