Fed up of people looking at me when going down steps/stairs

[Auburngal]

I have a vision condition called Keratoconus which means my corneas are coned shaped. The cones are in the bottom half of the eyes. Had surgery on both eyes and condition has stabilised so doesn’t get worse but won’t get better.

The vision is therefore distorted. Im ok going up stairs/steps. It’s going down them is the problem. Plus need a stair rail or a wall to hold onto. If the stairs are carpeted or tiled so unable to see the edge of the step, that’s bad. One hotel I stayed in Spain I was on the 2nd floor and had to take the lift to the room as stairs were white marble with glittering effects. Normally I would use the stairs if my room was on 4th floor or lower.

Plus have a balance issue- so can’t ride a bike. I am getting fed up with people who stare at me when I slowly walk downstairs/steps. I am jealous of people who can run down steps or stairs without holding onto something. I’m a member of a FB group of Keratoconus and other sufferers have the same issue as me with stairs and stairs and uneven ground.

Are you sure they are staring at you OP or is it that you are self conscious and just feel they are?
I'm very self conscious and I have to keep reminding myself actually the vast majority of people are so wrapped up in their own concerns and worries they aren't really noticing what I'm doing.
And what does the opinion of strangers matter anyway?
For what it's worth I don't have great eyesight and worry walking down stairs when I'm out and about because I have difficulty seeing the edge of the steps. It never occurred to me anyone would be judging me because I'm usually concentrating on my own safety negotiating the steps.

If I saw someone who looked like they were struggling with the stairs I might be a little watchful, but only because I'd be concerned they were unwell and were at risk of needing help. People probably just care rather than judging you.

I also have keratoconus and find stairs difficult. I also sometimes think there's a step where there isn't, such as where the colour of the flooring changes. So I have every sympathy.

But I don't feel that people are staring at me. Occasionally, if someone has to wait for my slow progress, I explain that I have poor vision. People are always fine then!

Yep. This would be me too. My Mum has this same condition. I often have to reassure people she'll be ok, she just needs to take her time and hold on. It happens stepping off the pavement too. Some people physically step in and grab under her arm, which throws her off balance and upsets her. Others just keep an eye from a distance in case they might need to help. It's human nature not to look away when people are visibly struggling.

Not all people who are looking are “staring” at you, some are genuinely looking out in case you need some assistance. When you have a friend or family who finds stairs problematic (and plenty of us do!), you recognize the signs.

I have to be very careful walking down stairs (for a different reason) and find people are generally patient and kind. Your self-consciousness is internal.

I can understand you feeling self conscious but is it possible they look because they're wondering if they should offer help? Or checking you're OK?

Most people are alright, they're no longer actually out to ridicule everyone they come across.

Of course people stare. They're assessing whether they should offer to help. It's a very human response. "That person appears to be in peril. Should I get involved?"

I wouldn't worry OP.

I don't have any condition that I know of, but also have terrible eyesight. I'm also not great on stairs going down, and ideally need a handrail for going up and down.
There's a set of stairs at my work that are narrow and steep with quite small steps, which always makes me a bit nervous. I take my time on them, and if someone is waiting, well sorry, but they can wait. I'm not falling up or down the stairs for the sake of your 2 seconds of inconvenience.