When I took algebra, my teacher had a classroom that was filled with a lot of bright lights and glare-inducing items, which was difficult for me as a student with low vision and photophobia/light sensitivity. I know that the teacher had not designed the classroom…

I receive disability accommodations in college for two different medical conditions- an eye condition that causes low vision and a neurological condition called Chiari Malformation. Both my eye and brain condition cause me to experience light sensitivity, sometimes referred to as photosensitivity, and my accommodations…

I love listening to live music and watching concert videos and music videos from my favorite bands, but it’s difficult for me to attend events in person since I have a medical condition that causes photosensitivity, or a sensitivity to strobe and flashing lights. Since…

A guide for visiting the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum with disabilities, with a focus on low vision

Over the last few years, I have been a member of many different music programs and ensembles that required different uniform styles for musicians. Even though the uniform requirements can be very strict, I’ve been able to adapt my band uniform by adding or modifying…

The other day, I received a post request on Twitter asking about how to make Instagram stories accessible for low vision users. While I am not an active Instagram user, I am very familiar with Instagram stories and how they are used, as well as…

Earlier today, I tagged one of my friends on Twitter to share some of their favorite features about their computer, and one of the features they mentioned was the availability of system-wide dark mode for low vision users. While dark mode is easier on my…

Even though I wear tinted glasses and am fairly sensitive to light, I have spent a lot of time learning about lighting and low vision, and experimenting with different lighting in my room to figure out what works best for me. I received a question…

Recently, there has been a discussion about tips for using social media with photosensitivity, and how to avoid strobe lights on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and similar websites. As someone who has dealt with migraines triggered by strobe and flashing lights for eight years (with knowledge…

Dealing with the infamous dorm fire alarms when you have a vision impairment

Recently, one of my friends was talking about how they had trouble watching movies in their classes due to their low vision, because they had trouble focusing on the screen and often had to take breaks due to eyestrain. Another friend shared that they had…

When I was in high school, I sometimes had difficulty explaining how common technology behaviors or other technology in the classroom would hurt my brain, also known as give me a migraine. Many teachers assumed that I was refusing to participate in class, but the…

Two weeks before final exams during my third year of college, I had a fall in my dorm and was diagnosed with a concussion, which required me to visit an emergency room off-campus and have a modified schedule for turning in assignments and taking finals.…

I live with a disability and chronic illness along with multiple allergies, so being able to quickly locate and provide medical information to medical staff or first responders is very important to me when I am receiving medical care. One of my favorite tools for…

When I was in middle and high school, many teachers and school staff members encouraged me to develop strong self-advocacy skills so that I could feel comfortable talking about my low vision and what accommodations I would need in the classroom. Talking to a substitute…