In today's world too many are blind to blindness and count out visually impaired people like Mitch Kidd who was born premature and has retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
"I love to raise awareness," said Kidd. "I have basically always been blind but I'm a very strength-based person and I don't identify with the word disability. It's not that I don't think others can or should but for me being blind is one of my characteristics. It's not blindness that is actually the issue but rather people's attitudes towards it. By itself, with the right training and techniques, blindness is sometimes just a bit of a nuisance, that's it. It's when people have ideas about blindness or prejudice about it, that's where the issues come."
Kidd, who is originally from Capetown, South Africa, first learned braille while attending a school for the blind and describes the experience as a mixed bag.
"I appreciated learning the skills, but the staff there were not always the nicest to the children so it wasn't the best," said Kidd. "On the other hand, I did learn a lot of valuable skills there so that is what you have to focus on."
Kidd first moved to Canada in 1994, completing high school in Chilliwack before attending university in Vancouver, earning a degree in psychology. Kidd, who took a Unified English Braille Code course through a woman in Kelowna, admits finding work in Chilliwack proved to be difficult and called the Cowichan Valley home in 2017 after accepting a position as a braille Educational Assistant with School District 79.
"I loved the students and really enjoyed working at the high school," said Kidd. "I had two students who were assigned to me but you always do more. My favourite part of my time there was being able to connect with the youth and being that blind mentor for them because a lot of what they have in the schools are sighted people who are doing all these things and they often haven't met a blind adult who can be real with them and say look, this is how it is, or you can do this. It's a lot different when a blind person says it, compared to when a sighted person says, this is hard but we are going to get through it."
Kidd gets through life by using non-visual techniques such as reading braille over print, and using a screen reader to access a computer. Kidd left SD79 in 2021 to accept a position with Cowichan Valley Youth Services. Kidd worked with CVYS for nearly two years.
Kidd held back on getting a guide dog for a while as he wanted to hone his cane skills first but has now been paired up with Mario since August, 2023.
"Having Mario has truly been a cool experience," said Kidd. "It has been fun to build and have that relationship with him. I love keeping up his training and making sure that he is doing what he is supposed to be doing. The other day we had to find a pole that indicated a bus stop and he just learned it so quickly, and now he shows me that bus stop every time we pass by. He's just such a good boy, so maybe everything worked out for the best."
Kidd often feels frustrated by the people out there who are buying vests and harnesses online and pawning off their pets as genuine service animals when that is not the case. Dogs that are not properly trained might exhibit poor behaviour when in a store, which can then have negative impacts for those like Kidd who actually depend on genuine service animals.
While on the lookout for new opportunities, Kidd currently works part-time for the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind in Victoria and has been there since last May.
"It was a dear friend of mine who started it and she has done just so many awesome things for the blind community," said Kidd. "She had put up a post on Facebook that they were looking for an instructor, so I had phoned her up to let her know that I had applied, and the rest is history. I love it, every day that I'm there I just love it."
Kidd is looking forward to completing the 10-month Provincial Instructed Diploma Program through Vancouver Community College that teaches skills on how to effectively teach adults. Aside from braille, Kidd, who is passionate about technology, computers, AI, and cooking, would love to teach in any of those areas.
"I started it last fall, and I am just sort of taking my time in case something wasn't accessible," said Kidd. "The program is not funded with any conventional funding such as student loans so I've been applying for scholarships. I have often wondered if there is anyone within the community that would be interested in sponsoring someone to do something like this, and then in return I could teach for them or helping them in some way, almost like a bit of a partnership. That would be so neat."
Kidd said one of the biggest frustrations when looking for work opportunities is being passed over by employers without them doing their research or asking questions.
"I'll apply for a job and be asked what it is I can do but I would not apply for the job if I didn't feel I could do it," said Kidd. "I find that employers feel it is going to be an imposition or expensive to hire someone who is blind or that they are going to have to do all these extra things and it just isn't true. There is a lot of talk about hiring blind people but when it comes down to it I don't find there is a lot of action."
Kidd is a person of action who is very capable and wants to be treated as such, not praised for doing simple things such as waking up in the morning, which comes off as less of a compliment and more degrading.
"People will praise you for doing something that everyone else is doing but because you are blind they are going to praise you extra for that," said Kidd. "My biggest message is to interact with me like you would anybody else. I'm just a person who happens to be blind.
"I often find when walking the streets of Duncan that people won't acknowledge me, and I find it very unfriendly. If you see me on the street don't just step, or pull your children out of my way. Say hello or let me know what side you are passing on, because I truly love to talk and interact with people."
