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Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith
Adventurous international teacher, Amy Bovaird, is diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease that will blind her. In spite of that, she manages to continue teaching overseas. Then her father’s final illness brings her back home for good. There, friends and acquaintances begin to notice that she doesn’t always recognize them and sometimes stumbles…as if drunk! Insensitive students ridicule her in the classroom. Unwilling to accept that she is truly losing her eyesight, Amy resists when the Bureau of Blindness schedules a mobility specialist to begin training her to use a white cane. How can she, an independent world traveler, use something that screams ‘I am a blind person’? Will her faith prove strong enough to allow her to move forward and accept herself as she is?
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2014
19 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Amy L. Bovaird
7 books33 followersAmy Bovaird is an Award-Winning Christian Writer, Author, and Memoirist who writes about mobility and sight loss disabilities using humor and enjoys writing about international travel and adventure as well as faith-inspired devotionals. Ms. Bovaird has five published titles to her credit, with the newest titled 'A Time to Dance: Finding Joy After Child Loss.' Her books are available on Amazon Books, Kindle, and fine online book sites.
She Received the "Medal of Honor in Literature" for her first memoir, Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith, from Ohio Valley University in 2016. Her second memoir, 'Cane Confessions: The Lighter Side of Mobility,' and her third memoir devotional, 'Seeking Solace: Finding Joy After Loss,' reached #1 Bestseller status in various categories, including Biographies and Memoirs, Eye Problems, Grief and Dying, and Spiritual Healing. In March 2020, she released 'Hitting A Home Run: Blind and Thriving,' which also Hit #1 on Amazon for fun short travel reads.
Amy was diagnosed at age 28 with Retinitis Pigmentosa and was declared legally blind. She had worked as a specialist in second language acquisition for nearly 30 years. Her career took her to Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Amy now views life as a personal adventure and has traded her overseas experiences for an everyday adventure into blindness.
Amy is a member of Vision Aware as a Peer Advisor Life Support through their (PALS) Program. Ms. Bovaird earned her M.A. in Bicultural – Bilingual Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is a lifelong learner about vision, writing, or language-related.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she continues to educate and entertains her readers with humorous anecdotes of coping with ongoing vision loss; more importantly, she shares the lessons God reveals to her through her difficulties. When she is not writing, she negotiates for the upper hand with her cat, Sophie Socks and on most occasions fails to win at it. Today, Amy still resides in Northwest, Pennsylvania.
She Received the "Medal of Honor in Literature" for her first memoir, Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith, from Ohio Valley University in 2016. Her second memoir, 'Cane Confessions: The Lighter Side of Mobility,' and her third memoir devotional, 'Seeking Solace: Finding Joy After Loss,' reached #1 Bestseller status in various categories, including Biographies and Memoirs, Eye Problems, Grief and Dying, and Spiritual Healing. In March 2020, she released 'Hitting A Home Run: Blind and Thriving,' which also Hit #1 on Amazon for fun short travel reads.
Amy was diagnosed at age 28 with Retinitis Pigmentosa and was declared legally blind. She had worked as a specialist in second language acquisition for nearly 30 years. Her career took her to Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Amy now views life as a personal adventure and has traded her overseas experiences for an everyday adventure into blindness.
Amy is a member of Vision Aware as a Peer Advisor Life Support through their (PALS) Program. Ms. Bovaird earned her M.A. in Bicultural – Bilingual Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is a lifelong learner about vision, writing, or language-related.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she continues to educate and entertains her readers with humorous anecdotes of coping with ongoing vision loss; more importantly, she shares the lessons God reveals to her through her difficulties. When she is not writing, she negotiates for the upper hand with her cat, Sophie Socks and on most occasions fails to win at it. Today, Amy still resides in Northwest, Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 6, 2020
I'm really full of admiration for Amy Bovaird and of the way she deals with the reality of losing her sight and also her hearing. She has a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa and also Usher's Syndrome. It's devastating for her as she is a teacher, and one who was used to travelling abroad and at first she is determined to literally stumble along without help and without disclosing her situation to her students and workmates. It was painful reading about her bumps and falls but somehow she retained her sense of humour and her strong Christian faith. It's a very well written and honest memoir as she describes her feelings of anger and shame and doubts that she can cope.
She has wonderful support from her family, her friend Julio and her mobility coach, Bob. They made her focus on what she could do and not on her perceived limitations. It's a story of courage, friendship and faith and of personal triumph.
She has wonderful support from her family, her friend Julio and her mobility coach, Bob. They made her focus on what she could do and not on her perceived limitations. It's a story of courage, friendship and faith and of personal triumph.
July 9, 2019
A very moving memoir.
Amy is finding it difficult to accept that her vision and hearing are becoming worse, so after much deliberation she decides to seek assistance.
In this very moving , and sometimes amusing memoir, Amy tells of her determination to overcome her disability, while at the same time rebelling against it.
I enjoyed the author's sense of humour and her strong faith in dealing with these issues, and am full of admiration for her.
Amy is finding it difficult to accept that her vision and hearing are becoming worse, so after much deliberation she decides to seek assistance.
In this very moving , and sometimes amusing memoir, Amy tells of her determination to overcome her disability, while at the same time rebelling against it.
I enjoyed the author's sense of humour and her strong faith in dealing with these issues, and am full of admiration for her.
September 24, 2018
Amy Bovaird takes a very serious condition (RP), and creates her own personal experiences as she begins to lose her vision. Amy takes us on her journey to cope with her new way of life as she continues to develop the disease.
This is a book that you don’t want to put down until you are finished. It makes you realize how much we take for granted with the littlest things. You want to laugh along with her as she describes her adventures and cheer her on to finish successfully.
Amy’s faith in God is so strong that she will be able to overcome anything that comes her way.
I have known Amy since childhood. We played many hours in her treehouse! I am so honored to call her my friend.
Carin Crouse
Second Grade Teacher
This is a book that you don’t want to put down until you are finished. It makes you realize how much we take for granted with the littlest things. You want to laugh along with her as she describes her adventures and cheer her on to finish successfully.
Amy’s faith in God is so strong that she will be able to overcome anything that comes her way.
I have known Amy since childhood. We played many hours in her treehouse! I am so honored to call her my friend.
Carin Crouse
Second Grade Teacher
August 15, 2020
"Mobility Matters" details the journey of dealing with Retinitis Pigmentosa. This story describes the author's own life of traveling and loving what she did for a living, yet having to learn to deal with unexpected health issues which impacted how her lifestyle was going to move forward. Amy does a very good job of using descriptive terms, that many are not familiar with, to allow a reader to be pulled into her life and learn about this eye disease. To me, this is quite an impressive feat, as most medical terms are too technical to understand. The book was informative and provided a look at a woman whose faith in God allowed her to triumph victoriously, despite the challenges her genetics predisposed her to. I highly recommend this to anyone who has faced questionable health deterioration in their own life, or a family's, to be inspired with a new perspective on their approach to life. She has great courage, a great heart, and a great attitude, as evident in her writing style. I can see why she is known by her peers and students, as a great teacher.
January 29, 2018
Very inspiring
Amy is a teacher who is losing both her sight and hearing. From the beginning of the book I felt her fears and her pride. As she learns how to be independent with her disabilities, she also leans on her faith to pull her through her trials. She really gives us the perspective of the trials that the blind and hearing impaired deal with daily while also showing us that we all aren't that different. It's an inspiration that spoke to me about my own disabilities and how I shouldn't stop living a full life just because of a disabling inconvenience. God bless you Amy for your bravery and for opening this reader's eyes.
Amy is a teacher who is losing both her sight and hearing. From the beginning of the book I felt her fears and her pride. As she learns how to be independent with her disabilities, she also leans on her faith to pull her through her trials. She really gives us the perspective of the trials that the blind and hearing impaired deal with daily while also showing us that we all aren't that different. It's an inspiration that spoke to me about my own disabilities and how I shouldn't stop living a full life just because of a disabling inconvenience. God bless you Amy for your bravery and for opening this reader's eyes.
September 19, 2020
Ms. Bovaird takes you along on her journey as she begins to lose her eyesight due to RP. At first, in denial, she gradually accepts the assistance of a mobility coach, who inspires her to develop new coping skills that expand her world and her opportunities. As I read this, I found myself in awe of Ms. Bovaird and her fortitude not only in learning new skills to adapt to her new world (learning braille and navigating busy city streets), but also for her refusal to let it define her. She acknowledges that even in her darkest times, God is always using our circumstances for His glory. Plus as a sighted person I really enjoyed learning new things about the limited sighted and non-sighted community. I had no idea that the yellow bumps on the crosswalks were designed to help non sighted and limited sighted people cross a busy road! I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs a little encouragement in the storms of life!
January 10, 2021
Courageous Lady of Faith!
WOW! What an amazing journey Ms Bovaid took me on with so many obstacles and challenges she had to face and overcome! I related to so much of this heart-warming book because I struggle from a rare genetic disease myself. I loved how Amy was able to express her honest, raw, vulnerable emotions as she seemed to go from denial, frustration, anger and bring me along with her! I felt inspired and uplifted! Her faith and dependence on a loving God was also an enormous testimony to me! I found myself laughing, crying and had every emotion possible! This brilliant read of a true, honest memoir is something I will be thinking of for days, weeks and months to come and will be looking out for more books written by this author! I highly recommend this book if you want to be Inspired and Uplifted to a place of real gratitude and acceptance to see your own life is worth living then pick up a copy of this truly remarkable story! Suzlily
WOW! What an amazing journey Ms Bovaid took me on with so many obstacles and challenges she had to face and overcome! I related to so much of this heart-warming book because I struggle from a rare genetic disease myself. I loved how Amy was able to express her honest, raw, vulnerable emotions as she seemed to go from denial, frustration, anger and bring me along with her! I felt inspired and uplifted! Her faith and dependence on a loving God was also an enormous testimony to me! I found myself laughing, crying and had every emotion possible! This brilliant read of a true, honest memoir is something I will be thinking of for days, weeks and months to come and will be looking out for more books written by this author! I highly recommend this book if you want to be Inspired and Uplifted to a place of real gratitude and acceptance to see your own life is worth living then pick up a copy of this truly remarkable story! Suzlily
June 29, 2015
Amy’s memoirs of a time during her life as her vision worsens and she needs to come to grips with the necessity to admit her blindness and the requirement of the use of a white cane for her safety lead to a deepening of her faith.
At first unable to accept that her vision is severely limited, she refuses to tell anyone and prefers instead to trip and stumble in front of her students, sometimes even walking into walls. Amy felt such a terrible stigma associated to the word “blind”.
As a mobility specialist myself, I found this book of great interest to me for its subject matter. I was quite amazed that Amy could get around on her own with her genetic condition, particularly at night, since individuals with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) tend to lose their night vision and are using a cane at night much sooner than Amy was using any assistive device (even a bright light).
Another thing that intrigued me was that her mobility specialist was blind also. I was unaware that there were mobility specialists who are blind. As Amy stated, there are very few that are blind. Perhaps the difference is that I live in Canada and Amy lives in the USA.
Amy was inspiring in that she never got angry at God for her condition. She could have, but she didn’t. Instead she maintained her positive attitude, her faith and her sense of humour. If only we all could do that in times of crisis!
I was encouraged by the confidence and the change in attitude that overcame Amy as she completed her mobility training. She no longer looked at the word “blind” as having a negative meaning, but just accepted as part of who she is. I think her title says it all “Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith” that God will lead her whether she can see or not.
I enjoyed reading this inspiring memoir. I rated it 4 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
At first unable to accept that her vision is severely limited, she refuses to tell anyone and prefers instead to trip and stumble in front of her students, sometimes even walking into walls. Amy felt such a terrible stigma associated to the word “blind”.
As a mobility specialist myself, I found this book of great interest to me for its subject matter. I was quite amazed that Amy could get around on her own with her genetic condition, particularly at night, since individuals with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) tend to lose their night vision and are using a cane at night much sooner than Amy was using any assistive device (even a bright light).
Another thing that intrigued me was that her mobility specialist was blind also. I was unaware that there were mobility specialists who are blind. As Amy stated, there are very few that are blind. Perhaps the difference is that I live in Canada and Amy lives in the USA.
Amy was inspiring in that she never got angry at God for her condition. She could have, but she didn’t. Instead she maintained her positive attitude, her faith and her sense of humour. If only we all could do that in times of crisis!
I was encouraged by the confidence and the change in attitude that overcame Amy as she completed her mobility training. She no longer looked at the word “blind” as having a negative meaning, but just accepted as part of who she is. I think her title says it all “Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith” that God will lead her whether she can see or not.
I enjoyed reading this inspiring memoir. I rated it 4 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
May 5, 2019
Amy Bovaird is a woman of faith in every sense of the word. I finished this memoir last night and just lay for a while taking in everything I'd read. Amy's struggles to overcome the obstacles, both physical and emotional, concerned with losing her sight and the honesty with which she relates her story make this a truly impressive read.
The author is feisty and strong but has a vulnerable side to her as well, and I admired the way she described her feelings of anger, frustration, shame, and fear of rejection when dealing with all the implications of trying to maintain her career in the face of her growing disability. Nevertheless, she is an amazingly cheerful soul as well and I loved the way she could laugh at herself for things that would reduce many to tears. I must say that as a person who is lucky enough to still have a good degree of sight, this memoir was a revelation in the number of new cues a vision-impaired person needs to be aware of as aids to getting around.
The book is lively, very well-written and rich in dialogue. There are also characters in the stories she relates that we become fond of: Bob, her insightful, brave and diligent trainer, Julio, her no-nonsense long-distance friend, Amy's mum, and very importantly, her lovely empathic dog, Buddy.
Although the main subject of this memoir is the author's mobility training with Bob, it has a parallel storyline, which is that of Amy's growth in faith, in both her own abilities and in her Christian beliefs. I should say here I am not in the least religious, but I was touched by the spiritual side of her story.
Throughout the book, we laugh, cry and hurt with the author in her efforts to find her way around in an obstacle-ridden world. The author has an easy, fluent and appealing style and I found it a real page-turner. All in all, it is an immensely uplifting book and I would recommend highly.
The author is feisty and strong but has a vulnerable side to her as well, and I admired the way she described her feelings of anger, frustration, shame, and fear of rejection when dealing with all the implications of trying to maintain her career in the face of her growing disability. Nevertheless, she is an amazingly cheerful soul as well and I loved the way she could laugh at herself for things that would reduce many to tears. I must say that as a person who is lucky enough to still have a good degree of sight, this memoir was a revelation in the number of new cues a vision-impaired person needs to be aware of as aids to getting around.
The book is lively, very well-written and rich in dialogue. There are also characters in the stories she relates that we become fond of: Bob, her insightful, brave and diligent trainer, Julio, her no-nonsense long-distance friend, Amy's mum, and very importantly, her lovely empathic dog, Buddy.
Although the main subject of this memoir is the author's mobility training with Bob, it has a parallel storyline, which is that of Amy's growth in faith, in both her own abilities and in her Christian beliefs. I should say here I am not in the least religious, but I was touched by the spiritual side of her story.
Throughout the book, we laugh, cry and hurt with the author in her efforts to find her way around in an obstacle-ridden world. The author has an easy, fluent and appealing style and I found it a real page-turner. All in all, it is an immensely uplifting book and I would recommend highly.
February 16, 2016
I bought Mobility Matters as soon as it came out on audio and listened to it straightaway, having intended to read the physical book but never having gotten around to it. The audio version is well-done, the narrator solid and animated, capturing Bovaird's voice well. Bovaird is particularly skilled at bringing the reader into her own first-person experience. She does an outstanding job of introducing the reader to the world of visual impairment, which, as she notes, "is the same world," but perhaps with different tools and points of focus. As one who has always been moderately terrified of the thought of losing my sight or even my hearing, I found Bovaird's account of her mobility training at turns frightening and reassuring, the latter in the sense that when help is needed, help will be given, and that we possess more resources within ourselves than we generally gives ourselves credit for. As the title indicates, Bovaird's Christian faith plays a major role in her story, as both a focus and a narrative device, informing her attitude toward her circumstances. After reading (listening) to Mobility Matters, I felt both encouraged and educated.
March 16, 2016
I'm not vision-impaired but there was plenty to identify with, be inspired by, and appreciate in this memoir. Even though I tend to think I can bravely face most problems head on, I sweated a little as she put her sleep shades on and ventured into traffic. It helped me to see what some people face on a daily basis. It also helped me to know how to assist people with vision difficulties (or when to step aside).
The author expressed feelings of shame over her disability at the beginning of the book, and I was glad to see her overcome that. I cheered when she finally saw what a victory it was to take what she had been given, face it with courage, and become a more complex, complete, and perfect (in the sense of striving to be perfect in Christ) creation she is as a result.
The memoir is written in friendly, relatable prose, which makes you feel like you and the author could be friends.
The author expressed feelings of shame over her disability at the beginning of the book, and I was glad to see her overcome that. I cheered when she finally saw what a victory it was to take what she had been given, face it with courage, and become a more complex, complete, and perfect (in the sense of striving to be perfect in Christ) creation she is as a result.
The memoir is written in friendly, relatable prose, which makes you feel like you and the author could be friends.
December 15, 2018
Are you or anyone you know facing a great unexpected challenge and not sure you can make it?
Amy was diagnosed with a condition that had no cure and would take her vision and her hearing eventually. This is her story as she fought to keep her problem known only to a few friends and family, seek help but struggling to take full advantage of what was offered.
I met Amy at a Toastmasters meeting and began to learn her story but this gave me insight to where she has been and where she now wants to go.
I think you will struggle with her, laugh with her and maybe even shed a tear or two with her. But, what you will also see is how her faith has been an important part of the journey and not always easy to live out.
There is a honesty here that you will find refreshing.
Amy was diagnosed with a condition that had no cure and would take her vision and her hearing eventually. This is her story as she fought to keep her problem known only to a few friends and family, seek help but struggling to take full advantage of what was offered.
I met Amy at a Toastmasters meeting and began to learn her story but this gave me insight to where she has been and where she now wants to go.
I think you will struggle with her, laugh with her and maybe even shed a tear or two with her. But, what you will also see is how her faith has been an important part of the journey and not always easy to live out.
There is a honesty here that you will find refreshing.
November 10, 2016
I was lucky enough to beta read Cane Confessions - the Memoir which follows this one - soon to be released. I wanted to read Mobility Matters - Well written - again, the Author hones in on her faith to help 'see' her through the challenges she faces - not only going blind but also hearing loss. It was an interesting read, poignant and again added humour. We are allowed to follow Amy Bovaird with her friends, her teaching and with her instructor who doesn't give Amy an easy-ride - setting her up with challenging tasks… I am very lucky in that I have no inclination on what this condition must feel like - again, I take my hat off to this Author.
March 2, 2015
Mobility Matters is a beautifully written true story. I love Amy’s honesty in explaining her experiences and the way that she weaves elements of humor and faith into her story as well. She gives an inside look at her struggles and triumphs during the difficult experience of slowly losing her vision. Instead of giving up, she relies on her faith in God to get her through. It shows that no matter what happens in our lives, God still has a plan and is going to work things out for good. I believe anyone who reads this inspirational book will be encouraged. It gets five stars from me.
March 11, 2015
I began this book after work and finished it in one night. Amy's story is fascinating and inspiring. Facing sight and hearing loss at a young age, Amy takes us on her journey of self-discovery, and what it is to live with a disability. I found myself admiring the author, hoping I would face things with such grace if I ever found myself in the same situation. At the same time, the author manages to be honest with the reader...She didn't want to be looked at differently. Didn't want to use a cane.
August 5, 2017
Mobility Matters is a beautiful memoir about a young woman coming to terms with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a disease that steals sight, but not vision. The two are different, as Bovaird learns. Formerly a world traveler/teacher, the author continues teaching as she shares her journey complete with the ups and downs, the heartache and joy. A worthy read for anyone fighting something inside, be it physical or mental, as well as for those who wish to understand blindness (full and partial) better. I may have to pick up Cane Confessions and continue the journey along with Amy.
July 30, 2018
Amy is inspiring as she opens up about her struggles with accepting help as she loses her visions and has issues with getting around. Her courage and sense of humor give me hope as I lose my sight and encouraged me to seek help before I’ve gotten too far along the road. Amy’s faith shines through the entire narrative and helps her (and me) to carry on in the face of difficult obstacles.
September 29, 2019
rbarr@columbus.rr.com
A good book detailing the obstacles and challenges faced by people with vision loss. The author shares her optimistic attitude and faith that has helped her cope.
A good book detailing the obstacles and challenges faced by people with vision loss. The author shares her optimistic attitude and faith that has helped her cope.
January 5, 2015
Amy, loved your book! I can't say enough of how much I enjoyed your book - the humor, the inspiration, the wisdom. Thank-you for taking the time to sit down and write "Mobility Matters".
February 19, 2021
As an ex-occupational therapist I suppose I’ve always been interested in tales of people coping with disabilities. I have ‘helped’ a number of blind and deaf-blind people over the years but one rarely puts oneself in someone else’s shoes.
Amy was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressively degenerative eye disease, aged 28 but it didn’t stop her from living the life she wanted: teaching around the world and having, what one can only imagine were incredible experiences. (Which I would love to read about).
At the beginning of Mobility Matters, Amy is back in the US teaching Spanish. Her RP is beginning to have serious effects on her work and home life but Amy isn’t ready to be tagged as ‘blind’. With the help of a mobility training officer, good friends, and her faith, Amy takes the first steps to becoming independent as a non-sighted person.
Mobility Matters is a fascinating read of someone overcoming the obstacles life puts in her way (often literally for Amy as cupboard doors, stone pillars and kerbs appear from outside her field of vision to attack her). It is written candidly and with humour and gives us an insight into Amy’s doubts and fears. This book also shows people to be just that – people, not blind or sighted, able or disabled – just people and that is the most valuable lesson there is.
Amy was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressively degenerative eye disease, aged 28 but it didn’t stop her from living the life she wanted: teaching around the world and having, what one can only imagine were incredible experiences. (Which I would love to read about).
At the beginning of Mobility Matters, Amy is back in the US teaching Spanish. Her RP is beginning to have serious effects on her work and home life but Amy isn’t ready to be tagged as ‘blind’. With the help of a mobility training officer, good friends, and her faith, Amy takes the first steps to becoming independent as a non-sighted person.
Mobility Matters is a fascinating read of someone overcoming the obstacles life puts in her way (often literally for Amy as cupboard doors, stone pillars and kerbs appear from outside her field of vision to attack her). It is written candidly and with humour and gives us an insight into Amy’s doubts and fears. This book also shows people to be just that – people, not blind or sighted, able or disabled – just people and that is the most valuable lesson there is.
January 21, 2020
A good resource for those just starting their vision impairment journey
The author was promoting her book in a Facebook group I belong to (we don’t know each other, and have never communicated before), so I decided to give it a try. Like Amy (in the book), I’m just at the beginning of my RP journey and wondering what the future holds for me. I’m not Christian, so I skipped over those parts, but overall it was a nice primer for anyone facing vision loss about how the next steps might feel.
The author was promoting her book in a Facebook group I belong to (we don’t know each other, and have never communicated before), so I decided to give it a try. Like Amy (in the book), I’m just at the beginning of my RP journey and wondering what the future holds for me. I’m not Christian, so I skipped over those parts, but overall it was a nice primer for anyone facing vision loss about how the next steps might feel.
November 9, 2021
Amy Bovaird shares her story of losing her sight and hearing in her wonderful book Mobility Matters. She shares her fears, her struggles, her hopes, humorous moments and never giving up on her faith that God is always with her. I enjoyed reading her journey very much!!
October 18, 2023
This book changed my perspective so I could embrave my vision loss and ley my cane lend a hand to help me navigate the ever changing journey ahead accepting and allowing my cane and I to take on any challenges we faced.
June 29, 2015
Amy’s memoirs of a time during her life as her vision worsens and she needs to come to grips with the necessity to admit her blindness and the requirement of the use of a white cane for her safety lead to a deepening of her faith.
At first unable to accept that her vision is severely limited, she refuses to tell anyone and prefers instead to trip and stumble in front of her students, sometimes even walking into walls. Amy felt such a terrible stigma associated to the word “blind”.
As a mobility specialist myself, I found this book of great interest to me for its subject matter. I was quite amazed that Amy could get around on her own with her genetic condition, particularly at night, since individuals with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) tend to lose their night vision and are using a cane at night much sooner than Amy was using any assistive device (even a bright light).
Another thing that intrigued me was that her mobility specialist was blind also. I was unaware that there were mobility specialists who are blind. As Amy stated, there are very few that are blind. Perhaps the difference is that I live in Canada and Amy lives in the USA.
Amy was inspiring in that she never got angry at God for her condition. She could have, but she didn’t. Instead she maintained her positive attitude, her faith and her sense of humour. If only we all could do that in times of crisis!
I was encouraged by the confidence and the change in attitude that overcame Amy as she completed her mobility training. She no longer looked at the word “blind” as having a negative meaning, but just accepted as part of who she is. I think her title says it all “Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith” that God will lead her whether she can see or not.
I enjoyed reading this inspiring memoir. I rated it 4 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
At first unable to accept that her vision is severely limited, she refuses to tell anyone and prefers instead to trip and stumble in front of her students, sometimes even walking into walls. Amy felt such a terrible stigma associated to the word “blind”.
As a mobility specialist myself, I found this book of great interest to me for its subject matter. I was quite amazed that Amy could get around on her own with her genetic condition, particularly at night, since individuals with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) tend to lose their night vision and are using a cane at night much sooner than Amy was using any assistive device (even a bright light).
Another thing that intrigued me was that her mobility specialist was blind also. I was unaware that there were mobility specialists who are blind. As Amy stated, there are very few that are blind. Perhaps the difference is that I live in Canada and Amy lives in the USA.
Amy was inspiring in that she never got angry at God for her condition. She could have, but she didn’t. Instead she maintained her positive attitude, her faith and her sense of humour. If only we all could do that in times of crisis!
I was encouraged by the confidence and the change in attitude that overcame Amy as she completed her mobility training. She no longer looked at the word “blind” as having a negative meaning, but just accepted as part of who she is. I think her title says it all “Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith” that God will lead her whether she can see or not.
I enjoyed reading this inspiring memoir. I rated it 4 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
November 2, 2018
Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith by Amy Bovaird
It is disconcerting, to put it mildly, when a scene or a word changes our perspective and with it our life from that moment on. This honest and open book is about such a moment in Amy Bovaird’s life and its aftermath. The critical moment occurred when Amy’s eye doctor mentioned her need for the services of Rita at the BBVS – the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services – since she was well on her way to losing most of her vision.
But this is no “Woe is Me!” memoir. On the contrary, it is the inspiring and intimate story of a normal woman in early middle age coming to grips with visual impairment and learning about those things that are of real value in life -- family, friendship and faith and the personal freedom that come with them.
Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith is heartwarming and inspiring.
It is disconcerting, to put it mildly, when a scene or a word changes our perspective and with it our life from that moment on. This honest and open book is about such a moment in Amy Bovaird’s life and its aftermath. The critical moment occurred when Amy’s eye doctor mentioned her need for the services of Rita at the BBVS – the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services – since she was well on her way to losing most of her vision.
But this is no “Woe is Me!” memoir. On the contrary, it is the inspiring and intimate story of a normal woman in early middle age coming to grips with visual impairment and learning about those things that are of real value in life -- family, friendship and faith and the personal freedom that come with them.
Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith is heartwarming and inspiring.
October 6, 2017
I found this book while looking for resources for a close relative who is losing her sight and given her reticence to start blind mobility training I thought this book would be perfect. It turned to be exactly that. Bovaird shares with the reader her process of learning to use a cane to improve her mobility. However, what made the book ideal for my relative was the honest attitude of the author, recounting all her difficulties and frustrations, as well as the religious emphasis of the book. As a religious person, my relative was able to perfectly relate to the author’s religious reading of all her challenges and how it helped her overcome them. I found the book quite useful with the caveat that a non-religious person may feel a bit out of place in some parts.
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