Hi everyone and welcome to Half Step Down! Where two aging punk rockers talk punk rock, pop culture, punk culture and pop rocks! I’m one of your hosts, The Original Face for Radio, Rene Grano. Jose and I have been doing the show little over a year now and as we progress, I thought this would be a great time to begin to introduce ourselves. Since July is Disability Pride Month, I figured, what better way to accompany our latest episode, (which by the way, you can listen to |wherever you get your podcasts!  (Link in bio) then with a “partner commander” article for everyone to read and get to know who I am! 

I am 33 years old and finishing up the final year of my undergraduate program in Communications. Other than doing the show and focusing on school, I also write and compose my own music, a huge pro wrestling fan, Street Fighter enthusiast,  vinyl collector, Whovian, and (for anyone who knows me), a die hard Cubs fan, but my most time consuming hobby is playing Magic the Gathering. Out of all of this though, the most intriguing thing about me is that I am legally blind.

I’ve been living with this physical ailment for 6 years now, and sometimes I struggle with the idea of “why me?” I was diagnosed with optic neuritis in October 2015 and started slowly losing my vision. By December 2015, I had no light perception in my right eye, and the amazing doctors at Kaiser Permanente Sunset and UCLA Stein Eye Institute were able to help salvage what was left of my left eye. 

This is my story. 

I have met many people over the last few years that have overcome and learned to adapt to their disabilities, and I always love to hear about their progress. Their stories inspire and always amaze me.

It took me about a year to really figure out what my plan was moving forward with my disability. A lot of the things that I loved to do, were kind of at a standstill. I wasn’t sure if I had the ability to do things I used to do, and then I met the wonderful people at the Braille Institute- Anaheim and the Department of Rehabilitation, who taught me that anything was possible. I was given all the accommodations and technology that I needed to help me progress, whether it would be in my studies, professional career, or just for leisure.

I know I’ve rambled on for quite a bit, and to be perfectly honest, our listeners should be used to it by now because that’s all I tend to do at times during the show. 

What I would like to be more specific about is how I got back into playing Magic the Gathering, because this game has introduced me to some of the most important people in my life outside of my family and close friends that I’ve had growing up. 

The Magic community has been nothing but welcoming to me, but most importantly, they have been patient. I use an electronic magnifier to help me look at my cards in all aspects of the game, whether they are in my hand or searching for a card in my library. Sometimes, because I can distinguish the art, I don’t have to use my magnifier.

For example, the card ‘Life from the Loam’ is a staple in many of my decks, and the reason why I am known as “the dredge guy” at my local game stores. Because I have been accustomed to a specific art from a specific set, I can easily find it when I have the ability to search for it.

I use oversized dice to help with counters, keeping track of my life total, and other things as well. I use bright color mats with no designs and dark sleeves for contrast and to help me keep track of where everything is placed.

 Above all else though, my playgroup is the most important tool that I use to play the game. Their patience and understanding of my disability makes me comfortable enough to play the game. 

I stopped playing Magic in 2013 and wanted to get back into the game, but what worried me the most was not knowing if people were going to be patient enough because I’m not able to play the same way everyone else does: taking longer with my turns, or using my magnifier to look at my cards, or asking them over and over again what they have on their battlefield. 

The magic community has been welcoming to me. I have never had a bad experience with other players because of my disability. Everyone has been super helpful and welcoming, and I’m incredibly grateful. 

Adam and Josh, the owners of Darkside Games in Duarte, CA have been super accommodating during tournaments and prereleases. 

The same can be said about Daniel, the owner of Game Corner in Azusa, CA. He has always been very accommodating and inviting. 

And finally Brian from booth 134 at Frank and Son’s Collectible show in City of Industry, has always made it easy and accessible for me to buy singles from him, accommodating to the fact that Franks can be kind of overwhelming to walk into. 

Finally, I want to say thank you to everybody that I’ve met and have helped me adapt and kept me involved in a community that I have loved since I was a teenager: Jeff. Dennis, Joe, Carlo, Richard, Cory, Elliot, Martin, Ray, Wes, Jesse, Connor, Good-smelling Cesar, Regular Cesar, and many more, that there’s not enough room to name everyone because there would be an entire list. 

 Thank you all for reading.