Fifty‑six‑year‑old Canadian author Lynne Jensen from the province of British Columbia, who has total sight loss, is preparing to share her own experience of safe and comfortable travel. She will present her book “Best Kept Secrets for Travelers with Sight Loss” and talk about how people with visual impairments can travel independently and with confidence.
The event is scheduled for 26 November for members of the South Surrey/White Rock Low Vision Support Group, a support group for people with sight loss, which meets at Cranberry Lane on 18 Avenue. During the meeting, Jensen will not only present her book but will also talk about broader strategies for living independently with sight loss.
According to Lynne Jensen, her advice is based on more than 20 years of travel experience after she lost her sight as the result of a traumatic brain injury at the age of 27, shortly after graduating from the University of British Columbia School of Nursing. She has worked as a vision rehabilitation specialist for nearly 25 years and admits that at first she herself was afraid to travel abroad without sight.
Her first steps back into travel were taken together with her identical twin sister on a trip to Hawaii. There Lynne realised that travel is not only about the views, but also about sounds, people, smells, food and time with loved ones, including assistance dogs. Since then, she has travelled extensively with guide dogs, visiting a number of countries including Denmark, Norway and Mexico.
In her presentation, Jensen plans to talk in detail about international travel, preparing for trips, the specifics of flying and travelling with a guide dog, rules for packing luggage and ways of preparing for unforeseen situations. She will also share practical self‑management skills – how to organise money conveniently, maintain personal safety and find one’s bearings in new surroundings.
The organisers emphasise that the event will be useful not only for people with sight loss, but also for their family members, friends, carers and anyone who wants to better understand how to interact appropriately with someone with low vision. The South Surrey/White Rock Low Vision Support Group has been helping people to “learn to live well with sight loss” for more than two decades, regardless of diagnosis or degree of impairment.
Most members of this community live on the Semiahmoo Peninsula, and meetings are held monthly on the fourth Thursday from 13:00 to 14:00. Relatives or carers of people with visual impairments also attend. Experienced members share their own stories of overcoming difficulties, which, according to the organisers, helps newcomers adapt more easily to life changes.
Drawing on this experience, a similar support group has recently been set up in the city of Langley, where meetings are held at the Langley Senior Resources Society. The first meeting there brought together 27 participants, indicating a strong demand for such initiatives among people with sight loss and their families.