Millions of people set foot out of their own country for the first time thanks to studying and volunteer opportunities. Studying, in this case, may include simply gaining fluency in the language of the host country, or it may mean taking classes at a university or other school alongside native students in whatever field is available.
Volunteering, on the other hand, entails working for an institution -- often a Non-Government Organization (NGO). NGOs include religious and non-religious-affiliated, not-for-profit organizations that regularly rely on volunteer labor to function, often in exchange for some shelter, supplies for survival, some other form of compensation, and the unparalleled opportunity to experience life in the host country. Many do seek full or part-time, long-term employment abroad, and volunteer opportunities may lead directly to paid jobs; but since there are a plethora of volunteer opportunities available to people seeking an immersive sojourn without much complication, we will focus on these.
Studying and volunteering abroad are excellent ways to get immersed in the culture of a country other than your own. While it may be one country you intend to spend time in, there is a good chance you’ll meet individuals from several countries that are there for the same reason you are. Universities, in particular, commonly host students and faculty from dozens of countries. This effectively means your time studying abroad will likely be a multi-national experience where ever you land.
Volunteerism can be a little different. It may be that you are volunteering for a small organization with few other staff or volunteers, or a large international organization with many small outpost stations (offices, shelters, or other places of business, permanent or temporary) in different regions. The organization in question may be based in your own country, and thus primarily consist of people either from your country or natives of the land you are visiting for your work. Other organizations may seek volunteers from across the world who are fluent in a particular language. It may nevertheless be that you encounter a multitude of other internationals where ever you land, particularly if the place is a major, cosmopolitan city.
Churches, temples, and non-religious institutions often deploy charitable “missions” to other countries, which can consist of a wide assortment of projects. These may be open-ended, but often include construction, teaching/childcare, medical intervention, and providing technical expertise. A particularly common means for students to get their feet wet outside their home country is to teach their language. English is usually in the highest demand; though, depending on the host nation, teachers of numerous additional languages may be desired. Many small schools, churches, and other institutions rely on volunteers for their language training, and teachers do not necessarily need to be native speakers. Some university or pre-college students use their summer holiday or gap year to teach abroad.
On the academic side, universities and other academic institutions often provide simultaneous learning/research and volunteer sojourns. This may include accompanying and assisting a professor from your home university with biological, epidemiological, or anthropological investigations. There are institutions like the School for Field Studies, that specialize in hosting international students for purposes of learning tricks of the trade through practical, on-the-ground research. Check out my reflection on my experience with the School for Field Studies (A Blind Scientist Abroad).
“International exchange” can refer to a lot of things. For our purpose, it refers to the exchange of knowledge and culture through travel. The traveler is necessarily both a recipient and provider of this knowledge and culture (hence “exchange”, referring to a two-way giving), though a particular international exchange program may focus on either one or the other for specific reasons. A student may go on an international exchange trip to receive knowledge, like language, from a school, while a professional may travel to share his or her skillset with an institution. Either way, everyone involved in an exchange is supposed to give and gain: the school may gain the unique experience and perspective of the exchange student, while the professional learns from his or her new surroundings, and is perhaps offered support from the recipient institution.
Folks that study or volunteer abroad have numerous objectives, both practical and fun. Whether you are a student or well past your school days, the idea is to learn about the place you go to and widen your sense of the whole world we live in.
If you are a student, your guidance counselor or academic advisor should be able to recommend on and off-campus resources, or may give you specific recommendations.
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) is a project of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, designed to increase the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange between the United States and other countries, and is supported in its implementation by Mobility International USA (MIUSA). The MIUSA website has a plethora of resources on disability and exchange. Some examples include:
Access International Exchange: A great place to begin learning about exchange opportunities to and from the U.S. Other links on the page, provide resources for Americans Going Abroad and Coming to the U.S. for exchange.
International exchange for late-career professionals: Includes resources geared towards individuals with academic and career experience that are interested in opportunities abroad, including volunteerism and education, though there is helpful content here for those in an earlier stage of career development as well.
Disability-focused International Exchange: (educational, volunteer, and recreational) geared around subsets of the disabled population, including the blind/VI. Each of the above-linked pages contains several links that will be of use.
You can also explore the website for personal stories of blind/visually impaired exchange alumni and travelers. One example is A Peace Corps Commitment: No Questions, the story of one blind volunteer to the peace corps. Throughout this guide, I will refer to and link multiple resources from NCDE on the MIUSA website. I will also refer to other resources, blogs, and articles from different organizations and other websites.
People with disabilities participate in many programs and share their experiences with others. For example, Peace Corps shared, 4 Volunteers with disabilities were determined to serve.
If you are interested in teaching English abroad, some English-teaching schools may require certification, like a Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate. There are various ways to achieve this in a matter of weeks or months. Non-native English speakers may be required to prove their fluency through IELTS or TOEFL tests. The MIUSA website resources can assist with understanding the process and the support available for students with disability, including those pertaining to exams used in the university application process. Check out getting “Disability Accommodations for TOEFL, GRE, and Other ETS tests”. You can also earn qualifications to instruct preparatory classes for such exams.
If you are looking to study in the U.S., community colleges often feature tremendous diversity, both in terms of classes and the students that take them. They also offer some of the best accommodations and flexibility to blind and disabled students. While I never studied at a community college abroad, I have worked and studied at one in the U.S., and I can attest to their strong points. Community Colleges: A Hidden Gem for International Students with Disabilities is a story on the MIUSA website that speaks to this topic. A possible downside to a community college is the fact that many students there do not study full-time, and usually do not live on or adjacent to the campuses; thus, you may be less likely to find the same village-like communities that are common to state and private universities, especially amidst their undergraduate populations. Community colleges do have communities, clubs, and student organizations, and what you find will depend on the place, what you seek, and the effort you put into the search.
Determine what your options and personal goals are, and find the best fit. If you want to study abroad, consider how the school will help you with your study and career goals. This should be particularly true if you plan to spend more than one term at the school. If your study abroad will be as a short-term exchange student, it will be necessary for credits earned from the target school to be transferable to your home school. This way, you will be earning credits toward your degree, and you will be able to enroll in the classes you are qualified to take. Check out, How to Make Your International Exchange More Meaningful to Your Career on gearing international exchange toward your long-term career success. Continue exploring this guide for more information on preparing to study or volunteer abroad.
In my opinion, the short answer to this question is yes. A more in-depth and nuanced peer into things, however, reveals that, in fact, it depends. Reality is more complicated. If you have already been around, or have talked to folks from across the world, perhaps through social media groups, you may already realize that no large group of people has exactly gotten it right when it comes to providing an inclusive, equal, and dignified situation for blind/VI people – far from it. Prejudice, while in various guises, is a global phenomenon. If this is disappointing to hear, your first steps are to find resolve, remember this reality, and decide where in the world you are most compelled to visit for your sojourn.
Indeed, if we are talking about practicality, some countries rank higher than others in terms of meeting your needs while studying and volunteering abroad. Some countries have codified in their laws, extensive protections and other guarantees for disabled individuals. The schools or organizations you’ll be involved in may have similar codes. Here, if you are discriminated against by a professor, staff member, or outside business, you may be readily able to seek legal or institutional redress. Well-endowed institutions, particularly in wealthier countries, may also have abundant technology, and staff to provide extra assistance. Depending on your field, and the tasks you need to achieve, this kind of support may be necessary. It may include a disability services office dedicated to making courses accessible, scanning printed textbooks, and providing embossers and other adaptive tools one might need.
If you use a dog guide, consider travel restrictions, and whether or not guides are accepted in your destination nation. In places where there is a guide dog-user community, there is almost certainly infrastructure and legal protections that make such a means of travel handy and practical. These conditions may be quite different from those in your homeland, however. Learn about what it takes to bring your dog with you to the new country, and what differences you can expect in your new environment as a guide handler. If possible, reach out and connect with other dog users in your destination country. While guides are used across Europe, there are different demands for entering particular countries with a dog, rendering continental travel with one somewhat of a headache.
If you are going to a country with no dog guide users, and you hope to move about freely, particularly outside the confines of a small university or organization’s campus, you should consider leaving your dog behind. This may require some preparations, including determining whether your cane skills leave you feeling confident. The fact is, while you may be able to enter and exit the country with your dog, and even find a safe space for you and the dog to move about within, such countries may be quite a rough place for all dogs. Numerous countries have feral dog populations, that can be a health and safety risk to your own, even in urban areas. Some countries remain very high-risk areas for animal theft, including for the meet or pet trade, even though large numbers in such countries’ populations consider dogs and other animals family. In terms of infrastructure, many such places lack ideal pedestrian infrastructures like sidewalks/pavements or wide shoulders on roads. Walkers here may have to share a small street with vehicles (moving and parked), crowds of other pedestrians, and numerous small market stands, thus often requiring one to take up as little space as possible, and sometimes ducking inside, or into a side alley to allow for passersby. The ground here may be frequently inundated or maybe blemished with unhealthy food or chemical waste, or a generally rough and pocked surface, unhealthy for paws or curious snouts. Few people will know what to properly make of your dog, and hence may behave hostilely to you and the dog, refuse to interact with you, or may try to grab or push you and the dog, especially if there is a language barrier. This doesn’t represent the behavior and attitudes of all, or even the majority of people in such countries, but it should represent a very high risk, and the fact that in many places, dog guides are sadly going to be liabilities beyond the amount of benefit you’ll continue to receive. Some countries do traditionally consider dogs to be taboo or dirty, and may simply not allow your dog entry.
For more information check out Guide to Traveling Internationally with a Guide Dog.
Read about my experience with travel and mobility in Hanoi, Vietnam (The Streets of Hanoi).
This, of course, depends on where you will be going, and what you mean to accomplish while there. You’ll need time to determine the latter. Determine as much as possible what tasks will be expected of you. Ask yourself if you will need any extra time to prepare for such tasks and if any adaptive tools will be needed for them. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to predict everything ahead of time, so drawing from your experience, and reaching out to folks you will be interacting with will be crucial. It can also be very helpful to reach out to blind/VI persons with experience as close to what you’ll be doing as possible. Find out what your institution can provide you, and initiate a discussion as soon as possible pertaining to what preparations everyone can take, including necessary modifications that will be needed upon normal business and classroom procedures. If a disability services department exists at a university, then such communication can start here. If you are aware of the academic departments that you will be taking courses in, it may be very helpful to engage the head personnel here, especially if disability services do not exist as a department, or only have a limited capacity.
Here are some common accommodations for blind/Visually Impaired students that universities may be able to provide. Consider what is right for you, and inquire if it is something your prospective university provides:
Written materials converted into large print, Braille, on tape, and/or in electronic format
Use of technology, including screen-reading and screen-magnification software, and a refreshable Braille display
People to assist with scanning, reading, and writing print materials
CCTV, which is an electronic magnifier that can be stationary or handheld
Permission to sit in a preferred seat
Extra time during classroom assignments and tests
People to assist with orientation to surroundings and transportation
Access to a guide dog, mobility cane, sighted guide, and/or combination (See here for more).
For more information check out, Advising Blind and Low Vision Exchange Participants, a tipsheet geared toward international exchange professionals so that they can learn how to best support an advisee who is blind.
Sometimes university faculty and staff do not fully understand their individual responsibilities in making things like blindness accessibility work, and your proactiveness can make up for confusion, irresponsibility, and inefficacy on other people’s part. This can be asking a lot of you, and while starting early, and knowing as much about your impending circumstance is best, you should also try to relax, and realize that you can’t predict and control everything. Sometimes, no matter what you do, there will be staff members, instructors, and entire institutions that simply don’t see your needs as priorities worthy of adapting to; and sometimes, there will, unfortunately, be nothing you can do about this. Determining that this may be the case, and is not worth the struggle it will bring, will allow you to back out before you’ve already found yourself trying to settle in another country.
Besides connecting with, and learning about your institution, there are personal steps you can take to best prepare. These include things like learning as much as you can about your place of interest, understanding the differences in braille around the world, or considering some tips to keep in mind as blind travelers.
Find up-to-date books on the city or town, region, and country you’ll be traveling to. Bookshare, which you may be able to access through your school for free, but that otherwise has a pretty affordable annual subscription fee, contains some good accessible non-fiction materials, including travel guides, and history texts you can use. Wikipedia generally contains accurate overviews of a country or major city’s geography, landscape, holidays and other prominent cultural aspects, and history, though reputable primary source books and articles can allow you to go into greater detail, without worries that you might be simply reading the musings of some joker with a bone to pick. Reading some popular novels or short stories from authors from your host country can give you additional cultural perspectives even if they are in translation.
It will be particularly important to become familiar with the cuisine of your host country, not to mention other customs and manors you’ll be exposed to and expected to follow. Of course, you won’t be able to learn everything before you go, but the more you learn, the fewer surprises you’ll bump into. You can prepare by visiting representatives of the host country’s culture in your own town, including public religious or national festivities, and restaurants. If you can’t observe behaviors visually, ask someone to describe or help you with particular activities, like local dining etiquette.
One thing I found invaluable before and while living abroad is Facebook groups. I don’t like to celebrate Facebook too much – it is full of junk, and a big waste of time much or most of the time, but still, billions use it and other social media platforms for free communication, including through highly specific interest groups. There is very likely at least one blind group for residents of the city, region, or country you are visiting. If language is a barrier, or if traffic in such a group is too limited or uninteresting, there are international blind Facebook groups, where you are very likely to connect with English-speaking people that live in, or that have at least spent a lot of time in your target country or city. Popular ones include Blind Penpals and Blind and Visually Impaired Support Group – there are several others. The best way to use these groups is to make an introductory post, clearly stating the bits about yourself you’d like to share, what your intentions are, and whom you’d like to connect with. If done right, this will get the best people for your purposes to come out of the woodworks – people that may not regularly post or appear in your news feed. Don’t be afraid to connect with and ask questions of such people, with normal social media precautions of course. Do also be aware that you may not get all your answers, but there is no better resource than human connection – and this statement is coming from a pretty shy fellow. Connecting with blind people where you are going doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to such a crowd, of course. Indeed, you may not find such connections to be the most welcoming or knowledgeable people, but we should utilize what we have at our disposal regardless.
While I was unaware of InterNations prior to my travels, it connects people living abroad in 420 cities across the world. It was recommended by the most accomplished blind international traveler you’ll know.
Consider the skills that you may not have mastered, but that will truly come in handy. Do you speak the language of your host country? You may be attending an Anglophone University or volunteering for an organization of speakers of your own mother tongue. Even so, this shouldn’t keep you from learning the native language of the destination country, if you haven’t already. You can get by without being fluent, especially if you will primarily be interacting with your own mother tongue or another language you understand; but the more you know about the regional language, the easier it will be to function in the country, particularly outside the box. Many sighted people manage to function in foreign countries with the use of written signs, hand gestures, and other visual clues; but blindness/visual impairment can preclude these options. The language will help you tap into the local culture, which will help you make connections, and accomplish tasks, like purchasing items and getting items repaired. Simple language skills can help you ask for directions and enquire how much a product or service (like a taxi ride) costs. Even if you find yourself in a protective language bubble, thanks to the presence of others around you that share a tongue, remember that travel is a unique opportunity to expand beyond such boundaries.
As mentioned, try to get comfortable with the eating utensils (fork, chopsticks, knives, scissors) of the country you’ll be going to. Practice also your mobility skills, and skills with technology you may be using, like apps and other adaptive tech, and otherwise. All this said, don’t be discouraged if you feel you have a lot to learn. So much of travel is going with the flow and figuring things out as they come – even embracing a little chaos; but preparation beforehand will make the ride smoother, and will make some parts of your life abroad less complicated, so you can concentrate on other parts.
Before you get too relaxed, make sure all the correct paperwork is in order for travel: including passport, visas, vaccine proofs, and any required test results (see above about TOEFL and other tests and certifications). Some paperwork may be much easier to receive or have replaced prior to travel, and you may wish to have a confidant with good eyes to go through printed materials, just to make sure everything is in order.
Technology can be among a blind person’s best friends. Over-reliance on it, when not necessary, may be a little less healthy. Note that not all tools, like certain apps, may work in particular countries. Apps like Aira, popular in the U.S.A., may not function and is not available for sign-up elsewhere. Voiceover still lacks speech or braille scripts for many languages, particularly outside the European language sphere. JAWS, NVDA, and Talk Back have a somewhat wider assortment of language scripts, but these may be underdeveloped, or difficult to get. Similarly, currency reader tools still do not recognize a vast array of banknotes from across the world; especially those from countries that still have a primarily cash-based economy. Take this into consideration. Understand what tools will serve you best. Understand also that many countries – particularly low-income ones – may not have an extensive market for high-priced blindness techs, like braille embossers and displays. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use such tech, but you may not be able to get it locally serviced if it breaks or starts causing you trouble. If this is the case, and you feel it is worth traveling with such blindness technology, try to keep in touch with someone that can help you remotely, just in case.
While tools meant to assist the blind can be fantastic, often the most reliable help comes from mainstream techs, like Google Maps and Google translate. These tools are nowadays pretty accessible and even have their own speech components. Not only that but your sighted colleagues or interlocutors will often know how to use these as well. While not recommended, a live or text-message conversation via Google translate is possible, and may at times be necessary (this was the case for me and my Vietnamese landlady in Hanoi, who texted me regularly in Vietnamese, which Voiceover on my iPhone could not read properly). Find out what apps are used in your destination country for ridesharing/taxiing, and for online purchases – the mainstream ones in your country may not be available or might be quite expensive where you are going (Uber and Lyft were not available for me in Vietnam, where I used Grab instead, usually in the form of their motorbike taxis).
Deciding what hardware to bring should also depend on how much you can carry. Know also that power supply may be an issue, particularly if you are to travel to where there are electricity shortages or time-to-time outages, or if you are simply moving around a lot. Pack a portable battery or two for charging other items, like your phone. I was quite happy I brought my Focus 40 braille display with me to Vietnam, as it served as a very lightweight, not-so-battery-intensive notetaker I could carry and use in class, without causing much distraction. I’m glad it didn’t break.
One very basic piece of technology you should absolutely bring is a spare cane, particularly a collapsible or telescopic cane you can throw in your suitcase, or perhaps in a backpack just in case. If you use a cane with replaceable tips, like an NFB cane, do bring some spare tips – think of how long it takes for one tip to ware out, calculate how many you’ll need, and add in some extras just in case. Your primary cane should be a new one that should not soon begin wearing down (my NFB cane, which lasted my 2.5 years in Vietnam after being in my possession for over a year prior, began to lose its ability to hold tips for long a few months prior to my return to the U.S. – replacements were not available in Vietnam).
Some Links on Technology to Help You Prepare:
5 Essential iPhone Apps for Blind or Visually Impaired Travelers -- I’ve used all but the money reader app frequently, both domestically and abroad.
Access to All Fields of Study -- this is a biographical article that lists some useful assistive (or access) technology tools.
Be my eyes is an app to connect blind/VI people with live sighted assistance via their phone camera. It claims to work in 150 countries, and in 120 different languages. Note that assistants are mostly untrained volunteers, and results may vary. If you have a good phone signal, this may be a good way to get quick help with reading, identifying an object, and describing immediate surroundings. I sometimes used this for money identification in Vietnam. I folded my Vietnamese bank notes for quick future reference once I knew what they were.
Assistive Technology for Blind or Low Vision Participants – this is Mobility International’s page on blind/VI assistive (or adaptive) technology. It does not review or list specific devices or software, but gives a good description of what types of tools (like screen-readers and braille displays) do, and has some external links for more information).
A Beginner’s Guide to Access Technology for Blind Students – while this site from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is directed at parents, it is a good place to get familiar with the technology that blind/VI students benefit from. You will see that the NFB’s website serves as a comprehensive guide to assistive technology.
Consider your medical needs. If you will need medication, including eye drops, insulin, or anything requiring a prescription, consider getting a large supply that will last you for as much of the length of your stay as possible. Pack it safely. Alternatively, investigate how easy obtaining these resources will be in the destination country. You may be able to obtain national healthcare or private health insurance coverage as a student, visitor, or long-term resident. The availability and prices for non-prescription medical supplies will vary from region to region. Having even small items shipped internationally can be cost-prohibitive, though there are times when this may prove necessary. It is always helpful to have emergency back-ups for items like prescription lenses or sunglasses. Consider also the availability and expense of doctors, dentists, therapists and counseling, and emergency medicine, especially if you expect to be abroad for more than three months. These are practical considerations that everyone should ponder for travel, generally speaking. The information should be available with some investigation, and consultation with your host entity. Don’t let such concerns scare you from traveling. A little planning will go a long way.
Housing circumstances vary significantly for the international student or volunteers. Many universities have nice on-campus housing for students (often including graduate students), and utilizing this will mean you will be in the heart of university life, and won’t have far to travel to get to classes and university facilities. This can cut down on the complications of familiarizing yourself with an area, and stocking your abode with supplies. Universities quite often have various dining options, on and adjacent to campus. If you choose to live on a university campus, stand up for your needs and preferences when reserving a dorm space or house. Staff at your home university or at the destination institution may make assumptions about what you need based on their own conceptions of blindness, and this may be counter to what you want. It may be assumed that your blindness may prevent you from climbing stairs for example. Certainly, while it is highly respectable if you prefer not to have to climb stairs to get to your housing for one reason or another if you prefer a dorm space on the top floor of a building with no elevator, it is also within your right to assert this demand. Beware of preconceptions, and how they may trump your own needs and desires if you aren’t careful.
My Housing Ordeal
When I prepared to travel to Scotland to study at the University of Stirling, I worked with a student employee at the Study Abroad office at my home university to select an on-campus housing space. My main priority was getting a situation with internet connectivity -- I would be relying on my own laptop, and this was the mid-2000s when even top universities weren’t entirely outfitted with ethernet or Wi-Fi. There were probably a few computers on campus with JAWS, but these would be shared, and not necessarily available 24-7. When the head of the department saw my selection, she was alarmed by the fact the apartment would require climbing a few flights of stairs to get to. Without my notice, she altered my selection and placed me in designated disabled housing on the ground level. This, perhaps unsurprisingly, was one of few locations not yet outfitted with any internet connectivity. By the time I discovered her move, it was too late to make any changes to my on-campus housing reservations. I was very capable of climbing flights of stairs, and not having this internet access meant I had to travel across campus to obtain basic services others could use at home.
Living off-campus, either alone, with colleagues/classmates, or with a host family can also present countless opportunities. Prioritize internet connectivity, and access to necessities, including your school/place of work, shops, and places to get food. There are often Facebook groups dedicated to housing for foreigners in many cities and countries; though they may be highly dependent on pictures for their advertisements rather than verbalized specificities. Your connections on the ground in your destination country can often give you the best recommendations on price, location, and other specifications. Try to establish how pedestrian-friendly the neighborhood of your potential housing, as well as the walk to your school or volunteer institution, will be. Being able to independently commute between home and work/class can save you money, get you exercise and fresh air, and get you feeling confident with the idea that you are truly living the life of a resident in this new land. It will also potentially afford you opportunities to explore and meet people you might not otherwise. Some sighted assistance with photographs and maps can be quite helpful in this preparation process, but the end goal will be relative independence in movement and living.
If you are a braille reader like I am, note that different braille systems are used for different languages across the world. Many languages have unique systems of contractions (shorthand) to allow braille to take up less space. The EU and Latin America rarely use contracted Braille, though it is quite common in North America. You may wish to learn characters, contractions, and other features not present in the braille you are used to. Check out An Overview of Braille Around the World for more information.
Finally have a look at, Blind and Low Vision Tips for Going Abroad a tip sheet for traveling abroad as a blind or visually impaired person. Based on my own experience, I don’t agree with all the suggestions, but they are all something to think about. Their usefulness will depend on what you need and want as an individual. Everyone has their own unique set of needs, and that is ok.
Check out my own description of teaching in Hanoi, Vietnam Being a Blind ESOL Teacher Abroad.
Find a community, especially if you live alone or if you are not required to be in the constant company of fellow volunteers, a host family, etc. If you have a particular hobby, or if you are affiliated with a religious group or international fellowship like AA, feel free to seek out local members. Other foreigners may be happy to have the companionship of someone like you, especially if you have something in common, like language, interests, etc. There’s no shame in gathering a friend or two (or more) that you can seek help from, for example for things like shopping. Consider offering a drink, dinner, or coffee to members in a social media or other group in exchange for assistance with a shopping expedition.
Areas with large foreigner communities often have several Facebook groups for general purposes, housing, music and other events, jobs, recreation, food, and other particular interests. Online magazines, blogs, and newspapers also abound in different countries and cities around the world, by and for foreigners. Search and ask around. Join these groups, and consider writing for one such publication – this will get you positive attention.
While school, work, and the day-to-day life of a blind person adapting to new surroundings can be mentally and physically exhausting, push yourself to stay active, and explore, within reason of course. Forgive yourself for wanting to crash and do nothing for a while, but also dare to take plunges – they will pay off more than anything. Find places and events you want to check out. A Meetup group via meetup.com is one idea. Some cities have foreigner and language exchange Meetup groups. Event-focused Facebook pages, meanwhile, will likely post about concerts, film-screenings, comedy nights, trivia nights, poetry readings, and festivals. If you can find those hot-spot locations where foreigners gather, don’t be surprised if you’ll find people to talk to. Having a blindness/visual impairment signifier like a white cane may get us unwanted attention, but usually people are smart enough to get off that topic and get to know you as a person after their interest has been peaked by the sight of you. Many foreigners are well-traveled, smart, and open-minded. Of course, you may have off nights, where events didn’t turn out to be the happy, inclusive, and stimulating happenings you hoped for. No need to be down on yourself for that. You made the effort, and you can do it again.
You can make little goals for yourself that you can stick to. These can be a lot of things, like exploring an unfamiliar street, finding a café or restaurant to try, going to a meet-up group, practicing your language acquisition with someone, discovering some public events, or just getting some fresh-air and exercise. Try looking up something on Google Map or Blind Square, and see if you can find it. These will allow you to branch out, and will make you feel good. Soon you will have favorite places to visit, which will feel great, but don’t let them stop you from branching out more.
Remember also that your colleagues, or your university should also be a vast resource, with information on clubs, student organizations, local destinations, and on and off-campus services. If you find student fares and symposia, or other large informational gatherings to be overwhelming and inaccessible, find out as soon as you can if you can get the same information online, or through staff or student representatives. It can be frustrating not knowing what is going on around you because you are missing things like fliers. The best solution is to have a sense of what you want to do ahead of time, so you can ask specific questions about groups and events, as well as to be as connected as possible through personal contacts and social media.
Sometimes, having those digital platforms can take the edge off of socializing, especially if blindness or other disabilities, and how people respond to it make for a lot of social anxiety. Digital platforms, for all their accessibility and sociological shortcomings, are simply better for blind people than a lot of in-the-flesh alternatives. That said, your capacity to get out of your comfort zone, meet people, take risks, deal with frustration, and try new things will have so much to do with maximizing the quality of your time.
If you are sharing a home with friends or colleagues, or have a host family that is willing to help you with getting to places, orienting you with your environment, helping you learn language and customs, and accomplishing other things, like shopping, cooking, and laundry, this is great! You should feel no shame in utilizing what resources you have at your disposal. But let this not stop you from growing and branching off on your own. Risks with relationships like these are several, and include:
The possibility these people aren’t available when you want or need them;
They become overbearing and restrictive when you wish to accomplish stuff on your own;
They become nosy;
They don’t share the same interests as you;
They are keeping you from people and places that will greatly benefit you.
Part of the wonder of traveling and living abroad is that it is an all-new learning experience. We can expect the unexpected. Sometimes those unexpected things bring us wonder and joy, while at other times, they can test our resolve. Living globally, by its nature, demands flexibility. This should give us reason to prepare, but it should also give us reason to embrace mistakes and opportunities for growth.
Have a look at my reflections on growing and thriving while living abroad (Walking Into Places).
These reflections expand on some of the recommendations shared in the 5 Topics for Studying and Volunteering Abroad. They are linked throughout above.