When Lynda Lambert lost her vision in 2007 to ischemic optic neuropathy — a condition that’s more common in older adults — she could have chosen to stay home listening to the radio and audiobooks. But after a few months of that, she began reimagining how she could continue doing all the things she loved, including writing, creating art, and teaching.
With the help of local resources and services, Lynda quickly learned to cook, use a computer with talking software, and navigate traffic with a white cane. A knitter since childhood, she began bringing her knitting to rehabilitation classes and relearned the craft non-visually.
Inspired by her success, Lynda returned to making pottery, something she hadn’t done in years. “Once I got clay in my hands, it all came flooding back,” she recalls. With the encouragement of a low vision specialist, she also began making intricate beadwork using a magnifier, and has earned recognition for her beadwork and mixed media fiber artwork. In addition to being a teacher and a published author, Lynda serves as a mentor and advisor to people with vision loss.
Vision loss hasn’t kept Lynda from the pursuits she loves. In fact, she says she approaches her creative work more boldly since losing her sight: “All the fear is gone.”
