Last week I threw caution to the wind and walked 5k a day, for five days, with my white cane. This was a daunting challenge, after only four training sessions.
I'm a sales and marketing person at heart and, having heard directly from the Principal of the school my company run in India about the devastating impact Covid-19 has had, I saw an opportunity to blend my newfound passion for independence, with a story that might encourage people to want to sponsor me. I was completely confident that people would be interested in this challenge, especially on LinkedIn and through my business network. This confidence has been built over three decades of work, where I have received so much support and encouragement.
As you know, I went blind at 27, which was the year I started a business, and I have always attempted to be open and honest about my eyesight condition. I have worked at all levels in business: initially as an Office Junior at 17, to founding my own business, and now, in my current role, as part of the management team of an M&A company. My approach in life is to address the elephant in the room really quickly. For example, when I meet new people in business, whether it be on a Teams call or face to face, I will always say:
"Hello, my name is Liz Jackson, great to meet you. By the way, I am blind so if I don't manage to look you in the eye, it's not because you can't trust me, it's just my aim is off today!"
I do this because it stops people guessing. If they are astute, they might think I've got an eyesight problem, but don't know to what extent. If they are not so switched on, they might jump to a conclusion that I started on the gin and tonics too early! Either way, by being up front, it generally provokes conversation. Sometimes people have questions, which I love as it creates an opportunity to bring awareness for me and others. But, mostly, professional business people just accept the situation and move to the topic at hand and get down to the meeting without any awkwardness, which I also love.
Don't get me wrong, there have been times where I have needed to be resilient. I have developed an unoffendable heart and, to be honest, when people do behave in a way that doesn't make their mum proud, it usually just evokes sympathy from me and is water off a duck's back. This stops me from getting bogged down in resentment and enables me to fully enjoy the 95% of people who are kind and supportive to me and, dare I say, sometimes seem to be a bit inspired.
The workplace is a wonderful environment and it saddens me that only 25% of blind people of working age are in employment.
Thank you to all of you who have supported me in this latest challenge. I, and the children at St. Mark's School in Kakinada, India, are extremely grateful.
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