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If you dare to ask, people are willing to think along with you

Joris - History & European Studies
Last modified on 27-11-2025 10:05
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Joris
Joris studies History en European Studies

At secondary school, I had epilepsy triggered by stress. The epilepsy was surgically removed — something I’m very grateful for — but the operation did result in an 80% loss of my field of vision. I woke up with a visual impairment. 

People often have an idea of what it’s like to be blind, but not what it means to be partially sighted. And you can’t immediately tell from looking at me that I have this impairment. I also don’t tend to mention it straight away, because then I become ‘that person’. That can be inconvenient, especially in large groups. I can’t see if you’re leaning forward to speak, so I sometimes talk over you. That’s not ideal. 

Sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are capable of doing something. When I started studying at the UvA, I thought: the UvA will be able to support me if I need it. Fortunately, that has turned out to be the case — I get 20% extra time for exams because reading simply takes me more effort. 

At the UvA, I’ve discovered that if you dare to ask, people from all sides are willing to think along with you

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