Mel Stephens has zero vision and no complaints.
If someone offered to restore her vision, she would tell them to “go jump in the river and don’t come out”.
“I had (vision). It was fun. If I could see with my iPhone screen, that’d be good. But I don’t need it and I don’t want it anymore,” she said.
Mel was born with Cone-rod dystrophy, a genetic retinal disease. She had about five per cent vision at birth before she went completely blind during her teenage years.
When this journalist misplaced their pencil and questioned aloud where they put it, Mel was quick witted.
“I haven’t seen it,” she joked.
But she knew one was used – she previously heard the graphite scraping against the notepad – and it formed part of her argument: She has perfect sight.
“I can still see, but I see with my ears and my hands,” she said.
“I don’t say ‘disability’ because this is a negative word. I always say ‘a different ability’”.
She watches Netflix, reads Harry Potter and runs a YouTube channel. And her different ability means she possesses different skills. For example, it would be a safe bet to claim no one in the region can read faster than her. When she listens to audio of a book, it’s read so fast that not one word can be deciphered by the lame ear of someone with 20/20 vision. But unfortunately her abilities warrant regular discrimination.
“People are afraid of us because they are fearful of what they would be like to be blind. And they think that they couldn’t do anything if they were blind. People treat you like you’re a three year old because they’re just like, ‘how can you do anything?’ ‘You must need so much help’.
“You know, that’s just not right. It’s not fair to say, ‘how can she work because she’s blind?’
“Let me bloody damn show you. There is nothing I cannot do. It’s what people stop me from doing.
“If I was a receptionist or at a school or something like that, just two days a week, I would be as happy as a pig in mud.”
Mel’s predicament is not uncommon for those across the region living with different abilities – both physical and mental. It’s why Macedon Ranges Shire Council is partnering with Get Started Disability Support Australia to assist these community members, their carers and families. Free workshops will run every Thursday for three weeks from July 24 between 11am to 1pm at Woodend Neighbourhood House (see advertisment this page). The aim is to provide assistance in finding funding, preparing for emergencies, and meeting like-minded people in the community. It’s a space where Mel and others can share their tips and tricks on how to thrive around town.
“I’ve never had one person in Kyneton say ‘you can’t bring the dog in here’. I’ve never had one person in Kyneton do the grab your arm and try to drag you across the road thing,” Mel said.
“You know, Kyneton has been – to me – a really good, respectful place.”
