WHAT WILL MY LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT BOOKS?

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

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An interview with Kathy Wolsey: a VIP (person with Visual Impairment & Print disability) supported by TBL

Kathy Wolsey was Bell Canada’s customer service representative in the early 1990s, training businesses on how to use their phone systems and switchboards. Everything was going well until she contracted histoplasmosis, a progressive eye disease that had no prevention or treatment options 35 years ago. Most of the sight in her right eye was gone. For Kathy, it was like living with a time bomb, knowing eventually she could be visually impaired. Despite her ophthalmologists’ and surgeons’ efforts to maintain her eyesight, the disease progressed 13 months later and she lost most of the sight in her left eye. She was now visually impaired. To make matters worse, she suffered a horrific accident five years later and injured the better of her two eyes. It never fully recovered even after being patched for more than four months. Thankfully, Bell accommodated her needs; even providing taxi rides to attend business appointments and with the assistance of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) purchased a talking computer system (a computer with screenreading software installed-AH) for her. In addition, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) counsellors taught her to read braille, use a cane and other life-skills. Along with friends’ kindness and her husband’s unwavering presence, Kathy transitioned to the non-sighted life well. Kathy drew her strength from her faith in God and from books, especially those with spiritual content as they provided the spiritual nourishment she needed everyday. Yet audio books were recorded on cassette tapes back then and online catalogues or search options did not exist. CNIB would mail her tapes based on her interests and sometimes it would take up to a year to receive them due to wait list. The tapes would often break or twist before she reached the end of the books. Despite these technological drawbacks, Kathy would still read two to three hours per day as she could not imagine what her life would be like without books. Soon CDs and DAISY readers replaced cassettes and though it still required physical mailing of CDs, the audio quality had significantly improved. With technological advancement, she can now download books in MP3 format to read on HumanWare (Daisy readers-AH) without having to be on the borrowing wait list or check the mail for deliveries anymore. Timothy Keller, N. T. Wright, Joni Eareckson Tada and Philip Yancey are her favourite authors. Kathy is very thankful to the Talking Book Library in using technology to bring Christian content to those who need it. She could not imagine where her life would be if there were no books. Though Christian content has a select audience, its impact in providing spiritual enrichment and nourishment is eternal regardless of the readers’ spiritual maturity. She prays for the ministry and for its financial needs because if TBL does not receive funding then one of the methods for the visually impaired to obtain spiritual guidance will cease. Books remind her where we came from and can get strength, giving her the courage and motivation to live each day. “We are so blessed to be created in His image and He loves us so much that He gave us His only son. We often forget that God gives us everything but we take everything for granted.” For her, there is nothing to worry because God is here. Matthew 6:25-33 comforts her, knowing God will look after her, just as He would care for the lilies and grasses of the field. To those who are visually impaired, Kathy encourages them to turn to God and remember He is here. “Losing sight is life-affecting, but not life-threatening.” says Kathy. “There is life after losing sight. Different life, but good life.”

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