Getting My Independence Again!

Heroes Remember

Getting My Independence Again!

Transcript

After losing your vision you have to totally learn everything. When I was posted back to Gagetown with my family I got hooked up with the CNIB, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, which I tell people without them I would still be at home not knowing what to do with this vision loss because they had taught me everything when I first got posted back I got hooked up with a mobility specialist who taught me how to use my white cane and how to get around the street safely so she would come to my house once a week. We would go for walks around the community, taught me how to get around the house safely. Taught me how to get around the street safely listening to traffic and how to cross intersections safely and then once we had a few sessions in we started doing more difficult things moving downtown with more people and more traffic and more intersections and she taught me how to walk across the streets with the busy intersections with the beeps and the tweets you now hear. Those are for the blind people so they can get across the street safely and no one when to cross. And after I had finished all my mobility lessons with her I needed to start getting back on the technology side so I went into the CNIB in Fredericton, New Brunswick and the technology specialist there who had, who’s actually been blind since birth was the technology specialist there so he taught me how to use my new phone and use all the new Apple products that had voice over on it. I got back on my computer and had to learn how to type with no vision. So after I learned all that he taught me how to get back on the computer and use my phone and get back on the social media and whatnot.

Description

With the assistance of CNIB, family and friends, Aaron tells of how he gets his life back and begins a new approach to living with blindess.

Aaron Boulanger

Mr. Aaron Boulanger was born in March 10, 1990 in Calgary, Alberta. As a child Aaron and family moved back to the Gagetown, New Brunswick. Coming from a military family with his dad and two brothers serving, Aaron realized he too would choose this career. After finishing high school Aaron joined the Navy and obtained his university degree at UNB under the support of the military. While training in Esquimalt, B.C. holding rank of Officer Cadet, Aaron became very ill and was diagnosed with a brain tumour which caused blindness. Now left to regain his independence Aaron moved back to Oromocto, NB to gain assistance from his family as well as tremendous support through CNIB. As time passed Aaron made the choice to get healthy and by doing so was selected as part of Team Canada 2018 Invictus Games Team. Being blind did not stop Aaron from choosing the sport of archery and with his father by his side achieved his personal best during the games in Australia, October 2018. Aaron will be medically discharged from the military and looks forward to finding a new career path. He now resides in Oromocto, New Brunswick with his family.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Recorded:: September 27, 2018
Duration:: 1:57
Person Interviewed:: Aaron Boulanger
War, Conflict or Mission:: Canadian Armed Forces
Location/Theatre:: Canada
Branch:: Navy
Rank:: Officer Cadet
Occupation:: Officer Cadet

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Date modified:: 2019-04-03