Jess Has Cortical Blindness
I get asked a lot of questions about Jessica’s vision or lack thereof. For a scientific explanation as to why Jessica has a cortical vision impairment, check out my post “What Does Jessica See?”
If you have watched many of our videos, the majority of them are recorded at home or in extended family homes. In familiar environments, Jess navigates so well that it easy to forget what she CANNOT see.
This video demonstrates how Jess navigates in an unfamiliar environment when she is not using a sighted guide method. Here, Jess is relying on a combination of her white cane, verbal prompts from me, and utilizing the minimal vision that she does have.
Jess moves very carefully because she has had falls in the past. Notice how she checks her path at most of the cracks in the sidewalk. She’s confirming whether or not it is a step up or down, or level.
Separately, here’s the deal about her pool chatter. Jess is scared of rooms with indoor pools. I believe it is because sound travels so differently in those rooms, and she can’t get a good feel for her surroundings.
The chemicals in the pool smelled fairly strong and I think that combined with fear is why Jess keeps saying it’s bad and dirty.
I hope this video gives a better idea of the capacity of Jessica’s vision. Especially outside, because of Jessica’s multiple disabilities, it is not practical for her to travel independently. This video was edited for time because of how slowly Jess walks when she is on her own.
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