#blindlife — Public Fediverse posts

I am sitting in the sun, letting the warmth settle into me while a slight breeze moves across my skin, carrying the faint clean scent of mint from the plant to my right. The soft, steady hum of traffic drifts past in the background. Today I needed this more than I can easily explain.

This morning my doctor cancelled her appointment, then changed her mind and said she could make it after all. I had already mentally released the day and reorganised around Thursday, so when the reversal came I found myself more unsettled than the situation probably warranted. Unexpected changes like that disrupt something deeper than just the schedule. My nervous system had already mapped the day a certain way, and a sudden shift, even a minor one, requires a kind of internal recalibration that is genuinely exhausting. I chose Thursday anyway, on my own terms, which helped. The unsettled feeling still took time to pass, which is why I am out here now.

It has me thinking about something I have been sitting with lately. Reality does not care about our plans, our carefully built illusions, or the stories we tell ourselves to feel safe. There is a particular kind of shock that comes when life closes the gap between what we expected and what actually is, and it does so entirely on its own timeline, not ours.

I am not convinced the answer is stripping away every layer of protection and standing completely exposed. I think the real work is building enough internal ground to tolerate what is real without being destroyed by it. That process is slower and more painful than avoidance, but there is clarity on the other side that no illusion ever provided. At least, that has been true in my own experience.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #DisabilityPride #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth #Neurodivergent #SensoryProcessing #Selfcare #MindfulLiving #RealTalk #SlowLiving #InnerWork #Healing #Authenticity #NDCommunity #BlindLife

I am sitting in the sun, letting the warmth settle into me while a slight breeze moves across my skin, carrying the faint clean scent of mint from the plant to my right. The soft, steady hum of traffic drifts past in the background. Today I needed this more than I can easily explain.

This morning my doctor cancelled her appointment, then changed her mind and said she could make it after all. I had already mentally released the day and reorganised around Thursday, so when the reversal came I found myself more unsettled than the situation probably warranted. Unexpected changes like that disrupt something deeper than just the schedule. My nervous system had already mapped the day a certain way, and a sudden shift, even a minor one, requires a kind of internal recalibration that is genuinely exhausting. I chose Thursday anyway, on my own terms, which helped. The unsettled feeling still took time to pass, which is why I am out here now.

It has me thinking about something I have been sitting with lately. Reality does not care about our plans, our carefully built illusions, or the stories we tell ourselves to feel safe. There is a particular kind of shock that comes when life closes the gap between what we expected and what actually is, and it does so entirely on its own timeline, not ours.

I am not convinced the answer is stripping away every layer of protection and standing completely exposed. I think the real work is building enough internal ground to tolerate what is real without being destroyed by it. That process is slower and more painful than avoidance, but there is clarity on the other side that no illusion ever provided. At least, that has been true in my own experience.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #DisabilityPride #ChronicIllness #MentalHealth #Neurodivergent #SensoryProcessing #Selfcare #MindfulLiving #RealTalk #SlowLiving #InnerWork #Healing #Authenticity #NDCommunity #BlindLife

Video Shorts 232: Stop Coveting Other People’s Suns

- especially YOU, scout leaders. #blindlife #space #lightpollution #astronomy #absurdist #comedyrant #perspective

https://intoyourhead.ie/2026/05/10/video-shorts-232-stop-coveting-other-peoples-suns-scout-leaders/

Video Shorts 232: Stop Coveting Other People’s Suns

- especially YOU, scout leaders. #blindlife #space #lightpollution #astronomy #absurdist #comedyrant #perspective

https://intoyourhead.ie/2026/05/10/video-shorts-232-stop-coveting-other-peoples-suns-scout-leaders/

Video Shorts 232: Stop Coveting Other People’s Suns

- especially YOU, scout leaders. #blindlife #space #lightpollution #astronomy #absurdist #comedyrant #perspective

https://intoyourhead.ie/2026/05/10/video-shorts-232-stop-coveting-other-peoples-suns-scout-leaders/

To everyone who replied to my last post. thank you More than I can say. Knowing there are people out there who understand where I am coming from has lifted me in ways I did not expect. It is something I struggle with, and your kindness made a real difference. Welcome, also, to my new followers. I am glad you are here.

Today was my usual Saturday therapy appointment. Things are moving in a good direction. I have graduated to fortnightly sessions, which feels significant. After therapy I caught up with a friend, and came home with a new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am very much still in the "what does this button do" phase. My immediate goals are connecting it to my hearing aids via Bluetooth, getting it onto the wifi, tracking down all my favourite radio stations, and working out how to import my podcast subscriptions from Downcast. The good news is that Downcast can export an OPML file, and the Stream 3 has an "import podcast feeds from file" option in the podcasts menu, so that should be doable once I have the basics sorted.

Tomorrow is church. I am the cantor for the entire service, including the mass setting. It is the first time I have done the full thing from beginning to end. Meaningful does not quite cover it, but neither does terrifying. I only received the hymns and psalm list tonight, so my evening has been spent embossing everything and making sure I have it all ready. There is something grounding and nerve-wracking about that kind of preparation under pressure.

#BlindLife #DeafBlind #AssistiveTech #VictorReaderStream3 #Cantor #ChurchMusic #TherapyJourney #OPML #Downcast

To everyone who replied to my last post. thank you More than I can say. Knowing there are people out there who understand where I am coming from has lifted me in ways I did not expect. It is something I struggle with, and your kindness made a real difference. Welcome, also, to my new followers. I am glad you are here.

Today was my usual Saturday therapy appointment. Things are moving in a good direction. I have graduated to fortnightly sessions, which feels significant. After therapy I caught up with a friend, and came home with a new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am very much still in the "what does this button do" phase. My immediate goals are connecting it to my hearing aids via Bluetooth, getting it onto the wifi, tracking down all my favourite radio stations, and working out how to import my podcast subscriptions from Downcast. The good news is that Downcast can export an OPML file, and the Stream 3 has an "import podcast feeds from file" option in the podcasts menu, so that should be doable once I have the basics sorted.

Tomorrow is church. I am the cantor for the entire service, including the mass setting. It is the first time I have done the full thing from beginning to end. Meaningful does not quite cover it, but neither does terrifying. I only received the hymns and psalm list tonight, so my evening has been spent embossing everything and making sure I have it all ready. There is something grounding and nerve-wracking about that kind of preparation under pressure.

#BlindLife #DeafBlind #AssistiveTech #VictorReaderStream3 #Cantor #ChurchMusic #TherapyJourney #OPML #Downcast

To everyone who replied to my last post. thank you More than I can say. Knowing there are people out there who understand where I am coming from has lifted me in ways I did not expect. It is something I struggle with, and your kindness made a real difference. Welcome, also, to my new followers. I am glad you are here.

Today was my usual Saturday therapy appointment. Things are moving in a good direction. I have graduated to fortnightly sessions, which feels significant. After therapy I caught up with a friend, and came home with a new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am very much still in the "what does this button do" phase. My immediate goals are connecting it to my hearing aids via Bluetooth, getting it onto the wifi, tracking down all my favourite radio stations, and working out how to import my podcast subscriptions from Downcast. The good news is that Downcast can export an OPML file, and the Stream 3 has an "import podcast feeds from file" option in the podcasts menu, so that should be doable once I have the basics sorted.

Tomorrow is church. I am the cantor for the entire service, including the mass setting. It is the first time I have done the full thing from beginning to end. Meaningful does not quite cover it, but neither does terrifying. I only received the hymns and psalm list tonight, so my evening has been spent embossing everything and making sure I have it all ready. There is something grounding and nerve-wracking about that kind of preparation under pressure.

#BlindLife #DeafBlind #AssistiveTech #VictorReaderStream3 #Cantor #ChurchMusic #TherapyJourney #OPML #Downcast

To everyone who replied to my last post. thank you More than I can say. Knowing there are people out there who understand where I am coming from has lifted me in ways I did not expect. It is something I struggle with, and your kindness made a real difference. Welcome, also, to my new followers. I am glad you are here.

Today was my usual Saturday therapy appointment. Things are moving in a good direction. I have graduated to fortnightly sessions, which feels significant. After therapy I caught up with a friend, and came home with a new Victor Reader Stream 3. I am very much still in the "what does this button do" phase. My immediate goals are connecting it to my hearing aids via Bluetooth, getting it onto the wifi, tracking down all my favourite radio stations, and working out how to import my podcast subscriptions from Downcast. The good news is that Downcast can export an OPML file, and the Stream 3 has an "import podcast feeds from file" option in the podcasts menu, so that should be doable once I have the basics sorted.

Tomorrow is church. I am the cantor for the entire service, including the mass setting. It is the first time I have done the full thing from beginning to end. Meaningful does not quite cover it, but neither does terrifying. I only received the hymns and psalm list tonight, so my evening has been spent embossing everything and making sure I have it all ready. There is something grounding and nerve-wracking about that kind of preparation under pressure.

#BlindLife #DeafBlind #AssistiveTech #VictorReaderStream3 #Cantor #ChurchMusic #TherapyJourney #OPML #Downcast

2025 feels so significant after years of deep struggle.

What began as a year marred by family estrangement and a bad therapist transformed as I worked through the mechanics of CPTSD and internal communication. Since discovering I am AuDHD in April, I have finally begun to understand how my system works rather than seeing it as something to fix.

Educationally, I settled into my path and am now completing my Master of Counselling after trying a few different pathways. My life as a choral scholar also flourished, moving from a half-scholarship to a full scholarship this year. Although I left the Synphony chorus, music remains a constant through my Anglican church choral work.

For the first time, I stepped into volunteering, contributing to accessibility, copywriting, and peer groups. I am working with an autistic-led organization and will lead 2 seer groups next year. I am also an online community champion for the Beyond Blue. 2025 has been a year of claiming space where I was once told I did not belong.

#2025YearInReview #AuDHD #CPTSD #MasterOfCounselling #ChoralScholar #DisabilityAdvocacy #Accessibility #BlindLife

2025 feels so significant after years of deep struggle.

What began as a year marred by family estrangement and a bad therapist transformed as I worked through the mechanics of CPTSD and internal communication. Since discovering I am AuDHD in April, I have finally begun to understand how my system works rather than seeing it as something to fix.

Educationally, I settled into my path and am now completing my Master of Counselling after trying a few different pathways. My life as a choral scholar also flourished, moving from a half-scholarship to a full scholarship this year. Although I left the Synphony chorus, music remains a constant through my Anglican church choral work.

For the first time, I stepped into volunteering, contributing to accessibility, copywriting, and peer groups. I am working with an autistic-led organization and will lead 2 seer groups next year. I am also an online community champion for the Beyond Blue. 2025 has been a year of claiming space where I was once told I did not belong.

#2025YearInReview #AuDHD #CPTSD #MasterOfCounselling #ChoralScholar #DisabilityAdvocacy #Accessibility #BlindLife

Win Prizes during The Accessible Shopping Challenge Live with Sam Seavey on January 11th at 6 PM PST!

Discover how accessible shopping can transform your life as Sam Seavey navigates real-time shopping challenges using InnosearchAI. Plus, win exciting prizes and have your shopping struggles solved live!

Where? Zoom (Link will be sent in a future post, stay tuned!)
When? Jan 11, 6 PM PST

#AccessibleShopping #SamSeavey #BlindLife #InnosearchAI #ShoppingChallenge #WinPrizes

🦯 🦯 🦯 Advocating for Inclusivity: A Call to Action. Please boost for more reach.

A few days ago, I was commenting on a few posts from National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) calling out the lack of #AltText on photos they post on their social media accounts. I feel that they must be made aware as they are promoting inclusivity and yet, photos they are posting are not inclusive to blind people reading there post. to those of you who doesn’t know, Facebook lets users add alt text on the images they post on the platform.
Let’s break it down: Alt text (short for alternative text) is like a secret doorway to accessibility. When users add alt text to the images they post on Facebook or any other social media platform that allows it, they’re essentially providing a description of the image. This description is then read aloud by screen reading software, allowing blind individuals to understand what’s happening in the image.
Now, here’s the catch: alt text is invisible to sighted users. It doesn’t clutter up the visual experience for them, but it makes all the difference for those blind people like us relying on screen readers. Imagine being able to “see” a photo through words—vivid descriptions that paint a mental picture.

Anyways, enough of the explanation thing. I got a reply from them (please see the screenshot). I’m hopeful that they’ll follow through on their promise. And to all blind people who are following them or any other organization for persons with disability, most specially blindness organizations, let’s hold these organizations accountable. They are promoting inclusivity, so the small steps should be coming from them.

So, my message to the NCDA and to all my friends sharing images online, most specially blindness organizations promoting inclusivity (you know who you are), Let’s make our content truly inclusive! Adding alt text is a small but impactful step toward ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with the content we put out there.

#Blind #Blindness #BlindLife #Inclusivity #Inclusion #accessibility #Bulag #AltText #AltTextAwareness #AltText4Me #NCDA #Philippines #Filipino #Pinoy

🦯 🦯 🦯 Advocating for Inclusivity: A Call to Action. Please boost for more reach.

A few days ago, I was commenting on a few posts from National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) calling out the lack of #AltText on photos they post on their social media accounts. I feel that they must be made aware as they are promoting inclusivity and yet, photos they are posting are not inclusive to blind people reading there post. to those of you who doesn’t know, Facebook lets users add alt text on the images they post on the platform.
Let’s break it down: Alt text (short for alternative text) is like a secret doorway to accessibility. When users add alt text to the images they post on Facebook or any other social media platform that allows it, they’re essentially providing a description of the image. This description is then read aloud by screen reading software, allowing blind individuals to understand what’s happening in the image.
Now, here’s the catch: alt text is invisible to sighted users. It doesn’t clutter up the visual experience for them, but it makes all the difference for those blind people like us relying on screen readers. Imagine being able to “see” a photo through words—vivid descriptions that paint a mental picture.

Anyways, enough of the explanation thing. I got a reply from them (please see the screenshot). I’m hopeful that they’ll follow through on their promise. And to all blind people who are following them or any other organization for persons with disability, most specially blindness organizations, let’s hold these organizations accountable. They are promoting inclusivity, so the small steps should be coming from them.

So, my message to the NCDA and to all my friends sharing images online, most specially blindness organizations promoting inclusivity (you know who you are), Let’s make our content truly inclusive! Adding alt text is a small but impactful step toward ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with the content we put out there.

#Blind #Blindness #BlindLife #Inclusivity #Inclusion #accessibility #Bulag #AltText #AltTextAwareness #AltText4Me #NCDA #Philippines #Filipino #Pinoy

🦯 🦯 🦯 Advocating for Inclusivity: A Call to Action. Please boost for more reach.

A few days ago, I was commenting on a few posts from National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) calling out the lack of #AltText on photos they post on their social media accounts. I feel that they must be made aware as they are promoting inclusivity and yet, photos they are posting are not inclusive to blind people reading there post. to those of you who doesn’t know, Facebook lets users add alt text on the images they post on the platform.
Let’s break it down: Alt text (short for alternative text) is like a secret doorway to accessibility. When users add alt text to the images they post on Facebook or any other social media platform that allows it, they’re essentially providing a description of the image. This description is then read aloud by screen reading software, allowing blind individuals to understand what’s happening in the image.
Now, here’s the catch: alt text is invisible to sighted users. It doesn’t clutter up the visual experience for them, but it makes all the difference for those blind people like us relying on screen readers. Imagine being able to “see” a photo through words—vivid descriptions that paint a mental picture.

Anyways, enough of the explanation thing. I got a reply from them (please see the screenshot). I’m hopeful that they’ll follow through on their promise. And to all blind people who are following them or any other organization for persons with disability, most specially blindness organizations, let’s hold these organizations accountable. They are promoting inclusivity, so the small steps should be coming from them.

So, my message to the NCDA and to all my friends sharing images online, most specially blindness organizations promoting inclusivity (you know who you are), Let’s make our content truly inclusive! Adding alt text is a small but impactful step toward ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with the content we put out there.

#Blind #Blindness #BlindLife #Inclusivity #Inclusion #accessibility #Bulag #AltText #AltTextAwareness #AltText4Me #NCDA #Philippines #Filipino #Pinoy

🦯 🦯 🦯 Advocating for Inclusivity: A Call to Action. Please boost for more reach.

A few days ago, I was commenting on a few posts from National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) calling out the lack of #AltText on photos they post on their social media accounts. I feel that they must be made aware as they are promoting inclusivity and yet, photos they are posting are not inclusive to blind people reading there post. to those of you who doesn’t know, Facebook lets users add alt text on the images they post on the platform.
Let’s break it down: Alt text (short for alternative text) is like a secret doorway to accessibility. When users add alt text to the images they post on Facebook or any other social media platform that allows it, they’re essentially providing a description of the image. This description is then read aloud by screen reading software, allowing blind individuals to understand what’s happening in the image.
Now, here’s the catch: alt text is invisible to sighted users. It doesn’t clutter up the visual experience for them, but it makes all the difference for those blind people like us relying on screen readers. Imagine being able to “see” a photo through words—vivid descriptions that paint a mental picture.

Anyways, enough of the explanation thing. I got a reply from them (please see the screenshot). I’m hopeful that they’ll follow through on their promise. And to all blind people who are following them or any other organization for persons with disability, most specially blindness organizations, let’s hold these organizations accountable. They are promoting inclusivity, so the small steps should be coming from them.

So, my message to the NCDA and to all my friends sharing images online, most specially blindness organizations promoting inclusivity (you know who you are), Let’s make our content truly inclusive! Adding alt text is a small but impactful step toward ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with the content we put out there.

#Blind #Blindness #BlindLife #Inclusivity #Inclusion #accessibility #Bulag #AltText #AltTextAwareness #AltText4Me #NCDA #Philippines #Filipino #Pinoy

🦯 🦯 🦯 Advocating for Inclusivity: A Call to Action. Please boost for more reach.

A few days ago, I was commenting on a few posts from National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) calling out the lack of #AltText on photos they post on their social media accounts. I feel that they must be made aware as they are promoting inclusivity and yet, photos they are posting are not inclusive to blind people reading there post. to those of you who doesn’t know, Facebook lets users add alt text on the images they post on the platform.
Let’s break it down: Alt text (short for alternative text) is like a secret doorway to accessibility. When users add alt text to the images they post on Facebook or any other social media platform that allows it, they’re essentially providing a description of the image. This description is then read aloud by screen reading software, allowing blind individuals to understand what’s happening in the image.
Now, here’s the catch: alt text is invisible to sighted users. It doesn’t clutter up the visual experience for them, but it makes all the difference for those blind people like us relying on screen readers. Imagine being able to “see” a photo through words—vivid descriptions that paint a mental picture.

Anyways, enough of the explanation thing. I got a reply from them (please see the screenshot). I’m hopeful that they’ll follow through on their promise. And to all blind people who are following them or any other organization for persons with disability, most specially blindness organizations, let’s hold these organizations accountable. They are promoting inclusivity, so the small steps should be coming from them.

So, my message to the NCDA and to all my friends sharing images online, most specially blindness organizations promoting inclusivity (you know who you are), Let’s make our content truly inclusive! Adding alt text is a small but impactful step toward ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with the content we put out there.

#Blind #Blindness #BlindLife #Inclusivity #Inclusion #accessibility #Bulag #AltText #AltTextAwareness #AltText4Me #NCDA #Philippines #Filipino #Pinoy