‘Blindness will never stop me living life to the full’
Caroline Casey, 46, from Dublin, embarked on the adventure of a lifetime to prove that her disability doesn’t diminish her potential.
‘From the moment I found out I was legally blind aged 17, I’ve refused to let it hold me back. My parents didn’t tell me I had ocular albinism, a genetic condition that causes permanent vision loss, until I wanted to learn to drive. They didn’t want me to feel at a disadvantage. Finding out was a shock, but I had made it that far – I didn’t need pity or charity.
I’d always loved adventure: I dreamed of being a biker chick, cruising on the back of a Harley Davidson, or a cowgirl, galloping through the desert. I decided I wouldn’t let my disability dampen my zest for life. I was so determined not to be treated differently that, in my 20s, I kept my blindness hidden in my job at a major consulting firm. But, eventually, I couldn’t deny it any more. Heartbroken, I vowed to take on a physical challenge to prove my resilience to myself. I trekked solo for 1,000km across India on elephant-back, raising £250,000 for blindness charities. I learnt so much about my own strength that I decided to commit my life to promoting the value and worth of people with disabilities.
AN AMAZING CHALLENGE
I became even more dedicated to that goal when, in 2016, my father, Gerry, died. A few days before he passed, he told me, “Always be yourself and never let anything stop you.” So, last year, I embarked on my biggest challenge – trekking 1,000km across Colombia on horseback with a group of cowboys.
I’ve always believed that if big business values disability, society will too, so I’d spent a lot of time with companies trying to achieve this. But I wanted to make a bigger impact, so I planned to launch a campaign called #valuable at the One Young World business forum in Bogotá, Colombia. I’d journey through the country on horseback, then stand up on stage to outline my goal to see 500 international companies put disability on their board agenda. I knew this epic journey would prove our capability, potential and worth.
The journey was the most amazing thing I’ve ever done. It was swelteringly hot, and we only had a few hours’ sleep each night, but I loved every second. A British horse-rider accompanied me as my eyes, and police watched over us and local people housed us. I couldn’t believe the kindness we encountered. There was an amazing response to the #valuable campaign online, too – we reached an incredible 32 million people.
I’m determined to keep the conversation going, and I believe real progress can be made. I’m lucky to have a great support system in my husband Gar, stepchildren Niamh and Garóg, and my mother Valerie, who all believed in me when others didn’t. But, most importantly, I believed in myself. I never gave up and didn’t let failures define me. When you do that, anything is possible – even becoming a real-life cowgirl.’