Lori is a manager employed by a sports organization. Her area of responsibility is athletes who have disabilities. Previously, she worked as a labor and employment lawyer and at a human resources outsourcing company. Around the age of two, Lori was diagnosed with ocular albinism, an inherited condition in which the eyes lack melanin pigment. At the same time, the skin and hair show normal or near-normal coloration. The lack of pigment in the eyes causes various vision problems.
In school, Lori could never see anything written or projected on the blackboard. She said she learned to problem solve at an early age and seek support when needed. Lori passed her college and law school courses by using written materials like textbooks and teaching herself. Nowadays, Lori relies on technology, preferring to read on her computer or an iPad. “I cannot imagine going back to a life without these devices.”
Lori has been a patient of an optometrist at Lighthouse Guild’s Low Vision Services since 2012. She had high praise for her doctor: “His low vision expertise is unmatched, and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to benefit from his work.”
For people who have the same vision challenges as she had this advice: “Follow your dreams and pursue your passions. You can do anything you want to do. Work hard. Be persistent. Problem solve.”
[My doctor’s] low vision expertise is unmatched, and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to benefit from his work.
Lori, client
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