Karen Denton (AMD Ambassador)

While chatting to visually impaired people telephonically during the lockdown I have been struck by a few amazing revelations.

The lockdown has not only brought negatives to our lives, there are many, many positives.

First, the growth of cyber connections. This seems obvious, but just think about it. Technology allows us to be in contact with people, friends, family members daily rather than weekly, monthly, sporadically. Suddenly we have the time to reach out, to chat, to share. And many free apps make this possible in a way that was unthinkable before.

In fact, the further we are apart in this lockdown, the closer we are.

Secondly, work productivity is up for many. No more long hours commuting to and from our offices. We can literally ‘hit the ground running’ on a daily basis. What a boon that Is!

What about shopping? Many report a monthly reduction in spending. Why? Well, for those who use online shopping there is the petrol saving, parking saving, and a dramatic reduction in impulse buying. This adds up … and adds up. Similarly, fewer restaurant visits add to this saving. 

And then what about learning? Many professionals have traditionally been lucky to attend one or two conferences, congresses, symposia per year. Suddenly these are available regularly, even weekly via online webinars. The thousands enjoying these demonstrate how necessary this step has truly been.

And this applies to non-professionals as well. People with special interests can attend meetings, webinars and listen to podcasts that are topical, up to date, and that provide information they may never have had access to before.

So, when you add this up, it is clear that by forcing us further apart, the lockdown has brought us closer than ever…