Cosmopolitan UK - 09.2019

40 ·^ COSMOPOLITAN

AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS INSTAGRAM.COM/FASHIONEYESTA2012

EMILY DAVISON, 25, a beauty

blogger and writer, shares how

it feels to live with sight loss

I was born entirely blind in one eye.

In the other, my level of sight is

comparable to looking through the

porthole of a ship: if you came and

stood next to me, I wouldn’t realise

you were there unless I completely

turned my head. Things that you

probably find easy, like crossing the

road, can be tough for me – especially

if it’s an electric car coming, as they’re

silent. My eyes also move involuntarily

and hone in on the wrong thing, like

a camera with poor autofocus. When

I leave the house I need to plan ahead

in case I become ill. This is all because

of a rare condition that I was born

with called septo-optic dysplasia,

which also affects my endocrine

(hormone) system and glands.

Growing up

I was bullied at school and my parents

were even accused of exaggerating my

sight loss. University was better – I

made real friends – but job hunting

has been difficult. I work part-time as

a retail assistant now but would love

a job in journalism. Interviews can

be difficult: either I’ll have to dodge

inappropriate questions, like the time

I was asked if I was able to take a lunch

break alone, or employers panic and

gloss over my disability entirely. I wish

they’d just ask what support I’d need

and let me show that I am capable.

I’ve been writing about my

disabilities since I was 18. I wanted

to show that blind people can still

love fashion and beauty – it’s just

about finding new ways of doing

things. When make-up shades (often

darker ones and corals) are difficult

to differentiate, I’ll hold a ring light

up to them or FaceTime my mum.

She also helps me take photos, and

I use a magnifying glass to read

packaging. My guide dog, Unity

(above, left), changed my life when

I got her seven years ago. With her,

I can travel alone and am fine when

my parents (who I live with) are away.

Daily challenges

Some restaurants ask me to leave

because I have Unity with me, despite

that being illegal, and it can be hard

to navigate busy shops. I can’t chat

about the latest “it” book unless an

audio version is released, or watch

films without an audio description.

If I stand still for too long in the street,

people come over and ask if I’m OK.

They’re trying to be nice, but if they

could hear themselves, they’d realise

how patronising it sometimes seems.

I have therapy for low mood and

anxiety – writing helps keep my mind

busy. I walk and keep fit by swimming,

as my sight loss doesn’t feel like such

a hindrance in the pool. People say

your disability doesn’t define you,

but it does: I just don’t see that as

a negative. The way to overcome

something is to accept and respect it,

rather than pretending it doesn’t exist.

Introduce yourself before you help

“And if your offer is politely turned

down, then take that as a cue to get

on with your day. A lot of people

persist even after I tell them I’m fine

• that’s when it becomes awkward,
  which nobody wants.”

LIFE

IN MY

BODY...

YOU

CAN

WHAT

DO

Always be polite

“A good rule of

thumb is ‘If you

wouldn’t ask your

manager that

question, then please

don’t ask me.’”

Respect people’s personal space

“Once, when I was getting off a bus,

I was grabbed by two burly guys,

one on each arm, and just lifted off.

Disabled people have personal

boundaries too and it’s very

important to be mindful of them.”

WITH A VISUAL

IMPAIRMENT