More than Raising Money?
By
Catherine Birchall
Hello my name is Catherine although virtually
everybody calls me Cathy. I am a blind guide dog user.
When this journey around the world was first discussed
between Bernard and myself it really was to be a
'solo' event.
I mean solo in the real sense of the word. It
was just to be Bernard, Cathy and the bike.
When we started to talk to friends, family and
colleagues, however, we were encouraged to think much bigger than just the two
of us. People commented that it would be a fantastic idea if we could include
as many people as possible through the internet so that they could link up with
the journey.
So it was that we moved from what we had
planned to the situation where we now find ourselves. As such the journey has
now become a 'project'. A very scary project in that as so many people have
become involved and people's expectations have been raised about what we can do
for blind and partially sighted people. While this is true, we aim to make it
all come true in terms of what we have set out to complete.
It was apparent while people were encouraging
us to think bigger that there are actually three dimensions to this journey
which evolved as we talked to many people. The journey has a social as well as
a financial dimension. In a great many ways this trip is about more than
raising money.
This is
the one that was the most obvious to me as a blind person.
I say obvious as the internet is a very powerful tool for people to find out information and to keep in touch with other people. I know this personally as it is very easy to feel isolated and alone as a blind person.
I felt
this isolation and loneliness very keenly when I lost my husband Peter to Leukaemia in 1999. So it was that I found myself on my own
with few skills as a blind person in using computers. I really did feel very,
very alone.
After some time I started to engage in
learning about computers and assistive software to give me a window into the
world. I was truly fortunate that the use of technology opened up so many
possibilities for me. I was also very fortunate in finding a college who
understood my needs as a blind person.
That college was Liverpool Community College and I have spent many hours acquiring the skills I needed to learn to deal with the world.
The staff were
fantastic and I am forever indebted to them for their patience and
understanding.
I was also fortunate that I came across Bernard (who works for the Royal National Institute of the Blind).
As we discussed what was possible it became
apparent that he had the technical skills to make this development work - he is
also extremely stubborn and does not give up easily even when we encountered
difficulties at the beginning of this project. Perhaps more importantly than
him having the technical skills and the attitude he has, he also had the
patience to listen.
As a Supernova user there are ways and means
of navigating through cyberspace. While Bernard was aware of
the various software available he is not a user. You really have to be
dependent on the voice to truly understand the difficulties of navigating in
this way. Bernard understood this and he listened as we started to put this
site together.
We were also lucky in that many of my friends are either JAWS or Supernova users and so they too gave their valuable thoughts. So it was this site evolved.
In the development I felt it was very
important it should act as a Gateway for blind and partially sighted people to
follow the journey and all the highs and lows we will inevitably pass through.
Bernard was also very keen the site should not
only hold the printed word of the journey but also the spoken word of our
conversations on the bike as we travel. This is possible due to the system he
has installed on the bike so that he can describe the world we are passing
through. In this we can communicate with each other and record our thoughts and
conversations which we can post on this site.
He has even promised not to swear too much as
car and truck drivers seek to annihilate us in the passes of Turkey or India
which he knows are dangerous. These conversations will be posted in the section
'Conversations from the road' which you will find in the links section.
We will update this page as we go along, much like the rest of the site.
Such will be the site that we hope you will
keep in touch with us and the journey not only through the site itself but also
through the contact days and times where you will be able to phone us.
Obviously this may prove problematic if a lot of people try to call but it will
be a novel aspect, we like to think, to speak to other blind and partially
sighted people while on the road. It's a nice thought at least and we want this
facility to be available.
As part of the social dimension all people who
have sight loss know that, in many areas, we operate in a world which
disadvantages us to some degree or another.
I am talking about the 75% unemployment rate and of not being able to buy a book I can read (being a Braille user) without months of waiting or paying three times more than the standard print. The fact I cannot access the full degree of Disability Living Allowance (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/DLAandTheBlind/) is all a given. Issues such as these will all be highlighted throughout our trip. I could discuss these endlessly but, for now, I will merely identify them as themes running throughout our journey.
So it is that this trip will explore and seek
to bring issues such as these into the public consciousness through the media.
The financial
One of the main things which people commented
on from the very start concerned was the raising of money for blind and
partially sighted people and the services they require. This itself
is a very considerable undertaking and it places some considerable onus on both
myself and Bernard. With all that is involved in the trip itself (the organisation and planning) we have set modest targets
although the £250,000, we hope, will be far exceeded. It is also a fact
that the trip is, currently, self-financed through Bernard selling his house.
You see it will take 714 gallons or 142 tanks
of fuel alone to complete the 25,000 miles (for a cost of £3500). It is
£200 for one set of tyres and it will take three sets
(£600). We have allowed £8000 for flights and shipping of the bike between
various continents - although we hope that one of the major airlines will
assist. We do plan to camp as much as possible to keep the costs down and we
will be seeking to trim costs as much as possible. After all, Bernard is
funding this, so far, out of his own pocket. He has said that "I'll worry
about coming back when I arrive".
So we are asking for your help in raising
money. The link below will allow you to do this.
Remember that every £1 helps.
50p will help.
In fact, any amount you decide will be greatly appreciated as the donations
form allows you to enter any amount at all.
The link to ABSOLUTELY SECURE and you can
donate using any debit or credit card.
The link below will direct you to a secure
site and the donation will appear on your statement as "Catherine
Birchall's World Tour".
Please select the 'Sponsor me' link at the bottom of the home page, it's fast, free, and secure' link to the charity web site 'just giving.com'. Every little bit helps.