Sensory Efficiency

How my support team implemented “quiet place” accommodations so I could manage visual fatigue and sensory overload at school

When I first moved into my new dorm in undergrad, I felt super overwhelmed as I tried to keep track of a ton of information while living on my own. By the time I would get back from classes, my visual fatigue and cognitive fatigue…

When I first started using graphs and charts in math classes, I decided that I hated them. As a student with low vision, I often encountered charts that featured low resolution images, black and white or grayscale color schemes, blurry text, or hard-to-read keys that…

When watching science experiments or participating in science labs, I would constantly find myself thinking or saying “what just happened?” after every step of the experiment. Since I have low vision, I often have trouble noticing subtle changes in science experiments or focusing in visually…

Something I have noticed with Chiari Malformation and associated mild auditory processing issues is that it can be challenging for me to follow along with conversations if there’s a lot of background noise or distracting sounds. Since I also have low vision, it can be…

Functions to check before purchasing a phone if you have sensitivity to flashing lights

Since I was in a tech-related major during undergrad, I became the default IT specialist and device troubleshooter for friends, family members, people who lived in my dorm building, and other students who had trouble using their computer or other mobile devices. Practical information technology…

As a student with low vision, I didn’t realize how many visual details I would miss out on when watching videos for school until I watched a video with audio description for the first time in college. After learning how helpful audio description can be,…

When I visited Disney World and Disneyland as a college student, I wanted to check out the audio description devices at Disney Parks that provide visual descriptions of select attractions and an audio map for navigating the park. While there weren’t too many instances where…

One of my favorite things to ask teachers and professors is “what is your new favorite app right now?” When I asked this question to one of my favorite professors a few years ago, their face lit up as they told me I had to…

How to use common household objects and craft supplies to create tactile (3D) images, great for math and science classes.

When I was in middle school, I noticed that it was easier to read text early in the morning compared to later in the day when my eyesight would be worse, not realizing this was due to fluctuating eyesight. As I got older and my…