MEET THE ADVENTURER
THE GLASWEGIAN EXPLORER DISCUSSES SENSORY DISCOVERY AND MAKING TRAVEL MORE ACCESSIBLE TO BLIND PEOPLE
When did you go on your first adventure?
I lost my sight at 18. By the third year of my maths and stats degree, I’d decided enough was enough — Iwasn’t going to tiptoe through life wrapped up in cotton wool. Against the wishes of my lecturers and parents, I headed off to Canada alone to study in Kingston. That taught me your world becomes bigger when you push your limits.
How did you put that lesson into practice?
In 2005, I took part in a 220-mile trek across Nicaragua alongside 10 other people with disabilities for a BBC Two documentary series called Beyond Boundaries. We had to work as a team to travel through tropical rainforests and a shark-infested lake, as well as up a 5,000ft volcano. I pushed a wheelchair through dense jungle; no amount of exercise could have prepared me for that, it became all about mental resilience. Then, you begin to crave that feeling of uneasiness. When it’s tough — that’s when you’re growing.
How do you experience a new place?
With all my senses. As a blind person, I feel the sun and the smells, seeking out exciting sensory adventures. In Egypt, I’ll touch 3,000-year-old temples, feeling the hieroglyphics — the Egyptians must have been really cool, they made accessible language! In Italy, I’ll go to Tuscan farmhouses and cook pasta, noticing the aromas of basil and tomato in the air. To know what a place looks like, I’ll ask my sighted guide to describe it and build vivid pictures in my mind.
How are sighted guides encouraged to describe things?
Like a normal conversation. I love it when people give me the overview first. When you look at a picture, you don’t glance at the little details straight away. As words go into my ears, they translate into beautiful pictures. Then, kerching! I’ll keep the imagery and mix it with other sensory details. If I’m at Victoria Falls, I’ll have the falls described to me — the sheer grandeur of them — then feel the spray on my face. I hear the thunderous falls, aware of their smell. It all adds up to an incredible experience.
In 2004, you set up Traveleyes, the first tour operator providing independent travel for blind people. Why?
When I approached mainstream tour operators, I faced rejection. They said, even with a carer, I couldn’t do adventures like skiing or sailing. This restriction left me feeling powerless. My world was closing in — Ifelt blind once again. Then, I realised I’ve only got one life. If I wanted something that didn’t exist, I’d hav
