BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – October is Blindness Awareness Month, so the Oak Hill Lions Club was at Word Park celebrating all the accomplishments of the blind and visually impaired.
For WV Eye Can Lions Club (branch of the OHLC) President Cole Sweeney, founding Beckley’s annual White Cane Awareness Day is a matter of safety.
Sweeney created the WCAD after a traumatic experience crossing a Charleston street.
“A truck did not stop at the stoplight and continued to go forward in my direction. So my instructor grabbed me and made sure I didn’t continue forward,” he said. “At that moment I was like, people don’t really know the laws. I reached out to the former mayor of Beckley, Robert Rappold to see what he thought about doing a White Cane Awareness event and he gave me his 110% support.”
For the OHLC president, raising awareness and promoting independence for those with visual issues means so much.
“In my six years of being a Lion this is the most important thing I feel like I accomplished,” said Rhonda Smith. “So great to see them want to do things and (are) passionate about it and work with them. It’s very uplifting.”
Being visually impaired, Haley Nisperly says she always wants to help spread awareness and educate the sighted on what it’s like to be legally blind.
“Sight is one of the most important senses that a person has. When you have limited vision — you fear for your personal safety,” the University of Charleston Lions Club member said.
It was important to this UC Lions Club student to show up for the blind and visually impaired community.
“It’s good to raise awareness and stand in solidarity,” said Ian Blevins. “I think it’s important that people know about the cause and that we bring attention to it.”
She was diagnosed in 2013 with dominant optic atrophy. Nisperly says her vision was 20/80 at the onset and has since increased to 21,000. She also has total color blindness and can’t identify colors besides blacks, whites and grays.
“It has advanced a lot and probably more than I had hoped,” she said. People look at me and do not think that anything’s wrong because I don’t look blind; I don’t look the part. It just goes to show you can have blindness and not look like you do.”
Sweeney says often one will see a blind or visually impaired person and jump into action.
“It’s not always the case that they might need help,” said the WV Eye Can Lions Club president. “So it’s really respectful to ask first if they might need some assistance, whether they’re crossing the street or at the grocery store or what have you.”
Nisperly says don’t tell someone how sorry you are they are legally blind or that they are an inspiration.
“Don’t belittle them because we are human and want to be treated like one despite our blindness,” she said. “Treated like any other individual.”