For visually challenged, navigating downtown is a challenge

For the majority of people, walking along a downtown sidewalk is not a big deal.

There are street signs to tell you where you are and crosswalk signals to help you cross the street safely.

But for those with visual impairments, walking in Vernon's downtown core presents a whole new set of challenges.

Logan Leach, 17, and his brother, Matthew, 13, who both have a degenerative eye condition, were practicing navigating the downtown core and ran into obstacles most people would not think of.

“We can't read street signs and that can be a problem if we are trying to get to somewhere specific,” said Logan, who is legally blind.

Crosswalks without an audible prompt are also a challenge.

“We obviously can't see the street lights so it makes that difficult, you have to pay attention to the cars.”
Added Matthew, “We have to use our hearing lots and other senses that are not visual.”

Other challenges include sidewalk signs, chairs, tables and even parked bicycles can he a hazard when you can't see them.

“It's not so bad for us right now, but I know people who are totally blind have trouble with them because they can not see them at all,” said Logan. “It's nice to be conscious of that, that people may trip over them.”

Logan said having more audio queues at crosswalks would make things a lot safer.

“That is one thing we have really encountered today,” he said.

Logan can not see as well as his little brother, and odds are he will be totally blind in his older years.

But he is not letting his physical challenge stand in the way of his athletic aspirations.

The Lumby resident, who is a member of the Vernon Ski Club, won a gold medal in the Giant Slalom at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in the men’s vision impaired category.