Losing sight is a profound and constant grief. Every day is thick with challenges both physical and emotional. Simply walking DOWN THE STREET can be dangerous if there aren’t sidewalks, audible traffic cues, or where there are unexpected obstacles in one’s path. Blind people tend to suffer more scrapes and bumps than the average pedestrian. The emotional bruises, though, can be far more damaging. Those of us that are non-visual often feel isolated, vulnerable, and denied opportunities to actively engage with a world that is vastly visual and unaccommodating. 

In developed countries, the mix of daily blind challenges is frustrating and demoralizing. In struggling countries, like Guatemala, this mix is overwhelming and debilitating. Due to fear, misperceptions, and a nearly total lack of supportive infrastructure, blind Guatemalans too often remain confined to their homes , severely limiting control of their own circumstances. Disability is largely ignored and rarely discussed in Guatemala and, as a result, blind Guatemalans are left to deal with their difficulties alone.

The vision of the CoPilots Project is that blind Guatemalans engage with their local communities with dignity and confidence. Free to all participants, the CoPilots Project is self-empowerment and positive reinforcement through activities including: self defense to reduce feelings of vulnerability, orientation and mobility training to safely walk around with a white cane, and yoga and hiking to increase balance and overall well-being. 

The CoPilots Project is not about job skills or training. There is no incentive or support for businesses to hire disabled Guatemalans. More immediately, we address the life skills that one needs before even contemplating employment.

This is a work in progress. Because there are no networks of blind people in the greater Antigua area and blind people are rarely seen in the streets, work is underway to build  a reliable database of the local blind community. Conversations are ongoing to ensure that activities are relevant, intentional, and valuable. The CoPilots Project wants to remain responsive to the feedback of those it is designed to serve. We look forward to providing updates of our progress and the impact in our blind Guatemalan community.