Being a woman in society is usually a multifaceted role, as it often means juggling a career, being a mother and loving spouse, fulfilling lifelong dreams and ambitions, as well as having enough time for yourself. This is tricky for anyone, so imagine doing all this and also being blind.
The Blind Goddess, as 31-year-old Meagan Adonis is affectionately known, lost her sight when she was 22. Despite this life-changing challenge, she’s now a mother of two, a fashion and lifestyle entrepreneur, and an MP. And, as if all that weren’t enough, she’s also an activist advocating for the rights of individuals living with disabilities, a motivational speaker, and the CEO of an assistive technology start-up called Featherlinx. But things weren’t always so positive for her.
“At the age of 22, I was a vibrant, young person full of life and energy. This period marked the beginning of my adulthood and growing independence. I’d just obtained my driver’s licence and was relishing life and a new relationship. I began exploring the world beyond my parents’ home, flying the nest with excitement and curiosity.
During this time, I experienced frequent headaches, which I at first dismissed as mere nuisances. But when they worsened, I went to see a neurologist. Despite the doctor’s advice that I wait for further tests, I woke up one morning without vision. This was an incredibly traumatic, life-changing experience. As a young person who’d always been optimistic, I believed my condition could be reversed or cured. But reality hit hard when I was told the vision loss was irreversible owing to severe optic-nerve damage,” she says.
After months of tests and uncertainty, Meagan was eventually diagnosed with a rare disease called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), characterised by increased fluid pressure around the brain, which in turn put pressure on her optic nerves. This devastating diagnosis was followed by a period of deep sorrow and an intense sense of loss.
“Sitting in my hospital bed, I asked myself, ‘Why me?’ Visitors tried to lift my spirits, but inside I felt as if I were slowly dying. I could sense the worry and sadness in the voices of my family and others around me. The fear of the unknown drove many of my friends away, leaving me feeling isolated during a life-altering time,” she recalls.
Adonis is now known for sharing her story of being a person who didn’t let life’s difficulties keep her down. She used each loss as a rung to assist her to get to the top of the various ladders in her life.
“Losing many friends during this period taught me resilience and to understand that some relationships are temporary, meant only for a season. This experience brought me closer to understanding others, leading to greater compassion and self-determination. I also came to understand the world wasn’t designed to accommodate people with disabilities, and that opportunities aren’t readily accessible for us. I realised the importance of advocacy for the most vulnerable. A voice was needed to amplify those of people who couldn’t speak for themselves, educating society on disability while promoting diversity and inclusion. I decided I would be that voice,” she says.
Future of fashion is female
One of the most intriguing aspects of her journey is that she fell in love with the world of fashion, a realm usually reserved for those with sight. Body shape, colour, balance, proportion, design lines, silhouettes and other fashion elements naturally require you to see, but this trailblazer has found creative and collaborative solutions.
Adonis made headlines earlier this year when she flaunted a dress that had Braille incorporated into its fabric, the result of an inclusive partnership between Cape Town-based designer Balini Naidoo-Engelbrecht and beauty-soap brand Dove.
“Fashion and personal appearance became a challenging yet adventurous aspect of my life. With the help of my mother, and with an understanding of the importance of my appearance on my mood, I began to pick outfits by identifying their colours, details and textures, as well as on the basis of comfort. Fashion became a source of joy and self-expression, boosting my confidence and helping me present my best self to the world.
"Fashion means breaking boundaries, redefining beauty, and diversifying the world’s view of disability. It’s a statement and a form of communication. It’s crucial for me to play an active role in redefining beauty and fashion, creating a more inclusive industry and building role models for future generations. Fashion allows me to transition seamlessly between my roles in beauty, lifestyle, politics and social activism, as well as my daily life as a mother and wife,” she says.
Women’s Month allows South Africans to gauge how far the country has come in terms of women’s empowerment, by focusing on and addressing gender oppression, patriarchy, sexism, racism, ageism and creating an environment that enables women to take control of their lives. Arguably, the plight of women living with disabilities seems to have been overlooked, which is why it’s essential for women like Adonis to take matters in their own hands and lead from the front. It’s not without its struggles, though.
“I invest my time in social activism, advancing and promoting the rights of vulnerable persons with disabilities. My involvement in policy development, community advocacy, and the pursuit of economic and social justice drives me. There are many challenges in realising these goals, such as societal prejudice and a lack of understanding of how to integrate and accommodate persons with disabilities.
"Despite these challenges, it’s essential to find what works best for you to thrive. Accepting my newfound reality wasn’t easy. Transitioning to being identified as a person with a disability — living with blindness — isn’t an aspiration society promotes, making self-acceptance difficult. I had to go through all the mourning stages, allowing myself to grieve, heal, and then learn to love myself as I am,” she says.
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