by Elizabeth Schoen, First Vice President
Minnesota Association of Blind Students

At this point in the pandemic, I think most people can agree that the novelty of Zoom and other virtual platforms has worn off (if there was any novelty to begin with). However, I think aside from the pandemic, we often forget the positives of virtual spaces. I, for one, have enjoyed some of the more obvious perks of video conferencing, like getting to wear sweatpants, and some of the less evident pros of being blind on video conferences. 

I started my freshman semester of college online, and the thing that I noticed and enjoyed most about Zoom learning was the anonymity I gained from online classes. After talking to many of my classmates from that time period, most of them were unaware of my blindness until meeting me in person later in the semester, and some of them even said that it was easier to approach me on Zoom without the visual indication of my blindness as a symbolic barrier between us. It was very refreshing for me to feel like my classmates and professors were truly treating me like all of the other students. Advocating for reasonable accommodations in classes can also be easier, since with the chat feature, a person can send a direct message to either the professor or moderator describing their lack of access, rather than needing to stop the session to pull the leader aside, or having to advocate and defend your needs in front of a group of people.

Another pro of online learning, which goes with the anonymity, is how technology is necessary; you don’t have to justify to a professor your right to use your computer or accessible technology. It evens the playing field. This semester, I am taking a history class in which the instructor has specifically asked students not to use their technology in class. I have to use my laptop for both notetaking and to get the accessible versions of my textbooks. I have found this makes me feel very self-conscious since, although I know it is in my full rights as a student, I don’t enjoy feeling different or as if I have a resource my fellow students don’t have access to.

Although the focus of this article is on specific accessibility and social barriers that blind people struggle with there are other perks that we as a blind community have found with the online format. For one, the attendance for the NFB national conventions were higher this year than they have ever been, with financial or physical barriers minimized, we as a Federation can expand our advocacy even farther. I, for one, was able to attend Washington Seminar meetings from my dorm room. I would not have been able to participate in the Washington Seminar otherwise.

I am so excited to hopefully be able to attend Federation meetings again, but I am also so incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have gained from being able to participate in events virtually and with my ability to connect with those around me even when circumstances did not allow for social interaction.