During my senior year of high school, I went from having a few virtual classes each year to a truly hybrid online class schedule, where 50% or more of my classes were online. This continued throughout undergrad in college, before I transitioned to having all…

As a student with low vision and an unpredictable chronic illness, I spend a lot of time learning asynchronously outside of the classroom. Even when I do attend classes in-person, I often search for study resources online to explore topics in-depth or get explanations about…

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…

When I’m doing research on assistive technology for reading digital text or eBooks, I often search for specific display customization options or accessibility features to determine if this app will be useful for me or for a student/client I’m working with. With students and clients,…

My tips for being successful in college admission interviews

I’m a huge fan of the Bookshare accessible online library for people with print disabilities, and have been using the service since I was a freshman in high school. I interact with Bookshare in some capacity every day, whether it’s checking out new books, reading…

I started using a teleprompter app with low vision to show scripts for school news and other video projects, as I found it much easier to read large print from the digital display compared to a paper script while filming. Since then, I have continued…

Everything at my dorm desk, complete with shopping links

Using applications and settings to reduce eyestrain from blue light.

As part of my asynchronous online classes, I often have to watch video lectures and presentations recorded by my instructors and take notes on key concepts. This can be challenging if I have trouble reading text in the video due to poor color contrast, small…

Over the years, I have taken over 60 virtual classes across high school, college, and graduate school, which means that I have watched a lot of live and pre-recorded video lectures. I find that video lectures are easier for me to follow as a student…

Here is how I explain my brain condition, Chiari Malformation, to people