There is life after sight loss: what I’ve learned adjusting to my new normal

Early in 2015, upon returning to work after the holidays and getting back into the swing of things, I noticed strange things happening with my eyes. I have a smudge in my central vision, it's there when I read, it's there when I have to focus on my PC, it's always there. I had my spectacle prescription adjusted a few times in a matter of weeks and shortly after all that, arranged an appointment with my ophthalmologist.

That year became a year of endless diagnostic tests, several procedures, and numerous specialist visits. It was eventually revealed that a rather unusual degenerative retinal condition has started to and will continue to take my sight.

Life as I knew it would change drastically.

How Vodacom’s support helped me move forward

My independence had taken a huge knock. I had to avoid driving and limit my exposure to bright light. I was by no means okay, I was scared, I felt like my future with Vodacom was uncertain. But, my colleagues, my manager at the time, and peers stepped in to assist as they could see my despair. It was clear that I needed help and support and giving up wasn’t an option. 

I had held several positions at Vodacom since I onboarded in 1997. All were within the Commercial Operations space. For the first two years I was a Call Centre Consultant. From 2000-2001 I was an Information Help Desk Consultant. From 2002-2005 I was a Team Leader, and from 2006-2013 I was a Quality Assessor. Then, in 2014 I became a Senior Administrator for the Privacy and ISO Compliance teams.

It was during my time in this role that my journey with sight loss began. Together with my supportive colleagues and managers, I consulted with senior management, our Wellbeing teams, and our Specific Needs Office, on accessibility options and other reasonable accommodations for my disability, and the way forward. Everything Vodacom put into place for me from that point on helped me to remain a fully-fledged and productive employee, and in 2018, I progressed on to a new role (my current one) as a Customer Experience, Products and Services Governance (CXPSG) Specialist.

What makes me really proud is that I am responsible for the Accessibility portfolio embedded within the Product Governance (CXPSG) business area. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate closely with the Accessibility Office and various other teams in supporting the launch of service offerings such as Emergency Services for the Deaf, Data Gift Promos for our differently abled customers, and Voicemail for the Deaf. I’ve worked on a number of projects like this, and it gives me such a sense of fulfilment knowing that we’re helping to make differently-abled customers’ lives so much easier.

There is life after sight loss!

As mentioned, Vodacom has provided a number of tools that enable me to continue to do my jobs productively. These include allowing me to work remotely with solid connectivity, assistive tools such as a large screen monitor of which I have two, a handheld device with accessibility features, and text enlargement software called ZoomText which for me, is the best thing since sliced bread! I cannot do without it as a lot of my daily tasks involve reading. I can say with certainty, if it wasn’t for ZoomText, I do not know where I would be in the realm of PC accessibility. 

Post diagnosis, I really did not expect to be able to continue with anything, including work, let alone have any impact. But, I also knew that I needed to live my new reality of being visually impaired and at the same time focus on my wellbeing. As I said, giving up was and is not an option.

So, to date, I try to adapt to life with a disability. I find new ways to cope with limitations, overcome challenges, and continue to move forward. Vodacom’s support is definitely key. And as for achievements in the future, my main goal is to learn more detail around various eye conditions and to share my experiences with anyone who is faced with adult-onset sight loss. What I have learned in the past nine years, and what I want them to know, is that there is life after sight loss.