There are plenty of stereotypes regarding people who are blind, most of them negative. Even though people who are blind or have low vision prove these stereotypes wrong by simply living normal lives - succeeding in their jobs, raising families, and living independently, the stereotypes persist.
Jeremy Schmidt of Bismarck is one of those people proving the stereotype wrong. Jeremy has been blind his entire life, but – perhaps surprising to some people - graduated from college, has a successful career working as a Contact Service Representative for Social Security, is raising a family, and continues to grow and challenge himself. He is, you could say, living a normal life, where blindness can be a challenge at times but does not define his life.
Jeremy grew up and attended public school in Bismarck. His first experience with the ND School for the Blind (NDSB) was traveling regionally with their goalball team. The goalball team – made up of students from across North Dakota, some of whom attended the residential program at NDSB at the time and some of whom, like Jeremy, attended public school in their hometowns – played in Grand Forks, as well as at the South Dakota School for the Blind and the Minnesota Academy for the Blind. When he got a little older, he started attending Summer Adventure programs, which allowed him to meet other kids who were visually impaired and practice skills that would be important for his future, including daily living skills, orientation and mobility, braille, and assistive technology.
After graduating from high school, he started college at the University of North Dakota. He also got his first guide dog, Mally, at this time. Orientation & Mobility Specialist Paul Olson, who now serves as Superintendent of NDVS/SB, helped Jeremy and Mally learn their routes across campus. While having a guide dog has its challenges – “People tend to forget a part of having a guide dog is actually taking care of a dog, and all that includes” Jeremy says – he enjoys the independence it has brought him. Since then, Jeremy has had two additional guide dogs – Kiwi, who he got in 2004, and Kaia, who’s been with him since 2014.
As an adult, Jeremy has received services a few more times from NDVS/SB. About 15 years ago, he wanted to learn to cook better and had lessons from Vision Rehabilitation Specialist Amy Osvold. He’s also borrowed a few tech items over the years to try out and purchased items from The Store. This type of connection to NDVS/SB is not unusual, explains Superintendent Paul Olson. “We all need to continue to learn and adapt to a new world throughout our life. At NDVS/SB we not only welcome, we highly encourage people to seek assistance any time new needs arise,” he says. While vision changes may be one reason to seek new services, it could be as simple as wanting to know more about a new piece of technology. “There are so many scenarios one can think of where our staff at NDVS/SB would love to offer advice or lend a hand in some way. It is as easy as making a call and asking,” Paul says. Jeremy concurs, and encourages adults - whether they are new to vision loss or not – to “just ask. You don’t really know what’s available until you ask,” he says.
Amy enjoys catching up with clients like Jeremy, who she’s worked with off and on over the years. “People who have had low vision or blindness for a long time often find themselves in what I call the ambassador role,” explains Amy. “These are people who do not sign up to be an example of success, and often to do not always feel like a successful blind or low vision person, but to a new person experiencing blindness, they very much are.” Jeremy, she explains, has become just that, because of his life experiences and because of his attitude. He “is one of those people who has a ‘don’t take no’ attitude. He takes challenges in stride, with a laugh. He continually strives to do better and be better, in all facets of his life,” she says.
Jeremy notes, “If you don’t have the opportunity to do things, you don’t have the opportunity to learn life.” This is why he is so grateful that his own parents let him be a kid. “I rode bike, I climbed trees,” he said. “Sometimes you have to do things differently, but you can do it.”
It’s unfortunate that that can-do attitude is not another stereotype about blind people. Besides working and raising a family, Jeremy serves on the board of the NDSB Foundation where his real life experience is valued. But mostly, he’s just lived his life. And because of that, he’s proven the stereotypes wrong and become an example instead of what someone who is successful – and happens to be blind – looks like.