Have you ever closed your eyes for a really long time and tried to imagine what it is like to be blind? You probably thought of a world without colors, where you recognize people only by their voice, not knowing what anyone looks like. Navigating around your room with your eyes shut, you would trip over a lot of stuff and be scared of not being in complete control. If you haven't met Beth, an 18-year-old freshman, that might be how you imagine it.
Beth Allred, diagnosed as blind when she was four months old, is able to see only contrast of light and doesn't perceive colors. Her condition is the result of a genetic disease. Beth jokes sarcastically, \My parents found the right genetic combination."" Beth smiles at what she just said. ""I don't see my disability as a disability, I see it more like an amusement."" A sense of humor is the quality Beth most admires in people because it makes life much more bearable.
Beth is an exceptional person, not because she is blind, but because she manages to make her handicap fade away while you spend time with her.
Like any other freshman, Beth lives in the dorms and goes through the same struggles every other student faces in their early college life. Living away from home is a ""big adjustment"" since she has never lived alone. Since her parents live in Madison, she had the option to stay at home but took the chance at independence and starting college life on her own. One of the young woman's greatest regrets was that she did not start being autonomous at an earlier stage. She got used to relying on her parents and classmates to help her out. Now she's alone, but she seems to manage the situation wisely.
""I wish I had gotten out of those little habits before I went to college,"" she said.
It is hard for any freshman to make new friends at the beginning of the year, especially if you are a bit shy, and recognizing voices is not the easiest.
""Hearing the voice of people I care about is kind of like seeing their face,"" she said.
Another hardship of a freshman is living with a stranger in a tiny room. Beth's roommate was chosen for her by the university to fit her lifestyle and personality. Beth describes herself as people-oriented even though it takes her a while to really open up to a person.
But getting along with her new roommate was not that difficult after she became best friends with Dolores, an adorable Yellow Labrador.
""[She's] my most precious possession,"" Beth said of her seeing eye dog.
Though Beth just switched from a cane to a guide dog only a few months ago, it has made a profound difference in her life. She walks much faster down the street and feels more confident with her new friend than the cane, even though Dolores still makes some mistakes. Such as the time Dolores crossed University Avenue diagonally.
""That was fun,"" she laughs.
Just like any other person, Beth had dreams about a perfect career; as a kid she wanted to be a doctor or astronomer.
""But, you know, that didn't work out!"" she said.
Now Beth would love to become a classical singer. As a voice major, she spends a lot of time one-on-one with her professors, which creates solid bonds between them. The minute Beth walks into her voice class, she is radiant and at ease.
""She is a very talented freshman with great musical skills,"" said Paul Rowe, associate professor of music. ""Her blindness does not affect her performance.""
Beth has played the piano for 11 years, discovering the sound of melodies at six, and music has been part of life since. She traveled to Europe for choir school earlier in her life, an experience she will never forget.
""I got to see all the old cathedrals and old churches,"" Beth said. The feelings she got inside the old cathedral and touching the carve stone were like seeing the vestiges.
Beth agrees that her hearing skills are greatly developed, compensating for her lack of sight, perhaps even making her more suited for this major than any other. Beth has a capacity to reproduce a piano note just by ear and an amazing musical memory. Her powerful vocal cords and her capacity to transmit emotions with her outstanding voice make her a unique singer.
The limitations Beth has to deal with are usually logistical. Every day is a new battle, and having access to the same material as any student can be a struggle. She gets most of her books by downloading them from a Web site onto a memory card and then switching it to her Braille Note, a device that finally writes out the content in Braille. This can be tedious, as it takes a while for a score to be translated into Braille. However, she enjoys the power of being able to read in the dark and that no one else in her entourage knows how to read Braille.
She communicates with her professors mainly through e-mail, and her computer can ""talk"" and read out loud what she just wrote. Susan Goeres, Beth's accompanist, explained that Beth is doing ""a pioneer work.""
Beth does not think she is doing anything exceptional.
""There are no differences between me and the other students. It just takes more time to do things. I am not more capable or less capable than anyone on this campus,"" she said, though little things in life do give her troubles. ""Putting on mascara is a bit of a problem and I end up being a mess.""
Beth gets frustrated when people tell her she is brave to go to university; she estimates everyone who takes that step has courage. And she gets impatient when people make unfounded judgments, as when the organizers of a choir concert wanted her to get on stage before the others since they thought it would be hard for her to walk up the stairs in the dark. Beth said she just replied politely that she was always in the dark and able to walk up the stairs like anyone else. But these are minor occurrences and Beth finds UW students understands her disability. Most students are open-minded and Beth is always open to answer any question.
""I constantly joke about being blind, it makes people at ease,"" she said, reverting to her jovial ways as she tells a story about Halloween as a kid. ""I was trick-or-treating and I went to a house dressed like a hippy. Once the lady opened the door she congratulated me on my blind person costume, I told her that I was really blind and I tried not to make her feel bad-I thought it was funny!""
In the future, Beth hopes to study abroad and go to graduate school, possibly in Boston. The young woman would be perfectly happy if she could pursue a career as a singer, even though she fears the great unemployment rate for blind people. Beth thinks kids are in her future, which would be a definite challenge for her.
""I will make sure to tie bells to their shoes!""
Beth's motto is ""Just do it! Don't be too hesitant; get out of your comfort zone."" She finished her sentence with a touch of her caustic humour ""I give myself wonderful advice, too bad I never listen.""
Except her experience shows she really does.
