hayley: Welcome to Beyond Vision, the show where we explore the incredible stories of people who have redefined what is possible. Today we are sitting down with Tegan, a remarkable girl who approaches the world with infectious positivity, even after her sudden blindness. She will be sharing how her passion for cooking and playing go ball keeps her spirits high and encourages everyone around her. Teagan, today.
Hayley: To few basic details about yourself for the archive, including your name, age, gender, if you'd like to share where you were born, where you currently live and what languages you speak.
Tegan: My name is Tegan, I'm 17, I'm a female. I currently live half in Surrey and half in Herefordshire and I was born in Surrey and I speak English.
Hayley: That's fabulous. How would you describe your visual impact?
Tegan: I have no light perception, no shadow, no colour, Just nothing.
Hayley: So when did your visual impairment begin and what was the cause if you'd like to share? And was it something you were born with or something that developed later on?
Tegan: So I wasn't born with my visual impairment. I became blind when I was eight. I was, I didn't feel very well. I went to hospital where I went in for an operation where I then had a cardiac arrest and my heart wasn't restarted quick enough. So the oxygen was all starved from my optic nerves, which led to me going blind.
Hayley: Well that sounds rather complicated.
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: What are three words you would use to describe yourself and why?
Tegan: loud energetic
Hayley: Definitely.
Tegan: and I try and be kind
Hayley: Yeah. Very kind. And why? Why are you loud? Why would you say you're loud, let's just say?
Tegan: I talk a lot and I talk quite loudly. I'm just a very loud person. I always have a lot of energy.
Hayley: Very friendly, yeah.
Tegan: Yeah, I try.
Hayley: Okay.
Tegan: So yeah.
Hayley: How did your experience of visual impairment shape the way you grew up and understood the world around you?
Tegan: I think it taught me to... What's the word? It taught me to like, think that life could be worse and just get on with things and I could be in a worse position than what I am in so I've just got to move, get on with my life and how it is and not really mind about it.
Hayley: Do you think growing up it made you f because with your visual impairment or blindness really, did it kind of make you, I don't know, more resilient, stronger sometimes?
Tegan: Definitely, yeah. Because there's barriers that you have to face with a visual impairment and you've just got to push through and get through them and...
Hayley: And knowing you, you have like a really positive approach towards everything.
Tegan: I do try, yeah.
Hayley: How did your family respond to your visual impact
Tegan: Thank
Hayley: growing up?
Tegan: They still treated me as the baby of the family. They still treated me as they did before. I was still part of the family. I was not treated any different. Really, they just had to guide me around a little bit more and I was still... They didn't treat me like I was a China doll. more than what they do like would have already because I'm the youngest girl of the family.
Hayley: Yeah, they just treated you how you were.
Tegan: Yeah. They treated me the same way they would have treated me if I could see.
Hayley: Mm. Are there any family or cultural expectations about what visually impairment impaired people could or could not do?
Tegan: I think as in like what people think you can't do.
Hayley: Mm yeah.
Tegan: A lot of people get baffled by using a phone. That's always a question. And how
Hayley: yeah, that definitely.
Tegan: fast we can listen to a phone. I don't know, really.
Hayley: So well were there any any cultural expectations? Did they expect you to do less, not be able to be independent, need help going everywhere?
Tegan: No. My family always taught me to do everything for myself, so I was taught from a young age to change my bed, get myself dressed, know what clothes match with other clothes and what colours match together and how to do my own hair and do my own washing and wash up after myself and tidy up after myself. My mum was always very... what's the word? Very... Like she always wanted me to do that, so always pushed me to do those things more because she didn't want
Hayley: Yeah.
Tegan: me to be that blind person that just sort of sat around doing nothing for myself. But at the same time she was also my mum, so she also did do a lot for me. And my mum was just the sort of mum who would bring me breakfast in bed anyway and that's not just because I'm blind. She'd do that to my sighted brother and
Hayley: I met her before. She seemed really, really lovely. And it's really
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: nice for you to have this I guess approach towards how you could do everything the same. You shouldn't be relying on other people more because sometimes people just think, you can't close a car door yourself and they rush towards you and you
Tegan: Exactly.
Hayley: just end up not closing the door yourself.
Tegan: Don't get me wrong, I don't close the car door myself. My dad will always come and open the car door for me,
Hayley: Yeah, yeah. Just like in general, if you need to if you're going in a taxi yourself you can always open and close your door by yourself instead of waiting.
Tegan: Yeah, I understand.
Hayley: your education take place in a mainstream school? A school specialised for blind and visually impaired students? Or a combination of both? And how did that environment shape your learning experience? Confidence and a sense of belonging?
Tegan: So when I went blind at primary school I was in a mainstream school which I then stayed in and that was probably the best thing that I could have done because I had my friends, my friends knew me so I was then again not treated any different I was still Tegan and then I went to a mainstream secondary school with a visual impairment unit which I did find a bit hard I'm not gonna lie because I then found people knew me for my blindness not for me.
Hayley: Yeah.
Tegan: and some people wouldn't talk to you as much because you were blind and they thought you was a bit weird and I did have some good friends but at the same time where I had to go to school in a different area because it had a vision impairment I didn't get to see my friends outside of school a lot so I wasn't really in the group as much which I found hard. Educational wise it was good because I had what I needed and that sort of thing and I had people
Hayley: Hmm. And how about
Tegan: helping me.
Hayley: And how about now?
Tegan: And now I go to a college which is full, like for just visually impaired people, which is probably the best thing I've ever done. Now I'm older, I think if I was younger, I'd never thought I could do it, but there's people who are just like me, they're blind, they know what I'm talking about when I say that some sighted people are a bit awkward to talk to. There were things that I couldn't like sport, I didn't really get involved with at mainstream school because I thought the other people were judging me or I couldn't do it but now I can do it and I have all these blind people around me who can also do it and we do it together and it's sort of... It's just nicer.
Hayley: Mm, just community teamwork all all knowing that all the sports are like adaptable for you Yeah, I'm sure that must be very fun. What kinds of support or accommodations help you succeed in school and daily life? Were there any supports you wish had existed earlier?
Tegan: When I was at school I had the right amount of support I needed and wanted. I was very lucky in that way and I got a lot of support with things because I'm not very academic am I? And people would help me with my education and I feel like I was always quite lucky in the sense that I'd always have people help me where other people don't.
Hayley: That's good. So you don't really have anything that you wish had existed or anything that you think should exist to just make everything much more b a little better or something?
Tegan: No, because I had those people like at primary school I always had people coming in to see me and I was blessed with a very good QTVI who helped me a lot and still helps me to this day and when I went to secondary school I was then blessed with another QTVI who also did everything that I could possibly ask for and if I said I wanted this this or this they'd give me that and if I said I didn't want it they'd also give me that so I was quite lucky in that way.
Hayley: How much connection do you have to the visually impaired community when you were younger? And how has that changed over time?
Tegan: before I went blind. I didn't really know what a blind person was. I think I'd my maybe seen a white cane Once twice in my life had absolutely no idea of anything cruelly
Hayley: And how has that changed over time?
Tegan: So at first I didn't have any When I first lost my sight I didn't want to be involved with anyone blind anything like that I was quite happy with all my sighted like sighted friends or Very happy in that sort of way and then I went to secondary school. I still at first didn't really like Surrounded myself with other blind people But then I led to that I started to then open myself up and find, yeah, there is some blind people that you can talk to and there's others that you might not talk to because you don't get on with them. And I realised that and I've then made loads of friends who are blind and I now go to a college that's fully blind people and I much prefer the community of blind people.
Hayley: So in let's just say instead of looking at if they're blind and not blind and deciding you wanna be friends with them, you just look at their personality and just not mind their blindness that much.
Tegan: Yeah. Yeah. Whereas before I very much did look at the blindness and sight.
Hayley: Mm. Did you find there was like a difference in a blind person and a non blind person before?
Tegan: well some blind people also come with other needs if you'd like,
Hayley: Mm-hmm.
Tegan: And I struggled with that a little bit more. and,
Hayley: Do you think it's hard yeah, continue?
Tegan: no you talk.
Hayley: Do you think it's hard to kind of tell because you're a completely advan, what the other people's extra needs are and like how to communicate properly with them?
Tegan: did at first and now I'm like I can talk to anyone, do you know what mean? I've made really good friends with a blind boy who's also got a special education and all we need and like we say to each other we're best friends, do you know I mean? Whereas before I'd probably never open myself up to that.
Hayley: Hmm. Were there moments growing up when you felt excluded, misunderstood, or like you did not quite fit in? And how did you respond?
Tegan: At home I never felt excluded, I always felt... part of everything. And I used to go to Cubs and Scouts and they always still, I always still was joined in with things. They'd never leave me out, never exclude me from anything. At school, educationally no, wasn't excluded from anything. But I felt with my sighted friends when they was going out or when something would happen in the classroom or something like that. I felt very excluded and I struggled with that but I'd never say anything, I'd just sort of let it happen.
Hayley: Hm. Do you think also having break and lunch times, in the VI unit and just being like separate from the mainstream students and needing your friends to come in to see you a bit like excluding exclusion wise?
Tegan: Yeah, because I couldn't go out and find them because it was such a big school, obviously. And I had no sight at all, so I couldn't just wander around and look for them. I had to wait for them to come to me and I hated that. But at the same time, I liked being in that V.I. because I felt safe there.
Hayley: How do you find your friends in college when everyone's blind?
Tegan: Everyone knows everyone and some people have sight and they'll just say, we're over here or... But everyone's very inclusive and you find your group of friends and you stay with your group of friends. You don't have to mix with other people. If you don't get on with someone, you don't get on with them and that doesn't matter.
Hayley: Okay. So everyone's really friendly and help each other out. That's right.
Tegan: Yeah, because they all know what it's like.
Hayley: Yeah. Can you tell us about any ideas of potential career paths you might have, or your career if you h already have one now, and what led you to your current profession?
Tegan: So I'm currently studying Complementary Therapies and Massage at college. I've just finished my first year of Holistic Massage. So when I leave college, I want to start off by working in a spa and get building more experience in a spa and then possibly lead on to have my own business do a massage.
Hayley: So who or what has inspired you most in your life?
Tegan: don't think I've really been inspired by anyone.
Hayley: Is there like a role model or a person you particularly look up to or f feel supported by when you struggle normally?
Tegan: So now I do, since joining college I started goalball and one of my massage teacher actually who's also visually impaired, Antonia, she is incredible, she is probably one of the best women in the country who play goalball. I don't know if that's correct but in my eyes she is, right? She's a massive inspiration to me, I wanna play goalball like her, I wanna massage like her because she is just like great at what she does. She's probably my my biggest inspiration at the moment and since I've joined college.
Hayley: How about can I say before college?
Tegan: don't know.
Hayley: Was there like a pillar?
Tegan: I didn't really have anything to be inspired by, I don't think, or inspired
Hayley: Is anyone?
Tegan: to do.
Hayley: So it was only when you came to college.
Tegan: Yeah, it's only since I've been in college and started playing goalball and I've had her around me that I just think I just want to be like you and she's inspiring me to work harder, to build up the levels, to then be a better goal waller, better massager all round really.
Hayley: Is she also very energetic?
Tegan: She can get on my level when I'm in my very energetic mood.
Hayley: Well that is quite a feat.
Tegan: She entertains me.
Hayley: What is one challenge, turning point or defining moment that helps shape who you are today?
Tegan: Probably going blind. and losing my mum.
Hayley: Would you care to elaborate?
Tegan: I think I'm a completely different person to what was when I was sighted. I think I'm a little bit more confident, but at
Hayley: Mm.
Tegan: the same time I'm not as confident.
Hayley: In which way?
Tegan: So I'm very confident when I'm with people and talking to people. But I think if I walk into a room that I don't know a lot of people, I look confident to other people, but inside I don't feel confident and I just make it look like it because I can't see who's around me. It makes me a little bit less confident.
Hayley: Mm, yeah. I personally always prefer going into a room with someone, knowing that there's always someone to tell me.
Tegan: Yeah, definitely it makes life easier.
Hayley: And what was the second one? Or you wouldn't like to touch on it?
Tegan: Losing my mum. I lost her last year and it sort of taught me to be stronger and just get on with life really.
Hayley: Was there ever a time when someone doubted your goals, abilities or dreams? And how did that affect you and how did you move forwards?
Tegan: Never. My parents have always been very supportive of what I've done or what I've wanted to do. If I said to my mum I want to go and if anything's stupid, I ever said to her I want to go and do this, this and this, she'd say okay I'd support you any day of the week or you can do this or we've got to work this out or she'd never put me down and neither would my dad or anyone in my family would never put me down or anyone that I'm surrounded with.
Hayley: That I think that's a really, really valuable environment actually.
Tegan: Yeah, definitely. My family have always been incredible. Me losing my sight, me wanting to do things, anything. They're always the most supportive family. They're probably the best family I could have asked for.
Hayley: What personal qualities or characteristics have helped you become the person you are today?
Tegan: God, probably being quite out there, loud, energetic. I think people know me for being myself and I don't stop being myself because someone else is around.
Hayley: Hm. Always putting a smile to everyone's face.
Tegan: Yeah, I try.
Hayley: What is something about you, for example, an unexpected hobby, talent, interest or personality trait that people might not always expect from you?
Tegan: I don't know. I have absolutely no idea.
Hayley: Do are you good at technology stuff? Or
Tegan: No, god no. I like chicken. Yeah,
Hayley: really?
Tegan: people have said I'm quite a cook.
Hayley: I think that is unexpected. Well I never
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: i I've never had any of your food.
Tegan: No, I feed for like 12. When I cook at college, a lot of people come just eat my leftovers. I tend to feed a lot of people.
Hayley: Well then o obviously you're gonna be like a really good cook.
Tegan: Hopefully.
Hayley: Or should I come all over to your college and then just go into your school purely 'cause I'm going to have your Yeah.
Tegan: Yeah, just so you can have some dinner.
Hayley: Yeah, on the application form I'm gonna write. and the section like why do you wanna come to this college? I'm gonna go 'cause I wanna eat Teagan's food.
Tegan: haha Yeah.
Hayley: What is one public misconception about blind or visually impaired people that you would most like to challenge?
Tegan: We're not all the same. just because you see one blind person who might... look a certain way or act a certain way doesn't mean another blind person is going to look that way or act that way? or the eyesight thing. Some people have some eyesight or some people have no eyesight or some people like it does my head in. that people don't understand.
Hayley: I think. As in they think it's completely dark and when it's like nothing.
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: Mm.
Tegan: And they think we should all be the same and sit and rock back and forth for singing and shout. Do you know what I mean? That sounds awful.
Hayley: I mean, I guess it's a little exaggerated, but a lot of them don't know we have our own mind, our opinion our own
Tegan: Yeah, definitely.
Hayley: our own mind, our own opinions, our own thoughts, our own goals
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: and obviously without anything our own criticisms and humour.
Tegan: Yeah. And my mum was very good, like if, you know, like a lot of people will ask the person you're with, not you.
Hayley: yes.
Tegan: My mum would always say, well, she's stood right there, ask her.
Hayley: And can I ask what was their reaction?
Tegan: And they'd then sort of be like, okay, and then ask me. And then realise that it's okay to actually ask me. I'm not a monster.
Hayley: But I think my mother has also explained to me that a lot of the times they're nervous to speak to me because they can't make eye contact with us. And so they're afraid that sometimes they don't know they're talking to us.
Tegan: But that's a them problem. They need to get over that. Just because I can't make eye contact doesn't mean you can't have a conversation with me.
Hayley: How would you best suggest to the audience how a sighted person can get the blind person's attention even if they don't know their name?
Tegan: See, personally, I don't mind being tapped or something like that. If you were saying, if you were going to talk to me, just tap me and be like, blah blah blah, do know what mean? Some other people won't like being touched or something like that, so I wouldn't know in another instance. But for someone like me, or me, I don't mind if you tap me on the shoulder and be like, is this, this and this okay? Do know what I mean?
Hayley: Would you also find that sometimes, when someone talks to you without saying your name, they kind of know they're talking to you anyways?
Tegan: Yeah, it's not hard to realise that they're talking to you. I think if you've got the right social skills, you're fine in that social situation.
Hayley: A lot of the times I don't know when people are talking to me, so I just nod slightly and if they're talking to me they get my acknowledgement and if they're not talking to me they don't notice. That's what I do.
Tegan: Yeah. But it's also like a blind thing, you're always gonna accidentally talk to something. I say sorry
Hayley: yeah.
Tegan: to objects all the time. You've just gotta get on with it, you're blind. It's just something that, yeah, it might be embarrassing for two seconds, then you'll forget about it.
Hayley: True. too many things happen a day. You can't remember every embarrassment.
Tegan: Exactly.
Hayley: How do you personally advocate for accessibility and inclusion for people with visual impairment in your community, school, workplace or field?
Tegan: What does that mean?
Hayley: It means how to include visually impaired people more?
Tegan: I don't know.
Hayley: Would you would you say like accessibility wise would you say let me see would you personally speak up for yourself if you needed something? That's like a form of advocacy.
Tegan: Yeah. I'd speak for myself if I needed something.
Hayley: How about for accessibility wise when you're in public?
Tegan: it depends who I'm with. If I'm with my blind friends, there's four of us that go out quite a lot, two of us can't see anything at all, and two of them can see like the not a lot. And if we're in a situation where we need help, then we will just ask and I'm quite, I can just walk up to someone and ask.
Hayley: energetic energ energetic personality.
Tegan: Yeah. But if I was on my own in public I could never go up to anyone and ask.
Hayley: I mean no, because you wouldn't know where they are.
Tegan: Yeah, it would stress me out way too much.
Hayley: Do you ever go out by yourself?
Tegan: No, not really, no. I've gotten trained by myself to meet other people but that's about it.
Hayley: What advice would you give to other visually impaired people who are facing uncertainty, exclusion, or a major challenge?
Tegan: Be yourself. I think being yourself will get you somewhere. It won't not get you anywhere. And be confident in your own abilities. and speak up for yourself.
Hayley: What advice would you give to the general public about how to better understand, support and include visually impaired people?
Tegan: Don't see the blind person for their blindness, see them for who they actually are. Forget the white cane, forget the braille, forget anything. Just have a conversation with them and get to know them and get to know how you can help them or something like that.
Hayley: Have you ever been approached by a person you know for a while and just been told that I actually learned so much more about visual impairment once I learned about you because they once before they saw you as just a blind or visually impaired person and now they see you as actually a person with a personality.
Tegan: I don't know.
Hayley: No no. 'Cause often I find people just don't f find out the individual battles. They just see the veneer, like they just see the white cane, as you said, the brow
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: and just see, okay, this is another blind person. That's their conclusion.
Tegan: I think my family and family friends never see my cane. They see me. But at school, they definitely saw my cane and not me. And
Hayley: Mm, yeah.
Tegan: hated that.
Hayley: But also it's quite the experience for them and I hope after meeting so many of the visually impaired students in my our high school, hopefully some of the teachers not only our high school but any school we hopefully some of the teachers learn so much more about visual impairment and that there's always a person underneath all the white cane, the support they need. Yeah.
Tegan: think they will. Because they would have seen so many different types of people who have a voice
Hayley: Except
Tegan: impairment. They might see someone like me who's loud and will talk to you and stuff like that and they might see someone else who is quite quiet and doesn't necessarily want to have a conversation like any other person, like any sighted person. You can get a loud
Hayley: Yeah.
Tegan: sighted person and a shy not talking sighted person.
Hayley: Definitely. Well Tegan, it's been such a pleasure to speak to you today and thank you very much.
Tegan: Thank you.
Hayley: To few basic details about yourself for the archive, including your name, age, gender, if you'd like to share where you were born, where you currently live and what languages you speak.
Tegan: My name is Tegan, I'm 17, I'm a female. I currently live half in Surrey and half in Herefordshire and I was born in Surrey and I speak English.
Hayley: That's fabulous. How would you describe your visual impact?
Tegan: I have no light perception, no shadow, no colour, Just nothing.
Hayley: So when did your visual impairment begin and what was the cause if you'd like to share? And was it something you were born with or something that developed later on?
Tegan: So I wasn't born with my visual impairment. I became blind when I was eight. I was, I didn't feel very well. I went to hospital where I went in for an operation where I then had a cardiac arrest and my heart wasn't restarted quick enough. So the oxygen was all starved from my optic nerves, which led to me going blind.
Hayley: Well that sounds rather complicated.
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: What are three words you would use to describe yourself and why?
Tegan: loud energetic
Hayley: Definitely.
Tegan: and I try and be kind
Hayley: Yeah. Very kind. And why? Why are you loud? Why would you say you're loud, let's just say?
Tegan: I talk a lot and I talk quite loudly. I'm just a very loud person. I always have a lot of energy.
Hayley: Very friendly, yeah.
Tegan: Yeah, I try.
Hayley: Okay.
Tegan: So yeah.
Hayley: How did your experience of visual impairment shape the way you grew up and understood the world around you?
Tegan: I think it taught me to... What's the word? It taught me to like, think that life could be worse and just get on with things and I could be in a worse position than what I am in so I've just got to move, get on with my life and how it is and not really mind about it.
Hayley: Do you think growing up it made you f because with your visual impairment or blindness really, did it kind of make you, I don't know, more resilient, stronger sometimes?
Tegan: Definitely, yeah. Because there's barriers that you have to face with a visual impairment and you've just got to push through and get through them and...
Hayley: And knowing you, you have like a really positive approach towards everything.
Tegan: I do try, yeah.
Hayley: How did your family respond to your visual impact
Tegan: Thank
Hayley: growing up?
Tegan: They still treated me as the baby of the family. They still treated me as they did before. I was still part of the family. I was not treated any different. Really, they just had to guide me around a little bit more and I was still... They didn't treat me like I was a China doll. more than what they do like would have already because I'm the youngest girl of the family.
Hayley: Yeah, they just treated you how you were.
Tegan: Yeah. They treated me the same way they would have treated me if I could see.
Hayley: Mm. Are there any family or cultural expectations about what visually impairment impaired people could or could not do?
Tegan: I think as in like what people think you can't do.
Hayley: Mm yeah.
Tegan: A lot of people get baffled by using a phone. That's always a question. And how
Hayley: yeah, that definitely.
Tegan: fast we can listen to a phone. I don't know, really.
Hayley: So well were there any any cultural expectations? Did they expect you to do less, not be able to be independent, need help going everywhere?
Tegan: No. My family always taught me to do everything for myself, so I was taught from a young age to change my bed, get myself dressed, know what clothes match with other clothes and what colours match together and how to do my own hair and do my own washing and wash up after myself and tidy up after myself. My mum was always very... what's the word? Very... Like she always wanted me to do that, so always pushed me to do those things more because she didn't want
Hayley: Yeah.
Tegan: me to be that blind person that just sort of sat around doing nothing for myself. But at the same time she was also my mum, so she also did do a lot for me. And my mum was just the sort of mum who would bring me breakfast in bed anyway and that's not just because I'm blind. She'd do that to my sighted brother and
Hayley: I met her before. She seemed really, really lovely. And it's really
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: nice for you to have this I guess approach towards how you could do everything the same. You shouldn't be relying on other people more because sometimes people just think, you can't close a car door yourself and they rush towards you and you
Tegan: Exactly.
Hayley: just end up not closing the door yourself.
Tegan: Don't get me wrong, I don't close the car door myself. My dad will always come and open the car door for me,
Hayley: Yeah, yeah. Just like in general, if you need to if you're going in a taxi yourself you can always open and close your door by yourself instead of waiting.
Tegan: Yeah, I understand.
Hayley: your education take place in a mainstream school? A school specialised for blind and visually impaired students? Or a combination of both? And how did that environment shape your learning experience? Confidence and a sense of belonging?
Tegan: So when I went blind at primary school I was in a mainstream school which I then stayed in and that was probably the best thing that I could have done because I had my friends, my friends knew me so I was then again not treated any different I was still Tegan and then I went to a mainstream secondary school with a visual impairment unit which I did find a bit hard I'm not gonna lie because I then found people knew me for my blindness not for me.
Hayley: Yeah.
Tegan: and some people wouldn't talk to you as much because you were blind and they thought you was a bit weird and I did have some good friends but at the same time where I had to go to school in a different area because it had a vision impairment I didn't get to see my friends outside of school a lot so I wasn't really in the group as much which I found hard. Educational wise it was good because I had what I needed and that sort of thing and I had people
Hayley: Hmm. And how about
Tegan: helping me.
Hayley: And how about now?
Tegan: And now I go to a college which is full, like for just visually impaired people, which is probably the best thing I've ever done. Now I'm older, I think if I was younger, I'd never thought I could do it, but there's people who are just like me, they're blind, they know what I'm talking about when I say that some sighted people are a bit awkward to talk to. There were things that I couldn't like sport, I didn't really get involved with at mainstream school because I thought the other people were judging me or I couldn't do it but now I can do it and I have all these blind people around me who can also do it and we do it together and it's sort of... It's just nicer.
Hayley: Mm, just community teamwork all all knowing that all the sports are like adaptable for you Yeah, I'm sure that must be very fun. What kinds of support or accommodations help you succeed in school and daily life? Were there any supports you wish had existed earlier?
Tegan: When I was at school I had the right amount of support I needed and wanted. I was very lucky in that way and I got a lot of support with things because I'm not very academic am I? And people would help me with my education and I feel like I was always quite lucky in the sense that I'd always have people help me where other people don't.
Hayley: That's good. So you don't really have anything that you wish had existed or anything that you think should exist to just make everything much more b a little better or something?
Tegan: No, because I had those people like at primary school I always had people coming in to see me and I was blessed with a very good QTVI who helped me a lot and still helps me to this day and when I went to secondary school I was then blessed with another QTVI who also did everything that I could possibly ask for and if I said I wanted this this or this they'd give me that and if I said I didn't want it they'd also give me that so I was quite lucky in that way.
Hayley: How much connection do you have to the visually impaired community when you were younger? And how has that changed over time?
Tegan: before I went blind. I didn't really know what a blind person was. I think I'd my maybe seen a white cane Once twice in my life had absolutely no idea of anything cruelly
Hayley: And how has that changed over time?
Tegan: So at first I didn't have any When I first lost my sight I didn't want to be involved with anyone blind anything like that I was quite happy with all my sighted like sighted friends or Very happy in that sort of way and then I went to secondary school. I still at first didn't really like Surrounded myself with other blind people But then I led to that I started to then open myself up and find, yeah, there is some blind people that you can talk to and there's others that you might not talk to because you don't get on with them. And I realised that and I've then made loads of friends who are blind and I now go to a college that's fully blind people and I much prefer the community of blind people.
Hayley: So in let's just say instead of looking at if they're blind and not blind and deciding you wanna be friends with them, you just look at their personality and just not mind their blindness that much.
Tegan: Yeah. Yeah. Whereas before I very much did look at the blindness and sight.
Hayley: Mm. Did you find there was like a difference in a blind person and a non blind person before?
Tegan: well some blind people also come with other needs if you'd like,
Hayley: Mm-hmm.
Tegan: And I struggled with that a little bit more. and,
Hayley: Do you think it's hard yeah, continue?
Tegan: no you talk.
Hayley: Do you think it's hard to kind of tell because you're a completely advan, what the other people's extra needs are and like how to communicate properly with them?
Tegan: did at first and now I'm like I can talk to anyone, do you know what mean? I've made really good friends with a blind boy who's also got a special education and all we need and like we say to each other we're best friends, do you know I mean? Whereas before I'd probably never open myself up to that.
Hayley: Hmm. Were there moments growing up when you felt excluded, misunderstood, or like you did not quite fit in? And how did you respond?
Tegan: At home I never felt excluded, I always felt... part of everything. And I used to go to Cubs and Scouts and they always still, I always still was joined in with things. They'd never leave me out, never exclude me from anything. At school, educationally no, wasn't excluded from anything. But I felt with my sighted friends when they was going out or when something would happen in the classroom or something like that. I felt very excluded and I struggled with that but I'd never say anything, I'd just sort of let it happen.
Hayley: Hm. Do you think also having break and lunch times, in the VI unit and just being like separate from the mainstream students and needing your friends to come in to see you a bit like excluding exclusion wise?
Tegan: Yeah, because I couldn't go out and find them because it was such a big school, obviously. And I had no sight at all, so I couldn't just wander around and look for them. I had to wait for them to come to me and I hated that. But at the same time, I liked being in that V.I. because I felt safe there.
Hayley: How do you find your friends in college when everyone's blind?
Tegan: Everyone knows everyone and some people have sight and they'll just say, we're over here or... But everyone's very inclusive and you find your group of friends and you stay with your group of friends. You don't have to mix with other people. If you don't get on with someone, you don't get on with them and that doesn't matter.
Hayley: Okay. So everyone's really friendly and help each other out. That's right.
Tegan: Yeah, because they all know what it's like.
Hayley: Yeah. Can you tell us about any ideas of potential career paths you might have, or your career if you h already have one now, and what led you to your current profession?
Tegan: So I'm currently studying Complementary Therapies and Massage at college. I've just finished my first year of Holistic Massage. So when I leave college, I want to start off by working in a spa and get building more experience in a spa and then possibly lead on to have my own business do a massage.
Hayley: So who or what has inspired you most in your life?
Tegan: don't think I've really been inspired by anyone.
Hayley: Is there like a role model or a person you particularly look up to or f feel supported by when you struggle normally?
Tegan: So now I do, since joining college I started goalball and one of my massage teacher actually who's also visually impaired, Antonia, she is incredible, she is probably one of the best women in the country who play goalball. I don't know if that's correct but in my eyes she is, right? She's a massive inspiration to me, I wanna play goalball like her, I wanna massage like her because she is just like great at what she does. She's probably my my biggest inspiration at the moment and since I've joined college.
Hayley: How about can I say before college?
Tegan: don't know.
Hayley: Was there like a pillar?
Tegan: I didn't really have anything to be inspired by, I don't think, or inspired
Hayley: Is anyone?
Tegan: to do.
Hayley: So it was only when you came to college.
Tegan: Yeah, it's only since I've been in college and started playing goalball and I've had her around me that I just think I just want to be like you and she's inspiring me to work harder, to build up the levels, to then be a better goal waller, better massager all round really.
Hayley: Is she also very energetic?
Tegan: She can get on my level when I'm in my very energetic mood.
Hayley: Well that is quite a feat.
Tegan: She entertains me.
Hayley: What is one challenge, turning point or defining moment that helps shape who you are today?
Tegan: Probably going blind. and losing my mum.
Hayley: Would you care to elaborate?
Tegan: I think I'm a completely different person to what was when I was sighted. I think I'm a little bit more confident, but at
Hayley: Mm.
Tegan: the same time I'm not as confident.
Hayley: In which way?
Tegan: So I'm very confident when I'm with people and talking to people. But I think if I walk into a room that I don't know a lot of people, I look confident to other people, but inside I don't feel confident and I just make it look like it because I can't see who's around me. It makes me a little bit less confident.
Hayley: Mm, yeah. I personally always prefer going into a room with someone, knowing that there's always someone to tell me.
Tegan: Yeah, definitely it makes life easier.
Hayley: And what was the second one? Or you wouldn't like to touch on it?
Tegan: Losing my mum. I lost her last year and it sort of taught me to be stronger and just get on with life really.
Hayley: Was there ever a time when someone doubted your goals, abilities or dreams? And how did that affect you and how did you move forwards?
Tegan: Never. My parents have always been very supportive of what I've done or what I've wanted to do. If I said to my mum I want to go and if anything's stupid, I ever said to her I want to go and do this, this and this, she'd say okay I'd support you any day of the week or you can do this or we've got to work this out or she'd never put me down and neither would my dad or anyone in my family would never put me down or anyone that I'm surrounded with.
Hayley: That I think that's a really, really valuable environment actually.
Tegan: Yeah, definitely. My family have always been incredible. Me losing my sight, me wanting to do things, anything. They're always the most supportive family. They're probably the best family I could have asked for.
Hayley: What personal qualities or characteristics have helped you become the person you are today?
Tegan: God, probably being quite out there, loud, energetic. I think people know me for being myself and I don't stop being myself because someone else is around.
Hayley: Hm. Always putting a smile to everyone's face.
Tegan: Yeah, I try.
Hayley: What is something about you, for example, an unexpected hobby, talent, interest or personality trait that people might not always expect from you?
Tegan: I don't know. I have absolutely no idea.
Hayley: Do are you good at technology stuff? Or
Tegan: No, god no. I like chicken. Yeah,
Hayley: really?
Tegan: people have said I'm quite a cook.
Hayley: I think that is unexpected. Well I never
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: i I've never had any of your food.
Tegan: No, I feed for like 12. When I cook at college, a lot of people come just eat my leftovers. I tend to feed a lot of people.
Hayley: Well then o obviously you're gonna be like a really good cook.
Tegan: Hopefully.
Hayley: Or should I come all over to your college and then just go into your school purely 'cause I'm going to have your Yeah.
Tegan: Yeah, just so you can have some dinner.
Hayley: Yeah, on the application form I'm gonna write. and the section like why do you wanna come to this college? I'm gonna go 'cause I wanna eat Teagan's food.
Tegan: haha Yeah.
Hayley: What is one public misconception about blind or visually impaired people that you would most like to challenge?
Tegan: We're not all the same. just because you see one blind person who might... look a certain way or act a certain way doesn't mean another blind person is going to look that way or act that way? or the eyesight thing. Some people have some eyesight or some people have no eyesight or some people like it does my head in. that people don't understand.
Hayley: I think. As in they think it's completely dark and when it's like nothing.
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: Mm.
Tegan: And they think we should all be the same and sit and rock back and forth for singing and shout. Do you know what I mean? That sounds awful.
Hayley: I mean, I guess it's a little exaggerated, but a lot of them don't know we have our own mind, our opinion our own
Tegan: Yeah, definitely.
Hayley: our own mind, our own opinions, our own thoughts, our own goals
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: and obviously without anything our own criticisms and humour.
Tegan: Yeah. And my mum was very good, like if, you know, like a lot of people will ask the person you're with, not you.
Hayley: yes.
Tegan: My mum would always say, well, she's stood right there, ask her.
Hayley: And can I ask what was their reaction?
Tegan: And they'd then sort of be like, okay, and then ask me. And then realise that it's okay to actually ask me. I'm not a monster.
Hayley: But I think my mother has also explained to me that a lot of the times they're nervous to speak to me because they can't make eye contact with us. And so they're afraid that sometimes they don't know they're talking to us.
Tegan: But that's a them problem. They need to get over that. Just because I can't make eye contact doesn't mean you can't have a conversation with me.
Hayley: How would you best suggest to the audience how a sighted person can get the blind person's attention even if they don't know their name?
Tegan: See, personally, I don't mind being tapped or something like that. If you were saying, if you were going to talk to me, just tap me and be like, blah blah blah, do know what mean? Some other people won't like being touched or something like that, so I wouldn't know in another instance. But for someone like me, or me, I don't mind if you tap me on the shoulder and be like, is this, this and this okay? Do know what I mean?
Hayley: Would you also find that sometimes, when someone talks to you without saying your name, they kind of know they're talking to you anyways?
Tegan: Yeah, it's not hard to realise that they're talking to you. I think if you've got the right social skills, you're fine in that social situation.
Hayley: A lot of the times I don't know when people are talking to me, so I just nod slightly and if they're talking to me they get my acknowledgement and if they're not talking to me they don't notice. That's what I do.
Tegan: Yeah. But it's also like a blind thing, you're always gonna accidentally talk to something. I say sorry
Hayley: yeah.
Tegan: to objects all the time. You've just gotta get on with it, you're blind. It's just something that, yeah, it might be embarrassing for two seconds, then you'll forget about it.
Hayley: True. too many things happen a day. You can't remember every embarrassment.
Tegan: Exactly.
Hayley: How do you personally advocate for accessibility and inclusion for people with visual impairment in your community, school, workplace or field?
Tegan: What does that mean?
Hayley: It means how to include visually impaired people more?
Tegan: I don't know.
Hayley: Would you would you say like accessibility wise would you say let me see would you personally speak up for yourself if you needed something? That's like a form of advocacy.
Tegan: Yeah. I'd speak for myself if I needed something.
Hayley: How about for accessibility wise when you're in public?
Tegan: it depends who I'm with. If I'm with my blind friends, there's four of us that go out quite a lot, two of us can't see anything at all, and two of them can see like the not a lot. And if we're in a situation where we need help, then we will just ask and I'm quite, I can just walk up to someone and ask.
Hayley: energetic energ energetic personality.
Tegan: Yeah. But if I was on my own in public I could never go up to anyone and ask.
Hayley: I mean no, because you wouldn't know where they are.
Tegan: Yeah, it would stress me out way too much.
Hayley: Do you ever go out by yourself?
Tegan: No, not really, no. I've gotten trained by myself to meet other people but that's about it.
Hayley: What advice would you give to other visually impaired people who are facing uncertainty, exclusion, or a major challenge?
Tegan: Be yourself. I think being yourself will get you somewhere. It won't not get you anywhere. And be confident in your own abilities. and speak up for yourself.
Hayley: What advice would you give to the general public about how to better understand, support and include visually impaired people?
Tegan: Don't see the blind person for their blindness, see them for who they actually are. Forget the white cane, forget the braille, forget anything. Just have a conversation with them and get to know them and get to know how you can help them or something like that.
Hayley: Have you ever been approached by a person you know for a while and just been told that I actually learned so much more about visual impairment once I learned about you because they once before they saw you as just a blind or visually impaired person and now they see you as actually a person with a personality.
Tegan: I don't know.
Hayley: No no. 'Cause often I find people just don't f find out the individual battles. They just see the veneer, like they just see the white cane, as you said, the brow
Tegan: Yeah.
Hayley: and just see, okay, this is another blind person. That's their conclusion.
Tegan: I think my family and family friends never see my cane. They see me. But at school, they definitely saw my cane and not me. And
Hayley: Mm, yeah.
Tegan: hated that.
Hayley: But also it's quite the experience for them and I hope after meeting so many of the visually impaired students in my our high school, hopefully some of the teachers not only our high school but any school we hopefully some of the teachers learn so much more about visual impairment and that there's always a person underneath all the white cane, the support they need. Yeah.
Tegan: think they will. Because they would have seen so many different types of people who have a voice
Hayley: Except
Tegan: impairment. They might see someone like me who's loud and will talk to you and stuff like that and they might see someone else who is quite quiet and doesn't necessarily want to have a conversation like any other person, like any sighted person. You can get a loud
Hayley: Yeah.
Tegan: sighted person and a shy not talking sighted person.
Hayley: Definitely. Well Tegan, it's been such a pleasure to speak to you today and thank you very much.
Tegan: Thank you.
