What are blind people's daily routines?

Answer 1

Today it's a morning glory muffin, veggie bacon and some chocolate milk.

The muffin is standard, but the veggie bacon is Amin Makkawy's way of mixing up his standard breakfast at the Cather-Pound-Neihardt (CPN) dining hall.

Makkawy would consider his routine similar to that of any other University of Nebraska-Lincoln student: Wake up, get dressed, grab breakfast and go to class. However, most students who see Makkawy making his way around campus probably don't think they have much in common with Makkawy.

Makkawy is blind.

Despite being born with very limited vision, Makkawy doesn't feel that this sets him apart from other UNL students.

"I think people think that blindness puts you in a different class, but honestly, we're going through life doing the same things," Makkawy said.

Makkawy is in his junior year, working toward a psychology and sociology double major with an ethnic studies minor. His days are kept busy as he serves as the vice president of the Undergraduate Sociology Association and treasurer of Psi Chi as well as keeping busy with his classes.

His passions for these subject areas extend beyond his on-campus involvements and classes.

"He is fascinated by what motivates people and trying to explain their behavior," said Mike Gahan, a senior actuarial science major. "I think Amin's background and education have driven him to be a very understanding and empathetic person."

Gahan met Makkawy at the beginning of his junior year when he worked at CPN's front desk. The two began their friendship when Makkawy came to get his mail. Now the two have shifted their over-the-counter conversations to over-the-dinner table talks whenever they get the chance.

Gahan said it's almost as if he forgets that Makkawy is blind because they are so caught up in conversation.

"To be honest, Amin and I almost never talk about his disability," Gahan said. "I know it sounds weird, but it just doesn't come up that much. Amin has a really good command over his capabilities, and he is able to manage his disability way better than I ever could."

With the aid of a walking stick and the help of staff members at the university, Makkawy is able to go about his daily routine with virtually few obstacles.

"I was a little nervous about presenting my disability to the professors, but over time being here you get kind of a script down," Makkawy said. "You know, just from the experience of being here for a while and you get used to certain scenarios and challenges and if you've found a solution to those problems, good, but if you haven't, it's OK."

Put yourself in Makkawy's shoes:

You enter a class, take your seat and wait for class to start, only for the professor to use the whiteboard to take notes and point to specific terms he has written on the board. This is not exactly the ideal situation for a blind person.

However, Makkawy has learned to cope with these situations.

"The solution is pretty simple. You go talk to the professor," Makkawy said. "There are ways to get around these obstacles, and if there aren't, we'll make ways. It's what you have to do to be successful."

Makkawy's ability to overcome both his physical limitations as well as typical struggles of every college student is evident in his positive outlook on life.

Makkawy likened his experience to that of an airplane: Life is like an airplane ride, and if you hit some turbulence you don't just stop, you fix the problem.

"After the obstacles and solutions balance each other out, really my daily routine and my hopes and dreams are equivalent to those of my peers," Makkawy said. "It's my positive perspective that helps me find solutions to obstacles that my blindness may create."