My name is Maggie, and I am the head of leadership and special programs at CNIB Lake Joe, and I worked at Lake Joe last summer as a music counsellor.
When I was two, I was diagnosed with a tumour on my optic nerve and, at four, I lost my sight. My vision is limited to light perception, meaning I can only see enough to tell when the lights are on in a room.
Lake Joe has had a big impact on my life as a person with sight loss, both professionally and personally.
Throughout high school and into university, I was determined to find work that would be meaningful and possible for me to do. When I came to Lake Joe as a camper, I met a staff member with sight loss and, though the idea of living away from home for four months was a scary perspective, I realized that this place could offer me exactly what I was looking for.
For me, Lake Joe has been, and continues to be, a space where my differences are not considered a hindrance or a burden but are a unique part of who I am and, by extension, who our clients are. I feel that my vision loss brings a valuable perspective to our team that allows us to better understand the campers who come here, to make them feel welcome and to better adapt our programs for our participants. For example, our team plans to further build upon appropriate skills in our cooking classes. Campers will become more proficient in handling a knife safely, recognizing and working with different types of vegetables, and using specific appliances. Guests will feel more confident practicing these beneficial life skills that they can transfer to their home lives, and they also help make delicious food for us to share here at camp!
Lake Joe also allows me to meet and work with people like me. I didn’t get the chance to interact with many people who were blind when I was young. At camp, I get to hear the stories of others who are blind or have low vision and build connections with them, which makes me feel more a part of this community and reinforces how important this work is.
One moment that stands out for me was during our Young Adult Week last year. At one of our evening discussion groups, we introduced the topic of dating and romantic relationships. As I am sure you can understand, this is an important conversation to have with this age group, but more so because of how difficult it is to navigate dating with sight loss. Things like picking up on nonverbal cues that are so integral in the beginning, even the actual meeting process itself, all present challenges. It was such an engaging discussion that it ran 20 minutes longer than was expected! The campers were in a safe space where they could express their shared struggles and get helpful tips from others who truly understood the barriers they were encountering.
All these experiences at this most treasured spot have helped make me more accepting of my situation, more thankful for the gifts of friendship it has provided me with, more confident to recognize the contribution I can make to others, and more mindful of the unique abilities of our clients.
Check out Maggie’s musical talents and her accomplishment as a winner of CNIB’s 2024 National Youth Council Leadership Award.