Name: Christie Gilson

Age: Fulbright Scholar for 2006 while working on her PhD in Hong Kong

Assistive Devices: White Cane and Guide Dog

Exchange Organizations: Mobility International USA

Christie Gilson received a Fulbright Scholarship to study as a college student in Hong Kong. Christie is working towards her doctorate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is blind. Follow her adventures, through her blog: Hong Kong Fulbrighter. Christie Gilson, who is blind, is a doctorate student that traveled to Hong Kong on a Fulbright scholarship.

Christie writes in her blog about her day-to-day life in Hong Kong. She describes her experience entering a nice restaurant. "As soon as Piers and I stepped into the building where the restaurant is housed, I knew that I was in for a treat. The floors were slick and clean. The atmosphere was hushed and populated by dignified people. When we entered the Golden Bauhinia, a server greeted us discretely and showed us to our reserved table overlooking the harbor. As I put my handbag down, the server readied a linen napkin for me. He pushed my chair in as I sat down and gently placed the napkin on my lap."

Discovering new things in another country is always fun, and Christie's trip to the library was no exception. “Alison picked me up today from my dorm and took me to the main library at HKU. I applied for and have received a library card, which allows me to check out books. There is a special room at the library for blind people! They even have a computer with JAWS and a Braille display! That means, the computer talks, and I can read what’s on the screen in Braille! Although the Braille display doesn’t work right, I’m sure it’s a simple matter to fix it. The computer speaks each prompt in English and Cantonese! So, I can learn some basic Cantonese that way! It’s really exciting!”

In her Hong Kong blog, Christie reflects on the difficulties of city life and the positive reception she has received. “Everyone is kind, truly! The only difficult thing I’ve encountered is remembering all of the twists and turns. The campus is very compact, but it is complicated to get from point A to point B. If you can see, you can easily figure out how to get from building to building. But, I have to memorize many different flights of stairs and sloping pathways. But, the Estates Office here (like a physical plant back home) has installed tactile pathways for me! So, I just follow the pathway on the flat parts to get to many important places on campus. I am simply overwhelmed by how thoughtful everyone has been here for me!”