The nature of dating and encountering potential relationship partners has changed dramatically over the last few decades and, like everything else, technology has had much to do with the change.
Fifteen years ago, an old friend of mine radiated contentment after taking the online dating plunge. He met the love of his life almost immediately and they’d gotten married. He told me that in his profile he had posted a picture of himself in Central Park with his guide dog, and that the woman who would become his wife had fallen in love with that picture. It was the kind of story that could warm the chilliest of hearts and plenty of folks were eager to hear it. Two things stood out from his experience: he had found an accessible online dating site and he had decided to share the news of his blindness loud and clear in his original profile. Since that time, the online dating arena has expanded exponentially. These days, people of all ages use the Internet to develop casual friendships or enduring relationships. For those with visual impairments, the accessibility of dating sites plays a large part in their e.
Once again, with that continuing knack for beautiful Ceuta in Spain girl taking the pulse of the blind and low vision community, National Braille Press has responded to this growing need with a book. Dating in the Digital Age: An Accessible Journey for Finding Love Online, by Kim Loftis, is a good place if you’ve been thinking of testing the waters of online dating.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter
While the first few chapters of this book present an overview of the online dating scene and discuss some basic relevant issues, this is not a long-winded, preaching tome. The author does spend some time, to her credit, touching on the question of disability disclosure, along with some general guidelines for being safe, but she dispenses with these topics quickly enough in order to get to the heart of the matter.
