When I was 14, I had looked at a solar eclipse and was diagnosed with Stargardts Disease. It’s a form of macular degeneration where basically, my whole central vision is gone. I rely completely off my peripheral vision. At that young of an age, I didn’t know what it meant, what to do and how to cope. I had to drop out of volleyball, band, baseball managing and lost lots of friends. Everyone thought I was faking it cuz it pretty much happened over night. I dealt with peers calling me fake and an attention seeker for four years before I finally graduated high school. I thought it was all over until I started a job as a waitress at a small diner. I got the job being told I was the perfect fit. When my boss found out I had a visual impairment, I was told she would have never hired me if she would have known. I’m just so fed up with all these ignorant people in the world. I’m tired of being told I don’t “look blind” or being asked “how many fingers am I holding up?” It wasn’t until my current job as a teacher at a daycare that I felt accepted and not judged. I get told everyday by the parents that their kids love me and they appreciate me. My coworkers treat me with respect and equally. I’m finally truly happy with

myself