When I first heard this year’s World Sight Day theme — Love My Eyes — I paused. What does “love my eyes” really mean to me?
For a long time, I certainly did not love mine.
I started to lose my sight at age seven when I was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease. Because I lost my central vision — the part we use to see detail — my eyes drifted upwards, as if I was staring at the ceiling. People often laughed at me. They’d make jokes like “What’s up there?” or “Is there something wrong with my hair?” Their confusion made me feel ashamed and anxious, like I was communicating “wrong.”
I grew up with nicknames like “space cadet.” Teachers told me off for daydreaming when, in reality, my eyes were simply drifting. Even as a teenager and young adult, it hurt. I avoided conversations, shrank my personality, and felt embarrassed in social situations — particularly when meeting new people.
We’re told eyes are the “windows to the soul.” But what if yours wobble, drift, or don’t behave in the way the world expects? For me, that created a sense of isolation, especially when I couldn’t rely on eye contact to connect, flirt, or make friends.
Embracing My Identity
A huge turning point came when I started to use a cane and then got my first guide dog. Suddenly, the world understood — I wasn’t staring at the ceiling, I was visually impaired. The jokes stopped. Not completely, but enough for me to begin the slow journey of acceptance.
Even now, I can sometimes feel lonely. In a room full of sighted people – whether with friends or family, strangers or at a conference – I can feel there is a whole world out there that I am not a part of, because I can’t fully interact with it. I find it hard to network because I can’t see who is around me. I don’t get the eye-roll jokes and asides. I can’t ‘talk with my eyes’.
Learning to Love My Eyes
For me, learning to love my eyes hasn’t been easy. It has meant recognising that, yes, my eyes might not look or work like everyone else’s, but they are part of me. They carry my story. They’ve taught me resilience. They drove me to create LOOK’s mentoring programme, because I knew other young people would be going through the same silent battles — hiding feelings, pushing down shame, and desperately needing someone who “gets it.”
The Power of Talking
My advice to anyone struggling is: don’t push those feelings down. Talk to someone you trust. That’s why our mentor programme exists — to connect young people with visually impaired mentors who have been there too.
Over time, I’ve learned coping strategies, little confidence mantras, and the power of honesty. Sometimes I simply say: “Sorry, I’m not looking at the ceiling. I’m visually impaired and my eyes have a mind of their own.” And do you know what? That’s enough. It takes courage and practice, but be upfront – explain it, own it.
A Message for World Sight Day
During World Sight Day, here’s my message: love your eyes, even if they don’t work in the way the world expects. They are beautiful. They are yours.
Some people have very painful eyes. Some people have traumatic operations on their eyes. Some people have no eyes, prosthetic eyes.
And for parent/carers, we know how painful it can be to watch your child struggle. We understand how hard that can be. That’s why we run our parent support groups and community events, where we come together, share information and advice and help each other cope when things are tough.
Celebrating Our Community
So here’s to the incredible resilience of our young visually impaired community. You are brave, strong, and brilliant — and yes, your eyes are worth loving, no matter how they look to others.
It’s a cliché to say that you don’t need sight to have vision, but it’s true. You are enough. It’s your experience of the world – and what you bring to it – that counts. You are unique, but you are not alone.
Making the World More Inclusive
Although it’s slowly getting better, we recognise that the world is not built for disabled people or those with impairments. But if you are a sighted person reading this today and wondering how you can help, remember this: your attitude is everything.
Small actions matter. They can make or break a young person and change the direction of a life. Your choices can be the difference between a young person feeling isolated and inadequate, or feeling included, supported and truly valued.
Today LOOK is celebrating our community. If you would like to learn more about how we support young people with visual impairments and their families to thrive, click the button below.
