Re: Question for those who live in the US
I know that you're looking for places to live in the United States, but I would seriously recommend that you consider Australia as well. Here are some reasons for why Australia--in my opinion--is a good place to live if you have a vision impairment. I am going to be focusing on Sydney because that is the city in which I live, but most of what I say applies to other cities and towns. If you want any more information, either ask me or check Wikipedia.
1. Climate: In Sydney, you can expect many sunny days throughout the year with only a little rain. This is echoed throughout most of Australia. We have some deserts which, as you may have guessed, receive no rain or extremely little of it. In winter, our daily average temperature is somewhere around 17°C, and in summer, our temperature average is in the high twenties. This being said, some days are definitely colder or hotter than other days, and we do sometimes have rain and thunderstorms. Sydney seems to have a fair amount of wind. It should also be noted that the Australian sun is very fierce compared to how it feels in other countries. In summer, being outside without sunscreen is a recipe for a lot of sunburn. There is no snow in Sydney, though there is snow in Australia, although definitely not as much as you would find in other countries.
2. Public transportation and getting around: This is where Sydney wins against many other countries. Here is a list of the more common forms of public transportation that I can think of that have extremely good service in Sydney:
- Buses
- Trains
- Ferries
- Light rail
- taxis
- Uber.
Buses, trains, ferries and light rail are all free to people with vision impairment. Trains and light rail have audible announcements of train stops. Buses, trains, ferries and light rail also have very accessible ways of checking what times transport will arrive and organising transport routes. And if you're struggling, you can call a telephone number and a human will help you to find the best transportation to get from one place to the other. Taxis are half-price to people with vision impairment, and Uber is already much less expensive than taxis, much to the annoyance of taxi drivers. I am not sure of the specifics, but to my knowledge, similar forms of public transport exist in other Australian towns and cities. Very recently, braille and tactile print signs have been introduced to assist people who cannot read normal print signs to know where they are. We also have audio-tactile traffic lights throughout Australia.
3. Services for the blind: Australia offers some very high-quality services for the blind. These are fairly similar to what you would find in most other developed countries, so I won't go into too much detail. I will mention that a new system is being rolled out across Australia that gives people with disabilities access to more individualised services and technology to help them. Much of this is free of charge to clients. If you are blind and between the ages of sixteen and sixty-four, you are entitled to a payment because of your blindness. Blind people who attend school attend mainstream schools with support from itinerant teachers; people who attend schools for the blind are generally blind people with additional disabilities.
4. Multicultural community: Australia has one of the largest multicultural communities in the world, and we are always welcoming new immigrants. Australia has the second-highest Human Development Index in the world, and many of our cities are in the top ten for the best cities in the world.
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