Welcome to Veronica With Four Eyes! Subscribe for email updates and follow me on Pinterest to read my latest posts and updates. Have a question, media request, or want to hire me for speaking/consulting? Visit my Contact page or email veron4ica@gmail.com
If you would like to use my content for your blog, website, or newsletter, please give credit to Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes and link back to the original URL- do not reprint or copy/paste the entire post without prior written permission. Social media and email/listserv shares are always welcome. Thank you!
About Veronica Lewis
I’m Veronica Lewis, also known as @Veron4ica. I started Veroniiiica (Veronica With Four Eyes) from my dorm room at George Mason University in 2016 to share how I live with low vision and learn with assistive technology, creating free resources with tips and strategies that I’ve learned over the years. Some of my most popular post topics include media accessibility, designing for low vision, accessible apps and websites, college transition/college preparation, low-cost and free assistive technology solutions, disability accommodations in the classroom, independent living, my experiences with orientation and mobility (O&M), and expanded core curriculum skills for visual impairment. Whether you’re new to the world of low vision and assistive technology, or just wondering what’s new, Veronica With Four Eyes has something for everyone!
My academic background is in data science and assistive technology, and attending George Mason University made it possible to pursue both of these interests simultaneously during undergrad. I hold a B.S in Computational and Data Sciences with a minor in Assistive Technology, and am working towards a M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction: Concentration in Assistive Technology, all from GMU.
More about my eyes
I was diagnosed with low vision and accommodative esotropia at age 3, a common childhood eye condition that can cause double, blurry vision, a lack of depth perception, and limited peripheral vision; I received the low vision diagnosis since my vision loss can’t be corrected by glasses, surgery, or contacts. Accommodative esotropia causes my eyes to turn inward towards my nose, which is reflected in my logo- the “eyes” inside the pair of glasses are not perfectly straight. I was given an IEP in kindergarten and was told my vision would improve as I got older (a common characteristic of accommodative esotropia), but a secondary medical condition led to sharp vision declines about every five years, affecting my distance vision and ability to read print due to increased double vision/blurry vision. I started using a blindness cane/white cane at age 18 at the beginning of college, and it has been instrumental in helping me to navigate and travel independently, as well as reducing the risk of injuries.
The aforementioned secondary medical condition went undetected until a vision decline at age 14 also involved the onset of various neurological symptoms, which four years later were confirmed to be from Chiari Malformation (pronounced key-ar-ee mal-for-may-shun). Also known as Chiari 1 Malformation, it is a structural neurological condition that can also contribute to low vision, with symptom onset often occurring during teenage years. Because I have limited sensation in my hands from associated neuropathy, I do not read braille, though I recognize that braille is an important literacy tool for many people with vision loss. With the combined diagnosis of accommodative esotropia and Chiari Malformation, a third diagnosis was made for decompensated strabismus. My vision loss has continued to progress over time, and I’ve been certified as legally blind by a low vision specialist.
I use a mix of person-first and identity-first disability language and have no preference for what language people use around me or when writing about me. However, I ask that people refrain from using terms that make disability sound miserable or awful, such as “suffering from low vision” or “plagued by Chiari Malformation.”
Other fun facts about me
- I’ve been featured by numerous news outlets, nonprofits, and tech companies as a subject matter expert on low vision assistive technology and alt text/image descriptions, including Microsoft, Perkins School for the Blind, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, Mashable, and several others.
- My website name is inspired by having “four eyes”, which is a slang term for someone that wears glasses and is often used in a teasing way. I decided to reclaim the term by adding three additional I’s to my name, making me Veronica with four i’s (eyes)
- My favorite thing on the internet is pictures of animals with alt text/image descriptions added. I love seeing pet owners write creative alt text or reading image descriptions for silly poses/expressions.
- My favorite color is purple! Purple is also the color for Chiari Malformation awareness and the color of my glasses, so the color is incorporated throughout my website. I even have a purple cane.