Category: Men In Motion

A monthly series “Men In Motion” focuses on blind and visually impaired male influencers.

Bob Cole Overcoming Adversity & Finding Purpose

NEVER STOP!

It’s not where you started at that makes a difference, it’s what you do along the way. Regardless of the circumstances, I want to encourage anyone who is reading this or listening to this, wherever you’re at, no matter how downtrodden you feel, even if you have to crawl inch by inch, don’t stop. Keep going.

~Bob Cole

Editor’s Note

Bold Blind Beauty’s goal is to demystify blindness through the power of storytelling. We believe in sharing these narratives to challenge misconceptions and highlight the remarkable capabilities of blind individuals.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce my friend Bob Cole’s story. As fellow introverts and trauma survivors, Bob’s journey resonates deeply with me, and I hold immense admiration and respect for him. His dedication to crafting his video reflects his commitment to showcasing the inherent value possessed by blind individuals.

It’s important to remember that while we explore Bob’s “Man In Motion” feature, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Bob’s story not only showcases his resilience in the face of physical challenges but also is a poignant reminder of the impact of mental health struggles and the power of perseverance.

Throughout his story, Bob candidly shares his experiences battling depression and negative thoughts, shedding light on the often overlooked intersection of physical and mental health. May serves as an opportunity to initiate conversations, break stigmas, and foster a greater understanding of mental health issues. Bob’s story is a beacon of hope, reminding us all that no matter the obstacles we face, we have the strength within us to keep moving forward.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, let us join together in raising awareness, offering support, and championing resilience.

Watch Bob’s video or, for those who prefer reading, find the transcript below. Enjoy!

Stephanae McCoy
Editor-in-Chief, Bold Blind Beauty

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

Beyond Sight Magazine | Bob Cole

YouTube Video

Bob Cole | May 2024 Man In Motion

Unveiling the Phoenix

The video zooms out, showing the eye of a phoenix. The phoenix soars into the sky and spins. The words, man in motion, are revealed.

Hello everyone, my name is Bob Cole. I first want to thank Bold Blind Beauty for giving me the privilege, the opportunity and the honor to serve as a Man in motion for the month of May, 2024.

Give a little bit of current background about myself. I work full time as an assistive technology instructor for a California based nonprofit and absolutely love my job. ] I’m involved with a wonderful woman; I wasn’t looking for love. I was kind of done with it, and then it found me. I am also a full time single dad of two very special boys who are blessings to me. They are now 12 and 14 but when I started that journey, they were only about three and five. Boy has time flown. I wasn’t always at this place though.

A Childhood Shrouded in Dysfunction

I wasn’t sure where to go with my story when I was given this opportunity, and it could be quite lengthy. People have told me that I should write a book, but my self confidence just is not there yet. So let’s just try the basics and see how this goes.

I was born in a small Ohio town in 1984. I was born with a very rare congenital visual condition known as microphthalmia. Which is a big word that essentially means that my eyes never fully developed. I was raised by a single mom who did the best that she could with myself and my other three siblings. I was the only sibling that was, like I like to say, the chosen one who had any form of visual impairment.

There weren’t a lot of resources back then, especially in a small Ohio town. But my mom did the best that she could. Unfortunately, throughout my childhood, there was a lot of dysfunction in the family. My father was very abusive and he was an alcoholic. I heard that he was different before Vietnam, but I didn’t get to know him like that. He passed away in 1990. A couple years after that, another man came into our lives and unfortunately, he was also an abusive alcoholic. There are different circumstances that take people to those places. I’m not going to judge, but It definitely causes trauma in the lives of others, of whom, paths cross with such individuals.

From Foster Care to Education

Long story as far as childhood goes, but suffice it to say that it was unfortunately instilled in my mind that I would not amount to much because of my blindness. And my mom tried to instill some sense of positive, but the men in my life, did not. As I grew older, my younger siblings and I were taken into foster care. That was a very painful situation in life, though I was surrounded with some wonderful people.

I began attending a vocational school at the beginning of foster care, which was also at the beginning of my senior year. And I entered into the study of business and computer technologies and realized that I really loved computers.

Graduated high school and began taking computer science courses at a local college. I married in 2004, moved to California in 2007, completed my associate’s degree in computer information systems. That’s another lengthy story for another day. Suffice it to say, it took a lot longer than it should have, but I finished it. I’d like to complete a bachelor’s down the road.

Navigating Parenthood & Mental Health

In 2015, I began the journey as a single parent, and despite the blindness, it took my level of independence to an all time high. As I had a choice to make either allow my kids to grow up in a box or start taking them out to parks and things like that.

We’ve had some amazing journeys. In 2019 we had the opportunity to climb some natural steps at a viewpoint at Arches National Park in Utah can be seen in this photo of my boys standing, looking out at the delicate arch.

We’ve had some awesome adventures over the years. My kids are my world. Unfortunately, I battled and still do battle with mental health, depression, and especially just the negative thoughts in my head that are often just a constant onslaught.

Professional Pursuits & Personal Growth

In 2021, I was hired at my first formal job as an assistive technology instructor. I worked at the organization for six months and later left because it was very toxic, both to the staff and to the students of the particular center. I won’t get into the details of that but I had to do what I had to do for my mental health and therefore I left.

Last September, I was actually hired at a healthy organization as an assistive technology instructor. And I have to say, I absolutely love the job. I love getting to help individuals and I love hearing those, those aha moments when they realize that there’s so much that technology can offer them. I independently study technology on a regular basis, not just assistive technology.

My story is one that is something I should have addressed that came out of the ashes. So I’ll address it now. In the background of this video, there’s an AI generated image from Meta AI of a black Phoenix rising out of flame and ash.

And the Phoenix is something that has become very significant to me over the past couple of years, because looking back through my life, there’s been a lot of ash, a lot of destruction. Now, there is beauty in ashes. You just have to find it there. But the phoenix is a symbol of rebirth; it’s a symbol of climbing up out of chaos and allowing yourself to soar into the sky.

Embracing Martial Arts & Adventure

Now, thanks to having formal employment, I’m able to do things like, as you can see in this video, I am taking a mixed martial arts class with my 12 year old son and I’ve been doing so since last September. Never would I have thought that I would have gotten back into martial arts. I was, studying Taekwondo when I was a teenager and I eventually switched over to professional wrestling school, but I regret leaving the martial arts. I am currently getting ready to test for a gold belt and my son and I are just both doing this together. It’s an absolutely amazing experience.

I ride bikes with my kids. Here in this video, you can see me riding a bike when my kids were younger I don’t have any current videos of me riding bikes though I do go out and enjoy a good bike ride just have to work out a system so that I don’t inadvertently run into something that I don’t see.

My vision leaves my left eye absolutely useless. Doesn’t even have perception of darkness. And my right eye offers me an acuity of 20 over 1000, so it’s not much. It’s like living in a colorful fog the way I describe it to people.

Life is an amazing thing. In my younger years, I unfortunately held quite a pessimistic perspective on life because it was drilled into my mind that there was not much that I’d be able to do. Slowly but surely I’m seeing how wrong that is. Things that I was told that I couldn’t do as a child because of lack of vision, I try to find ways to do now as an adult.

Life is short and the reality is it’s not the beginning at birth that is significant in the scheme of things. And it’s not the end when we leave this world. It’s about the middle. And it’s about what we do in the middle that counts the lives that we can impact that maybe no one else could. The effect of the ripple of choosing to go against the grain and the amazing impact that that can have on the lives of others.

Finding Love Amidst Adversity

Here is an image of my girlfriend, Jessica and I at the ocean, one of my favorite places. I wasn’t looking for love. I was done with relationships. And then our paths cross and I have the opportunity to get to know an amazing woman who is going through some pretty severe and quite frankly, scary medical circumstances, but the time I get to spend with her and the joy that she brings into my life and the lives of my kids that outweighs anything.

And the reality is wherever you’re at in your life right now, you might feel like you’re down in those ashes too. But just know this, you don’t have to stay there. Are there realistic limitations on life as a person with a disability? Yes, but life in and of itself is not the limiting factor.

We find what we can do and we do it to the best of our abilities. It’s about coming up out of those ashes. The ashes of depression, the ashes of a bad childhood, the ashes of chaos and soaring into the sky. Oh, and there’s beauty in those ashes. And if you’re in those actions, just know that that beauty, that’s you, and it’s time to rise and fly.

A Message of Hope & Resilience

There is so much more that I could elaborate on in regards to my story, the hopes and dreams that I have. I absolutely love my job and I love the organization with which I work. However, I do live in California and it is very expensive out here.

Someday I hope to potentially start my own assistive technology training business to be able to better support my family, but for until that time comes, I’m perfectly happy where I’m at and I do my best to make things work, to provide for my own.

Again, it’s not where you started at that makes a difference. It’s what you do along the way. Regardless of the circumstances, I want to encourage anyone who is reading this or listening to this, wherever you’re at, no matter how downtrodden you feel, even if you have to crawl inch by inch, don’t stop. Keep going.

As I said, I could add a lot more to this. I have recorded this many times. I’ve lost count. And I still feel like I don’t have this right. But, I’m going to leave you with this. There’s a symbol in mathematics called the infinity symbol. It’s essentially like a number eight turned sideways. And in mathematics, this symbol, it means never ending.

But I’d like to shed a different light on that. It’s not just never ending. Because never ending, it’s putting emphasis on the ending. When does it end? Never. But I’d like to look at it in this perspective of never stop.

Yes, there’s pain. Yes, there are tears. Yes, there are heartaches aplenty. But don’t stop.

Those are the words I’ve been telling myself for years and I still tell myself to this day Don’t stop. I hope that This has been of some help to someone out there And you’re more than welcome to reach out to me if you’d like, if ever I can be of assistance But regardless, thank you for your time and listening And I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

Bob Cole’s Bio

Bob Cole is a full-time Assistive Technology trainer and a full-time single father to two boys aged 12 and 14. He has a strong love for technology, writing, and much more. Bob strives to be a strong advocate for those who are blind or who live with other disabilities.

Connecting With Bob Cole

Join Our Community

Like what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header, Beyond Sight Magazine cover, and YouTube thumbnail are identical and show Bob and his kids standing close together, smiling towards the camera. They are outdoors, with a clear sky in the background that suggests it’s either dawn or dusk due to the soft lighting. On the left is Bob’s youngest son with short, curly blonde hair, wearing a gray hoodie and a red necklace. They are slightly leaning towards Bob in the middle. Bob is wearing sunglasses, a dark cap, and a striped polo shirt. He has a light beard and mustache. On the right is Bob’s oldest son with long, straight brown hair. He is wearing a black T-shirt with a colorful anime design and camouflage pants. All three individuals appear to be enjoying the moment, evidenced by their broad smiles. Text on the cover reads “May 2024 Beyond Sight Magazine A Bold Blind Beauty Project | Bob Cole.”
  • Video description: Bob describes the video throughout his story.
  • This is a generative AI meme created by Bob. The image features a majestic, mythical phoenix soaring through a dramatic night sky. The phoenix resembles an eagle but is stylized with glowing, electric blue feathers, giving it an ethereal appearance. Its wings are wide spread and its head is raised proudly, with sharp, attentive eyes and a striking crest of feathers atop its head. In the background, the sky is a deep blue, illuminated by the light of a large, full moon that appears close to the horizon. The moon casts a soft, pale light that contrasts with the vivid blue of the bird. Adding to the dramatic atmosphere, a bolt of lightning forks through the sky on the right side of the image. Below the image, there is a caption that reads: “EVEN IN THE DARKEST OF NIGHTS…RISE, FLY, AND SOAR THROUGH THE STORM.” This phrase adds an inspirational tone to the scene, emphasizing themes of resilience and majesty.
  • The photo shows Bob and his girlfriend taking a selfie by the sea. Bob is on the left with curly dark hair and wearing a dark gray polo shirt. He has a silver necklace with a blue and silver phoenix pendant. Bob’s girlfriend is smiling broadly, wearing glasses, and dressed in a light beige hoodie. Her hair is pulled back. Behind them, you can see the ocean and a cloudy sky. The setting appears to be a coastal area with a rocky backdrop.

Unstoppable | The Vision Journey of Isaac Jean-Paul

Editor’s Note

We are excited to introduce Isaac Jean-Paul (IJP) as our Man In Motion for April. IJP’s journey exemplifies the true meaning of resilience and determination, showcasing the incredible power of the human spirit to overcome obstacles.

Despite being diagnosed with juvenile retinaschisis at a young age, Isaac has achieved remarkable success as a Paralympic track and field athlete. His story is a testament to the triumph of the human will against adversity. Through his unwavering dedication and passion for sports, he has broken down barriers and paved the way for inclusivity in athletics.

Isaac is not only accomplished in athletics, but is also a fervent supporter of disability rights and inclusion. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Lewis University and an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Harper College. Currently, he serves as the Creative Director of Marketing and a Paralympic Coach at San Diego State University Adaptive Sports. With a passion for both adaptive athletics and education, Isaac uses his expertise in communication, leadership, and innovation to lead impactful campaigns and programs that promote diversity and inclusion.

Watch IJP’s video or, for those who prefer reading, find the transcript below. Enjoy!

Stephanae McCoy
Editor-in-Chief, Bold Blind Beauty

I gravitated towards sports because it was a place where I didn’t have to worry about my disability. Nobody looked at me differently, they just saw me as another player or another athlete, a good one at that.

~Isaac Jean-Paul

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

Isaac Jean-Paul, April 2024 Man In Motion

YouTube Video

From Diagnosis to Athletic Success

What’s going on guys. It’s your boy, IJP, Isaac John Paul. Stephanae, I want to thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this month’s Bold Blind Beauty Men In Motion.

For those who don’t know, I am a Paralympic track and field athlete and my vision journey started once I joined the Paralympics. Prior to then at the age of two, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Retinoschisis.

Juvenile Retinoschisis is an eye condition where I have detached retinas. And what the functions of the retinas are, pretty much they’re the signals that transfer the image from your eyes to your brain. And so with me having detachments, those signals are distorted. That leaves me with 20 percent of my vision. Regardless of that, I was able to have a successful athletic career despite my disability.

My athletic career was so successful, people didn’t know I had a visual impairment. It was like I blended in. I gravitated towards sports because it was a place where I didn’t have to worry about my disability. Nobody looked at me differently, they just saw me as another player or another athlete, a good one at that.

Redefining Identity and Advocacy

Well, in 2017, that’s when everything changed. When I joined the Paralympics, I was no longer that great athlete. I was that blind, great athlete. The very thing that I defined my whole being about was stripped away from me.

And now I have this new title of being this blind athlete. It didn’t sit well with me. I was uncomfortable. I guess you can say I was just fighting the fact that I actually had a disability. I started to see how people were more so focused on my disability than my actual ability to be a great athlete. And when I realized that, I realized it was necessary to take action and be an advocate for those with disabilities and educating people that anyone can be great. The way that they do it may be different. It may be unorthodox. It may not be the way that you could do it, but if they can do it, then why not?

Chasing Dreams

Now, currently, I’m an author. I’m a writer. I’m an advocate for those with disabilities, and I’m currently still chasing my dreams of being the first ever Paralympic gold medalist and Olympic gold medalist.

So keep your eyes out, no pun intended, but keep a lookout for your boy IJP for this upcoming summer for the Paralympic Games and in Paris, excuse me, and also the Olympic Games in Paris. I need all your support. I need all the love, all the prayers because I can’t do this alone takes a community. So let’s do it.

This is IJP and this is my vision journey. Love and peace.

Isaac Jean-Paul’s Bio

With a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Lewis University and an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Harper College, I proudly serve as the Creative Director of Marketing and a Paralympic Coach at San Diego State University Adaptive Sports.

Passionate about both adaptive athletics and education, I leverage my expertise in communication, leadership, and innovation to spearhead impactful campaigns and programs that champion diversity and inclusion.

In my role as Creative Director of Marketing, I actively engage with members of the Any Questions platform, fostering discussions on current topics in adaptive athletics and various educational domains. I am dedicated to raising awareness about the experiences of individuals with disabilities and highlighting the achievements of Paralympic athletes.

As a Paralympic Coach, I play a pivotal role in facilitating workouts, guiding athletes in their athletic and personal growth, and spearheading efforts in athlete recruitment. I am driven by the opportunity to share my knowledge, inspire others, and contribute to the advancement of the adaptive sports community.

Bringing a wealth of diverse perspectives and experiences to the table, including my background as a former NCAA high jump national champion, five-time All-American, and recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, I am committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.

Connecting With IJP

Join Our CommunityLike what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header, Beyond Sight Magazine cover, and YouTube thumbnail are identical and shows Isaac Jean-Paul a black male athlete in mid-action, likely running. He is wearing a striped tank top with “USA” printed across the chest. He has on dark sunglasses and is wearing a race bib with the name “JEAN-PAUL” and the Toyota logo on it. His hair is styled in dreadlocks that are flying back due to his motion, and he has a focused expression on his face. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight April 2024 |  Isaac Jean-Paul.”
  • Video description: In the video, IJP is outdoors with sunglasses on wearing a white tee shirt. In the background is a bright blue sky.
  • A gallery of three photos: 1) The picture shows IJP smiling for the camera with another man. He is giving a peace sign with his hand and has sunglasses on his head styled in twists. The man in the background is white with white hair, and is wearing a dark shirt. The background is a brick wall. 2) The picture shows IJP smiling broadly while posing for a photo on an indoor artificial turf field. He has long dreadlocks with green and yellow bands, and he’s wearing a teal hoodie. He’s crouching slightly and pointing at the camera with his right hand.On the right is a child with a big smile, wearing glasses with blue frames. The child has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a black t-shirt with a colorful design and grey pants. The child’s left arm is around the man’s shoulder. 3) IJP and a small child are lying on what appears to be artificial grass. The man is on his back with his head tilted slightly to the left, smiling with his eyes closed. He is wearing a red shirt. The child, who is lying on top of the man’s chest, is also smiling and looking directly at the camera. The child has light skin, curly hair, and is wearing a yellow shirt. The child’s arms are wrapped around the man’s neck, and the man’s arms are holding the child’s hands.
  • A headshot of IJP with shoulder-length dreadlocks. His facial hair is neatly trimmed, and he has a bright, engaging smile showing white teeth. He is wearing a mustard-colored crew neck shirt.

Kevin Moore: A VIP Embraces Life After Sight Loss

Editor’s Note

Today, we are honored to share the remarkable journey of Kevin Moore, our Man of Motion for March. Kevin’s story is a powerful testament to resilience and adaptability in the face of unforeseen challenges. In the blink of an eye, he experienced a swift transition from impeccable vision to the sudden loss of sight, accompanied by the unexpected departure from his job and a significant shift in his daily life.

What makes Kevin’s narrative particularly impactful is his unwavering determination to regain independence and navigate the world without sight. His journey serves as a poignant reminder that life-altering disabilities can happen to anyone, regardless of their current abilities. Kevin’s ability to embrace life after sight loss reflects the strength that resides within each of us to overcome unexpected adversities. We hope you find encouragement in Kevin’s story as he shares the triumphs and challenges of his post-sight-loss journey.

Stephanae McCoy
Editor-in-Chief, Bold Blind Beauty

Sometimes people tell me that I’m an inspiration and I have a really hard time with that and here’s why. I’m just a guy that lost his eyesight, and I’m just trying to move forward. I’m not here to inspire others. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, don’t take me wrong. I’m just trying to get along.

~Kevin Moore

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

Kevin Moore, March 2024 Man In Motion

YouTube Video

Introduction & VIP Status

Hi y’all. My name is Kevin Moore, and that’s M-O-O-R-E for those of you taking notes. I am March’s Man In Motion for Bold Blind Beauty. Thank you, Steph. I am also a VIP. I am a visually impaired person. I am legally blind in both eyes. And this is my story.

In very early 2020, I had cataract surgery where I had the lenses replaced in my eyes. My vision was impeccable. I could see it to next week. It was unbelievable. Let’s jump ahead to July of 2022. I go into the Hospital for open heart surgery, or bypass surgery. I had five jumps done, and I’ve got the scar to prove it.

And, with that my cardiologist, as they do with most heart patients, I was put on a drug called amiodarone, which is a drug to inhibit AFib to get you back where your heart is supposed to be. So I was put on that drug.

Now it’s a great drug for AFib, but as my general practitioner would explain, it is a horrible drug for everything else. It attacks the thyroid, it attacks the lungs, as well as the liver, it can. Oh, by the way, it also, in very rare cases, attacks the optic nerves. I’m the rare case.

Optic Strokes & Medication Decision

After being on amiodarone for about seven months, I quit taking it on March the 3rd of 2023 and here’s why.

In Thanksgiving of 2022 on that weekend, I had an optic stroke in this eye. Well, an optic stroke is literally a curtain that forms across horizontally your eye. And it’s black below and you have some, your vision above it. Over a period of time as that stroke travels through the back wall of your eye it clarifies out to what I have today.

So I go to my ophthalmologist, he checks it out. He says, “yeah, you’ve had an optic stroke, there’s nothing we can do, but you should be good, it’s rare, very rare that anything else like this would happen with the other eye.”

February the 9th, I woke up with an optic stroke in my right eye. By February the 27th of 2023, I had lost my eyesight. And, I am on that spectrum. I am not completely blind, but, let me tell you where I’m at. I live with a big blind spot right here in front of me. My peripheral vision is extremely blurry.

The optic nerves in my eyes, they’re like the lights went out. They went from being a blue, which is alive and vibrant, to a pale pink, which is where they’re at today, they’re not working. I am extremely photophobic. The lights just here where I’m filming this are LEDs and they’re extremely bright to me right now. That is why I keep these very close to me.

Outside sunlight is oftentimes excruciating as far as pain, just because of the brightness of it. So that’s where I’m at.

The amiodarone, from what my neuro ophthalmologist explained, which is the smart guy that I went to at Methodist Hospital in Houston deals with the electronics between the eye and the brain. He said that “the amiodarone has exasperated the what they call Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Neuropathy, NION.” That’s the medical thing that I suffer from.Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Life Changes & Resigning from Work

So what have I done since? Well, what has happened is I am no longer employed. February the 27th, when I lost my eyesight, I woke up that morning, my wife of 42 years had to drive me into work. Because I could not drive and I had driven us everywhere in our marriage throughout all 42 years. And now she is a very good looking chauffeur for me because I do not drive anymore.

I went in and had to resign from my job. I was a draftsman throughout my career. From the time I was 17 years old, and as a draftsman I had worked my way into instrumentation with petrochemical industry, and I made a very good living for my wife and my two daughters.

On February 27th, I ceased being able to see my wife, my two beautiful daughters, and my wonderful grandkids. I have three grandkids, can’t see them clearly anymore. So that’s what that did for me.

Gaining Independence & Orientation Mobility Training

Moving forward, gaining independence has been the important of my life since this has happened. So, after a year, I am receiving orientation mobility training. It took a year to just get it all worked out. But I am receiving it now. I received six hours in February and I should receive six hours in March. So that’s wonderful.

I use a cane. I use a white cane to get around. And it’s a white cane with the red at the bottom for visually impaired. I use Ambutech. It’s a 72 inch cane with a wooden handle. And I use a ceramic tip. The cane itself is graphite, it’s extremely light and that’s how I roll. I’m just doing the best that I can with what I got now, and it’s all about gaining independence and maintaining as close a lifestyle as I had prior to losing my eyes and becoming a VIP.

Reluctance to be Called an Inspiration

Sometimes people tell me that I’m an inspiration and I have a really hard time with that and here’s why. I’m just a guy that lost his eyesight, and I’m just trying to move forward. I’m not here to inspire others. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, don’t take me wrong. I’m just trying to get along.

There are many wonderful people in this world that inspire others. This guy really doesn’t. But they’re very sweet and they’re very kind in their words. Again, I, I’m just doing the best I can.

I wear this shirt today because this is a shirt from Jeremy Cyrus. He’s the patina, patina, patina guy because it’s all about old things that have taken on layers upon layers of life and blindness being visually impaired is just another layer for me. So we’re just dealing with that layer and you don’t wash it off. You just marvel at it. That’s all you can really do.

My hobbies that what I play with throughout the day is, they’re knives. I like knives. I like sharp things that are pointy. And I like them. I like playing with them, flipping them open. I like sharpening knives, doing the things with them.

Kev’s Blind Life & Community Engagement

I have an Instagram channel that is called HawaiianShirtFridayEDC, that stands for Everyday Carry. You can check me out if you want. I also have my blind, this is my therapy channel on Instagram that is called Kev’s Blind Life, where I just talk about what’s happened to me and things in the visually impaired and blind community.

So that’s me. That’s where I’m at. I do have a question for you. If you were driving as a blind individual and you were pulled over by the police, would he cite you?

Didn’t see that coming, did you? Probably turned a blind eye to it.

Thank you, Steph. Thanks for having me. Thanks for the sweet honor. And we shall see y’all on the next one.

Connecting With Kevin Moore

Join Our CommunityLike what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header, Beyond Sight Magazine cover, and YouTube thumbnail are identical and show Kevin, a white middle aged man, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. He has short, neatly combed white hair with a salt & pepper goatee. He is wearing a black t-shirt with white letters. He has black sunglasses atop his head.
  • Video description: In the video, the background is a room with a brown and beige color scheme, including a window with blinds partially visible.

Joshua Loya: Blazing Trails Beyond Vision

Editor’s Note

We are thrilled to feature Joshua Loya as our Man In Motion for February 2024, sharing his incredible journey that defies societal expectations, emphasizing the power of embracing adventure, martial arts, and comedy. Join us in celebrating Joshua’s story, a testament to the boundless potential that lies beyond conventional perceptions of sight and showcasing the true essence of living boldly.

 Live your authentic self as best as you can. Love people as best you can. Love yourself especially, it’s a must. And then you too can, can find your own way of being bold, blind, and beautiful.

~Joshua Loya

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

Joshua Loya | Beyond Sight Magazine

YouTube Video

Navigating Life’s Challenges

Joshua & guide dog, Megan

Hi, I’m Joshua Loya. I’m not autistic, but I can’t look you in the eye either. Well, actually, it’s possible I’m autistic, I’ve never been tested. But I have had a difficult time with eye contact, even when I could still see. I was nearsighted in both of my eyes up until three. Lost the vision of my right eye when I was three years old, and then, had very nearsighted vision in my left eye, 20/300 if I wore glasses.

Fast forward to high school and I was recovering from a bunch of eye surgeries and things and over the course of the last year, a few months out from previous surgery, and they told me they didn’t want me running or lifting weights or, straining too much in the bathroom even.

Yeah, that was actually, a message that a doctor had really spoken to me with real words. “Don’t strain too hard in there,” because that would have sent me to the hospital with a retinal hemorrhage. So, super, fragile eyesight in that remaining eye. I was actually exempt from phys ed class.

So what do I do? You know, 15 year old kid, restless, metalhead. I still like going to shows and the mosh pit. and crowd surfing, all that kind of fun stuff. I grab a pair of nunchucks that I had bought at a pawn shop. Cranked up Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven album as loud as it would possibly go.

I was home. My mom would not have liked it as loud as, I had it, but she wasn’t there. I was by myself, and I grabbed out my nunchucks, and I hit myself in my only remaining good eye. yeah, because my right eye was still there inside my skull, but it was no longer functioning. And, that was a bit of an adjustment.

Defying Stereotypes

Joshua surfing

But here’s the crazy thing, right? Like, I hate it when people say, Oh, my blindness was a good thing! I learned so much! No. Okay, like, you are beautiful, whether you’re blind, whether you can see a little bit, whether you can see a lot. But your blindness isn’t the thing that makes you you. you’re inside, you’re mind, you’re everything. That, that’s, that’s who you are, right?

So, you know, my blindness was not a good thing. But there, there was a really cool thing that came out of it. Because when I was younger, when I could still see, like I said, I was exempt from phys ed. I could see only about half court basketball. I couldn’t, like, catch a basketball from further than half a court away. I wasn’t really supposed to play anyway, because one hit to the head, I would have gone to the hospital.

But, once I learned the basics of navigating blind, and, that’s still a process. I forget things and need to relearn things, even at 43 years old. Then I could start enjoying risking doing the things that what have otherwise made me more likely to lose the eyesight I no longer had.

So after I lost my eyesight, then I tried water skiing, dabbled with Kung Fu, got my belay card at a climbing gym. And I was able to go to concerts and be able to be a little bit more loose and crowd surfed more. Actually, I almost got kicked out of a POD concert because they didn’t realize I was blind and they were upset that I was crowd surfing, that was fun.

I eventually went on to, to earn, this sounds like I’m showing off, but, I have five third degree black belts. I’m about to test for my fourth degree black belt with one of my instructors. I’ve been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a while, I have a purple belt in that. I’ve,, had this great level of experience throughout the last, 20 years or so. give or take, doing martial arts, and that’s been a huge part of my life. I would not have been able to do it as much blind. I’m sorry, sighted. I was actually able to do it better blind.

Eventually went on to, learn how to surf, and to do a bunch of these other things. I don’t say this to say like, Hey, look at me, I’m special, I’m a comedian. Yeah, I am a comedian. jury’s out as to how funny I am but that is something that I do. I’m able to authentically be myself on stage in front of all these strangers. And, appreciate that my mind works this way. I communicate well in this environment; I set a timer on my Apple Watch so that I don’t run the light. You know, all these things, I have a place where I can win.

Living Authentically

Joshua Loya at Madhouse Comedy Club downtown San Diego 11/23

And I think the problem is, is when we start thinking we have to win the way other people say we have to win. Right? You know, if you’re blind, oh, you could be a piano tuner. Or, you could be a braille teacher. Or, you could be an assistive technology trainer, which is what I was for a few years. I, I decided to be a, an adventurer. Right? I know that sounds kind of goofy and silly and how practical is that? But I quit my job in 2016 to be an adventurer.

Started doing judo more, and like I said, I got into surfing. Now I’m a stand up comic and a martial artist and a competitive surfer. Still trying to make all that stuff work, but it’s what I do. Because there is no one way to be blind. There’s no one way to think. There’s no one way to eat a piece of pizza. However, if you eat it with a knife and fork, if I had eyes, I’d look at you crosswise. Or, I could see, I’d be mad muggin ya. Let’s just put it that way. but I’d still defend your right to eat pizza with a knife and fork. You can be bougie if you wanna.

By the way, before we end, I’m just gonna suggest that you can be blind and have a sense of style. I’m wearing pretty much all black. Got black jeans, all black Chuck Taylor Converse Sneakers, and a black jean jacket, and I’m wearing my, Punisher t shirt, with the skull logo from the Marvel series, and then I’m wearing a very dark brown studded belt with a couple of bondage rings on the front to kinda just keep it in place.

But, truly, you know, navigating visually impaired, or partially sighted, whatever the proper term is anymore, that was actually harder. The in between was harder, but I found my way. I found my way blind, I found my way by loving myself, and by cultivating curiosity instead of feeding the beast of anxiety. And there are some steps to do that that’s been a process for me to learn, that might be different for you. You might not even struggle with those things, but you don’t have to be somebody else’s picture of what blind is. Of what anything is.

Live your authentic self as best as you can. Love people as best you can. Love yourself especially, it’s a must. And then you too can, can find your own way of being bold, blind, and beautiful. Thanks for listening.

Connecting With Joshua

Join Our CommunityLike what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header and YouTube thumnail are identical and show Joshha Loya surfing in the ISA (International Surfing Association) Para World Surfing Championships Dec 08 2022.
  • The Beyond Sight Magazine cover features Joshua, a white man with a beard and a bald head. He is wearing a blue sweater with his chin resting on his crossed arms. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight February 2024 | Joshua Loya.”
  • A full length photo of Joshua outside on a lawn with his guide dog, Megan, a black labrador.
  • Another surfing photo of Joshua wearing a white helment with red and black swimwear.
  • Joshua Loya performing at Madhouse Comedy Club downtown San Diego 11/23.

Nigel Hector | August 2023 Men In Motion

If you have the will, the determination to succeed, you can be whatever you want to be, no matter the obstacles that may be in your path.

~Nigel Hector

Editor’s Note

At Bold Blind Beauty, much work goes into showcasing encouraging individuals. We search for uplifting stories, schedule interviews, and edit videos, transcripts, and captions before uploading them to platforms like YouTube and WordPress. This can be a daunting task, but this month’s Man In Motion feature wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our intern, Jadon Lau. He found our guest and saw the project through to publication.

A quick word about Nigel, an extremely humble person. A naturally born survivor, his singing is a must-see on Instagram, as his voice is incredibly silky smooth. Now, let’s introduce Nigel Hector, as written by Jadon.

Nigel Hector is a Jamaican-born soulful singer who expresses himself candidly and works to advocate for human rights. It is an honor to feature him for our Men in Motion segment this summer–but let’s be honest, it feels more like fall. Enjoy! ~Jadon Lau

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

YouTube Video

A Born Survivor

Hi, my name is Nigel Hector, and I’d like to start off by saying thank you to Bold Blind Beauty for having me be a part of their Men in Motion series. Now, my journey with Blindness has been a lifelong journey. I was born premature, five months and two weeks. And even before I exited the womb, the doctors had pronounced me stillborn.

I was birthed, and while I was about to be carried off to the morgue, I cried out and was rescued post haste. I was incubated for three months and the doctors, they still had their doubts. They still thought I wasn’t going to make it.

So my eyes were not covered while I was in the incubation chamber. And as a result of that, the light in the incubator burnt out all the oxygen in my retina. I was discharged, taken home by my mother and family members.

Totally Blind At 6 Months

When I was about six months old, my mother and family members, they noticed that my eyes had a glossy look to them. So they took me back to the hospital and I was diagnosed. My parents, they were told I was totally blind.

Now my early childhood years, they weren’t different from any other young child growing up, everything was pretty normal. I lived pretty normally I lived a normal life. I played with all the kids in the neighborhood. I didn’t feel left out or ostracized. I did all the things little children would do, gave all the trouble they would give.

I actually started school at a very young age to around two and a half to three years old. I was very eager to learn. And I was sent to a proprietary institution in Montego Bay, Jamaica where I’m from.

See the thing is though, in Montego Bay, Jamaica and many parts of Jamaica, the people they don’t really know how to facilitate blind and visually impaired individuals. But they try. And while at this institution, I remember vividly the teachers, they would use construction paper and apply sand and glue to the paper to make letters and numbers so I could use my fingers and trace as a means of keeping up with the rest of the kids in the class, interacting being involved, being a part of the lessons. But as I already said, I was very eager to learn. I wanted to know more.

Thirst For Learning

So my mother started looking around to see if there were other institutions in Jamaica that would facilitate me, facilitate my learning, facilitate my growth and development. and she stumbled upon The Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Children that’s located in Kingston. I was sent there, I boarded at the institution, and that was where I learned a lot of independent life skills such as, how to make a bed or how to tie shoelaces, et cetera, et cetera. And I even learned braille there. That was where I began my schooling and did a majority of my schooling.

I then transitioned from there when I was older to a traditional high school in Jamaica and in those high schools, they don’t all know how to, to facilitate blind and visually impaired children. So it was up to me to show them the ropes. I acclimated pretty well. I performed excellently there. But a few years into high school in Jamaica, I migrated to the US and finished high school here.

After that I transitioned to university, I’m currently attending Stony Brook University. And I am double majoring in History and Political Science with concentrations in US History, law, government, and public policy. And I’m performing well there as well.

But alongside that, I am also a recording artist. Yes, an upcoming celebrity. I firmly believe that adversity builds character and there is nothing that’s impossible to do. If you have the will, the determination to succeed, you can be whatever you want to be, no matter the obstacles that may be in your path. Thank you.

Nigel’s Bio

Greetings! My name is Nigel Hector. I am a recording artist and a current student at Stony Brook University double majoring in US history and political science. I believe any dream is achievable, as long as one puts their all into achieving it. Nothing is impossible and no obstacles to great to overcome, regardless of one’s circumstances.

Connecting With Nigel

Join Our CommunityLike what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header, Beyond Sight Magazine Cover, and YouTube Thumbnail are identical shots of Nigel standing outdoors casually dressed in jeans, a graphic sweatshirt and jacket. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight August 2023 | Men In Motion | Nigel Hector.”
  • The video is a headshot of Nigel who is outside wearing a polo shirt.

Jadon Lau | July 2023 Men In Motion

My goal this summer is not only to gain work experience, but also to expand my network and to explore the careers of creative writing, copywriting and possibly counseling.

~Jadon Lau

Editor’s Note

Introducing Jadon Lau, a talented writer and our latest intern in the Virtual Work Experience Program at Bold Blind Beauty. Jadon has displayed a keen interest in the activities and objectives of our organization from the very beginning. Besides carrying out outreach for our monthly features, he has also shown an inclination towards marketing. Thus, we partnered him with Anne Mok, one of our Ambassadors, to aid her in carrying our the marketing strategy she developed for the e-store. Jadon is a valuable member of our team and is currently collaborating with fellow intern Matthew Cho to produce a podcast episode.  

As part of our monthly features, we have included both the YouTube video and transcript for your convenience. Enjoy!~Steph

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

YouTube Video

Meeting Jadon Lau

Hi, my name is Jadon Lau. I am an upcoming junior at Bingington University. I have experience in fiction, creative writing, blog copywriting, researching, and tutoring. I am passionate in creating an open, inclusive environment for all people, no matter their background, ethnic identity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. I thank Bold Blind Beauty for allowing me to feature in their men in motion segment. It is an honor.

Being Born Blind

I was born completely blind, and while I grew up, I received half a dozen surgeries, which were able to save my right eye, but unable to my left. I currently have 20/800 vision. I’m able to see color, light, and motion.

I’m unable to recognize people by their faces, and I am able to recognize them, although I admit that I’m not always successful in doing so by their voices. I need proper and sufficient orientation and mobility instruction in order to navigate a new environment. I’m able to navigate an environment I am familiar with, whether in the daytime or nighttime.

I attended public schools all my life, and in primary school I had the help of a teacher of the visually impaired and a one-to-one note taker and scribe. They have become very close with me, friends that I hold near and dear to me. I got along with my fellow students, my teachers, and it was thanks to my teacher of the visually impaired and my parents that I received all the accommodations I needed.

Acquiring Independence Through Self-Advocacy

Now I need to advocate for myself and I need to be self-sufficient. I admit that it has been a struggle in order to advocate for myself since I always relied on the help of my parents, but I am very thankful for them pushing me so that now I’m able to live in independently. In the summer, I would attend summer camps and programs such as Visions (VCB), Camp Abilities Saratoga, College Readiness Programs, and Work Experience Training.

These programs greatly helped me to connect with my community of people with disabilities. I admit that for much of my life, because I spent time with either my family or people who were familiar with me, I took for granted the accommodations that I had, as well as the familiarity of people around me.

Outside of those friends and the community I’d grown up with in school, people were unfamiliar with what it means to be visually impaired, much less how to handle anyone with a disability. It was thanks to the summer programs that I attended that I became aware of and learned to interact with people who were unfamiliar with those with disabilities.

College & Pursuits

I’m enrolled in Bingington University because it was one of the top colleges open to students with disabilities. I applied for accommodations with its Services for Students with Disabilities or SSD office. Well, staff and teachers were of great help to me, I am very thankful for how they call me and for the office hours that I have with them.

I do not connect and interact with many of my fellow students. I became more active online and I’m thankful to have met two friends who are very close with me today. I’m thankful for them, the support and for providing me with company and love. They are what inspired me to explore my passion in creative writing, as well as pursue a goal in creating an open, inclusive environment for all people.

Because of them, one of my friends suggested to me to pursue counseling because I am someone who is sociable, amiable, and I am compassionate. And I like to think that I’m able to sympathize with people and to listen to the struggles and help them out, or bring them come first.

This summer I’m working with Bold Blind Beauty as well as another company, The Love Manual Incorporated. My goal this summer is not only to gain work experience, but also to expand my network and to explore the careers of creative writing, copywriting and possibly counseling. With Bold Blind Beauty I hope to raise awareness while people with disabilities help them to feel more included in society and represents them.

With The Love Manual Incorporated I hope to educate people about love and and maintaining a healthy relationship and loving themselves. I can be found on Instagram @fireside_chatter on Facebook as Jadon Lau and LinkedIn as Jadon Lau. Thank you.

Jadon’s Bio

Jadon is going into his junior year of college. He has a passion for creative writing and helping others. Jadon is pursuing a career in life coaching and he uses his experience in creative writing to spread positivity and love.

Connecting With Jadon

Join Our Community

Like what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header, Beyond Sight Magazine Cover, and YouTube Thumbnail are identical headshots of Jadon wearing a white dress shirt. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight July 2023 | Men In Motion | Jadon Lau.”
  • In the video, Jadon is standing in a room facing the camera wearing a white mock-neck shirt with his sleeves rolled up.

Matthew Cho | June 2023 Men In Motion

One thing everyone should know is that visually impaired individuals are people too. We have feelings. We also have the ability to become smart, young men and women.

~Matthew Cho

Editor’s Note

Meet Matthew Cho, a recent intern in our Virtual Work Experience Program at Bold Blind Beauty. He has been a valuable asset to our team and is currently co-producing a podcast episode with fellow intern Jadon Lau. Matthew’s story as a Man In Motion, typically published on the first Monday of each month, is being featured today. 

I apologize for the delays in our regular publication schedule, as I was caring for my mother in hospice until her recent passing. However, my team and I are still dedicated to advocating for the idea that blindness is a spectrum, and that visually impaired individuals are competent and essential members of society. We believe that by living our best lives and sharing our experiences, we can challenge misconceptions about blindness. ~Steph

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

YouTube Video

Meeting Matthew Cho

Hello everyone. My name is Matthew Cho and I am the intern for Bold Blind Beauty for 2023. I’d like to introduce myself. As I said, my name is Matthew Cho. I am 19 years old and I’m currently a senior student in High School.

So I am visually impaired I have low vision. I have no vision in my left eye, and a little bit of vision in my right eye.

I am an Asian American. Korean American, and I live in New York City. So I was diagnosed with a tumor in 2019. I became blind after my second brain surgery, and I lost my vision. When Covid hit, I was recovering and it was kind of hard to socialize, so I was at home living with my family, but I was, I was with the people who I loved, and when I transferred to the New York Institute for Special Education in 2021, I was a remote student.

Empowerment Through Learning

I got to learn and meet new people, and I was able to kind of learn the different equipment that I needed to use for school. I had my iPad and I quickly learned that it’s quite difficult to, to learn using only your hearing.

Now with the help of the Lighthouse Guild I had a very special technology instructor who taught me about voiceover. Now, voiceover is a screen reader that reads everything on your screen, and that’s how I used and learned remote learning. And when I went fully in person in the fall of 2021, I realized how amazing it was that I experienced the kids and the friendly students around me. I was shocked at how well they could travel.

Now, I wish, like my goal was, that I could become like them one day. And I was placed through O & M instruction, which stands for Orientation and Mobility, and I was taught how to use my cane. It was quite a long process and I still, I’m learning, but it’s, it’s made a difference in my life. I now know how to walk around by myself and get things at the grocery store if I need to.

Learning in the school really helped me. I learned how to enhance my skills of typing and using the screen readers. I learned how to use JAWS, which it’s called Job Access With Speech it’s another screen reader. And I learned how to learn the way a visually impaired individual would. I learned that I really need to advocate for myself and that being blind doesn’t mean that you have to quit everything. You shouldn’t give up. You should just keep trying harder.

Growth In Opportunities

Matthew at NASA

Through my experiences, which include working at different internships, I’ve learned that you should take, all the help that you can get.

When I joined Bold Blind Beauty in the beginning of 2023, I was instantly overjoyed because of the friendly staff. The team is so nice and funny and I really learned a lot at my stay here at Bold Blind Beauty. My experiences helped me to grow, grow as a person. And I know that being blind should not be an obstacle. All it should be is a barrier and that we should go around the barrier to achieve our goals.

I was able to be a part of a wonderful opportunity. I represented the Lighthouse Guild, NASA and Amazon. I was part of the Artemis One virtual crew, and I got to talk to Alexa while she was in space. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, and I realized that you could enjoy things with your hearing too.

One thing everyone should know is that visually impaired individuals are people too. We have feelings. We also have the ability to become smart, young men and women.

I’d like to say that I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that God has given me. Through my passion of music, I was able to lead the worship team at my youth group. Every Sunday I play for my youth group. I play the guitar and the clarinet, and I love to sing. My dream one day is to become a music therapist, and I’m hoping, and I know that this dream is achievable as long as I don’t give up and I continue believing in myself. Thank you everyone for listening to my story.

Matthew’s Bio

I am a 19-year old, Korean American, high school student. I love spending time with my family, watching baseball, and playing all sorts of music. My goal is to become a music therapist. I am passionate about Christianity, and want to help eople in anyway I can. I hope to be an influence for other people with disabilities in that they know that a disability is not a barrier, but a small detour to our success.

Connecting With Matthew

Join Our Community

Like what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • The header shows Matthew standing with a few classmates in front of his school in front of a banner that says congratulations class of 2023.
  • Beyond Sight Magazine Cover and YouTube Thumbnail are identical and shows Matthew is sitting in front of some trees in the sunlight while playing the guitar on a bench. he is smiling and wearing a cap that says, NYC. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight June 2023 | Men In Motion | Matthew Cho.”
  • Matthew is standing in front of two astronauts and shaking one of their hands. This photo was taken when Matthew was a part of the virtual crew during the Artemis one mission in December 2022. Matthew is smiling as he faces the gold reflector, which is placed on the astronauts head.

Jeff Wissel | March 2023 Men In Motion

For those of us with disabilities, it is very common to feel like we’re alone. That we’re the only ones with the conditions, that we have. The power of a mentor with a disability like ours, it can be life-changing.

~Jeff Wissel

Editor’s Note

After a 3-month hiatus we are back and I’m eager to introduce you to Jeff Wissel our March 2023 Man In Motion. Jeff is the Chief Accessibility Officer at Disability:IN a leader in the disability inclusion and equality space. Jeff’s story is relatable to everyone as we all have something we’d rather keep under wraps. When the something is a disabilitiy we can do ourselves a real disservice by hiding it. Jeff shares with us how he found power in embracing his inner voice and you can too.

Following are Jeff’s story via YouTube and in transcript form. Enjoy! ~Steph

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

YouTube Video

Meeting Jeff Wissel

I am excited and honored to be this month’s Bold Blind Beauty’s Man In Motion. Hi everyone. My name is Jeff Wissel. I’m a white male in my mid fifties. I’m of average height, average weight, and I have a little bit of brown hair still remaining. My pronouns are he and him. My wife Carla, and I have been married for 25 years. And we have two wonderful daughters, age 20 and 16.

I’ve had the opportunity to have a 28 year long career with a leading financial institution. In much of that time, I served as a certified financial planner. For the past 14 months, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as the Chief Accessibility Officer at a leading nonprofit called Disability:IN

In my current role I get to work with hundreds of our corporate partners to assist them in establishing and enhancing their accessibility and disability inclusion efforts. I am proud today to say that I am legally blind with a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa or RP. I’m proud to say it because I spent much of my life hiding the fact that I had vision loss and that I became legally blind later in life. I did not have my inner voice and I did not know what to do other than to try to fit into some mold like everyone else and hide my vision loss.

I’ll talk a little bit about my childhood and then quickly go into my working career and then later in life. My, my hope is that some of what I share, lived experiences and learnings might be helpful for some of you listening and hopefully you’re able to find your inner voice and, embrace your vision loss as your greatest strength a lot quicker than I did.

So I mentioned my wife and I have been married for 25 years. I have amazing family support with my spouse, my kids, my family, and on the personal level, everything was wonderful. On the professional level, it wasn’t until later in life that I really found my inner voice, and I’ll share that in a little bit.

Quickly, growing up, I was born with vision and for many years, up until I was probably seven, I didn’t really realize anything was different. I remember riding my bike and running into a rusty chain that I didn’t see, it was dusk time. And I remember in high school playing, um, softball and ended up losing the softball visually, and it, I was played outfield.

Receiving The Diagnosis

Different things like this happened, and it was when I was 21 years of age, I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa or RP. And I realized that, you know, at that point that things were gonna be different. The ophthalmologist shared with me that I would most likely lose the rest of my vision. He recommended that I stopped driving at 21 and he said, oh, by the way, there’s a $2,000 tax credit for being blind.

I’m sure he was a super nice guy and had great bedside manner, but like most stories that I hear when we’re diagnosed, we don’t always remember that. We just remember the diagnosis, which is a little bit hard to swallow. I was an actor for a good part of my life, meaning I tried acting like I was fully sighted even though I was experiencing vision loss.

When I was a kid, like I said, things didn’t really seem that different, but it when I was about 20, in my twenties, I started working for the financial firm and everything was paper back then. Paper documents and all the charts and graphs and so forth, it was before the internet. So, fortunately, when I first started, I was, had enough vision that I could read that, those documents and so forth and do my job, but not as effectively and effective, efficiently as others.

Cuz it took me a little bit longer to, to focus and, and get the information. As much as I could I tried to do everything on the computer. I started with a high contrast, you know, the reverse contrast to dark background and white text shifted to magnification, and that worked for a while. And then about 20 years ago, ended up just using the screen reader. I gave up struggling to, to use what vision I had, to try to read it. I just became very effective, efficient, and competitive in using the screen reader.

For 20 years, I was a phone representative as a certified financial planner working with our clients. I had a dual headset. In one ear I would hear my computer reading everything to me, that’s what a screen reader does it reads what it sees on the screen, and then the other ear was the customer. So I’m placing trades, moving money, trading options, selling stock short, all kinds of really cool stuff. At the same time, hearing a computer talking to me and hearing the customer and carrying it on a conversation, like everyone else. And I don’t think a customer ever knew that I was legally blind using a computer, to do that.

For all those years, I really tried hiding my vision loss. I felt my vision loss was a weakness and it was a vulnerability. We know that it’s human nature to hide our vulnerabilities. We also know that one out of four or one out of five people throughout the world have some form of a disability.

There’s a survey that Disability:IN does. We had 415 companies take this survey last year. And the companies that answered the question around self-disclosure showed that less than 5% of employees on average self-disclosed disabilities. I was one of those, like many of you might be. I didn’t disclose because I didn’t know what the repercussions would be and all these other things. And again, I just didn’t have my inner voice.

Strength In Mentorship

What changed for me was about eight years. I was introduced to a colleague at work who had lost her vision 20 years ago due to diabetic retinopathy. She became a vice president and had this successful career at my company, and that was the first person now in my professional circles that I had who was blind, low vision like me. She became my friend and became my mentor.

Her name was Alicia, and she helped me to embrace my vision loss as my greatest strength. Because of this relationship, we would tell our colleagues about this person that I met from our Boston office. I live in Ohio and she’s blind and she’s doing all these really cool things and I’m legally blind.

And when we would tell our colleagues that story, they would share their story of how they’re either directly or indirectly impacted by disabilities with us. Well, after about three months, Alicia said, Jeff, you should start an employee resource group for our colleagues with disabilities. And I thought for a moment, and I thought, Alicia, you’re asking me from going from the poster child of covering an invisible disability to starting this employee resource group and publicly outing myself as being legally blind.

But I did because it was working for us and when we would tell our colleagues, they felt like relieved that they were able to share this story with someone in all places at work. So we started this employee resource group, started with six of us, and at last count there were 6,500 active members of this employee resource group.

Power Of The Inner Voice

Colleagues were finding their inner voice and learning how to embrace their disabilities as a strength and not a weakness or a vulnerability. Because of that experience, we looked at what our customers were telling us and found that our customers were sharing their stories of how, you know, there might have lost their hearing and now their spouse has to call in and get the information.

All these different stories kind of tell a theme, and we ended up building a business case on this, presented it to our senior leadership and launched an enterprise-wide office of customer accessibility.

I went from being an individual contributor on the phones for 20 years. I knew we had senior leadership because we would get a memo that would say, make sure your area’s clear, cleaned up because so-and-so’s coming into to the regional phone center next week to now being a leader in the accessibility space at my company and presenting to our board of 21 senior leaders, four presidents of divisions and executive vice presidents on enterprise strategy around accessibility and disability inclusion.

I had the opportunity to work with lots of companies at that time also who used us as their vendor and, and found, you know, what their efforts were and how they were trying to enhance accessibility and realize that there are so many employees who have various disabilities in the general public.

As customers, we know so many customers have disabilities, and this incredible opportunity to become more inclusive and to make sure that accessibility is part of everything that we do. Now, as Chief Accessibility Officer, I have this opportunity to help hundreds of companies and to be on the journey with them.

We’re Stronger Together

The point of all of this that I really like to try to get across is:

For those of us with disabilities, it is very common to feel like we’re alone. That we’re the only ones with the conditions, that we have. The power of a mentor with a disability like ours, it can be life changing.

When we find our inner voice, we start to bring a diversity of thought to the table. We’re empowered to share our insights. We have to find alternative ways of doing traditional things that’s innovation, that’s creativity. That’s what employers want us to do as employees, is to be innovative, be creative, and to bring that diversity of thought to the table because it helps us to create better products and services that are more inclusive in that encompass our entire customer base, not just 85% excluding the 15% of the population that has various disabilities.

So I encourage each of you to:

  • Embrace your vision loss as a strength.
  • Find information about vision loss.
  • Embrace the blindness/low vision community.
  • Build your network.
  • Know that you’re not alone, there’s strength in numbers.

There’s lots of us out there in leadership positions, in all types of roles and so forth.

When we find our inner voice and share it and share our stories, we empower others to share their stories and to bring their diversity of thought out. I am honored to be this month’s Bold Blind Beauty’s Man In Motion. And I’m grateful for this opportunity to share a little bit about my personal life, my journey with vision loss, and to encourage each of you to share your stories.

We are all mentees. We’re lifelong mentees cuz we are on a learning journey. But all of us can be mentors as well. And to help each other find our inner voices and to bring that diversity of thought to the table. Thank you for this opportunity and have a great day.

Connecting With Jeff

Join Our Community

Like what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • Header, Beyond Sight Magazine Cover and YouTube Thumbnail are identical and shows Jeff Wissel posing while standing and holding his white cane for the camera. Per his description he is a white male in his mid fifties. He’s of average height, average weight, and has a little bit of brown hair still remaining. Jeff is wearing a suit jacket over a white button up. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight March 2023 | Men In Motion | Jeff Wissel.”
  • Video description: Jeff is talking directly to the camera while sitting in an office chair with white earbuds in his ears. He’s wearing a suit jacket over a white button-up.
  • Jeff holding his folded up white cane.

John Grimes | November 2022 Men In Motion

John Grimes | November 2022 Men In Motion

Contents:

“Challenging Beliefs and Revealing Abilities that Make People Extraordinary”

~John Grimes | Ambiguously Blind

Editor’s Note:

I had the pleasure of meeting November’s Man In Motion, John Grimes, when he invited me on his podcast Ambiguously Blind. During our pre-interview discussion I learned that John lost his sight prior to becoming a husband and girl-dad to three beautiful daughters.

John’s sight loss story is unique because it actually happened overnight while he was a sophomore in college. He’s very fortunate to have survived his encounter with menginitis however he continues to live with the afteraffects of the disease. Even so, John who works full time also works diligently on his side gig Ambiguously Blind to “Challenge Beliefs and Reveal Abilities that Make People Extraordinary.”

John also is the first person who provided us with his very own video script below. While we typically transcribe all the videos we receive for this one the captions within the video of YouTubes automated captions.

We hope you enjoy John’s story as much as we do. If you’d like to leave a comment about it please drop by our Facebook Group. We’d love to hear from you! ~Steph

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

YouTube Video

Introducing John Grimes

Thanks to Steph and Bold Blind Beauty for the work that you are doing to demystify blindness and share the message that you don’t have to have sight to have vision. I am truly honored and humbled to be considered a Man In Motion and included in the Bold Blind Beauty movement and given the opportunity to share my unique sight loss story.

Knocked Down By Meningitis

It was a day like any other in the Spring semester of my sophomore year in college. While driving back from an intermural basketball game I felt the start of what I thought was a cold. I stopped at a drug store to get some over the counter medication, then returned to my apartment. After making a quick dinner and visiting with my roommates, I wasn’t feeling any better. I hoped the medicine and a good night’s sleep would help.

As a typical teenager, I thought I was 10 feet tall and bullet proof. I had never heard of bacterial meningitis but overnight, it changed my life forever. But, I’m one of the lucky ones because meningitis can take the life of an otherwise healthy teenager in as little as 24 hours. Although we may not be able to control everything that happens to us, we do make our own destiny.

Awakening From Unconsciousness

Over the next seven days I was in a coma, and a myriad of miraculous events allowed me to survive meningitis. Coming out of a coma was not like I’d seen in movies. I was in and out of consciousness for the better part of a day. I remember being confused, exhausted and irritated. There were tubes coming out of every opening in my body, beeping and pulsing machines, and a constant stream of doctors, nurses and therapists, coming and going, poking and prodding.

Most of all, I remember being disoriented by darkness. It was as though someone had turned off the lights and I couldn’t find the switch to turn them back on. I was comforted by the voices of my parents, who were at my side and played a critical role on my long road to recovery. Some simple things like getting out of bed, walking, talking, swallowing and independent living would return in time with therapy. But neurological dysfunction and vision loss are permanent reminders of my meningitis experience.

My body endured considerable change. Most of which was not suitable for my previous care-free college lifestyle. I had to quickly wrap my head around the paradoxical shifts that needed to be made. To make matters more challenging all of my new found disabilities were mostly invisible to others but front and center to me. I think I remember from a psychology class that there are seven sages to grieving. Never much a reader, I was more interested in the Cliff Notes version which cut that down to three stages. So, I faked it and gladly played the clumsy fool. It didn’t take long to realize just how silly and exhausting that is. And then, one day it hit me. I must face the world as I am, not as I was.

Ambiguously Blind

I refer to myself as, Ambiguously Blind. My vision has been stable since it changed almost 25 years ago. I have zero vision in my right eye and about 20/300 in my left eye which is just enough to be dangerous. But most people don’t understand what 20/300 means. Actually, the same visual acuity can result in a totally different experience. So, it’s Ambiguous. My vision loss journey has taught me invaluable lessons. Many of them through trial and error. Don’t be afraid to put all of your cards on the table, even the ones you can’t win with. Because you don’t know how one card helps another one win.

In life change is mandatory but personal development is optional. We are all given the opportunity to rise above. It didn’t take long for me to understand that the world is not going to wait for me. I will not succeed until my desire to do so is greater than my disabilities. Now is always the time to take the next step.

Leaning Into Change

Ambiguously Blind started as a blog and developed into a podcast. Believe it or not, I’m a much better talker and connector than I am a writer. We Challenge Beliefs and Reveal Abilities that Make People Extraordinary. The world is full of extraordinary stories that are just waiting to be shared. And my mission is to find a share as many as I can. I’ve been so inspired by the connections I’ve made through the podcast. My hope is that the listeners are also inspired by the stories we share.

I’m planning for much more change, growth and success ahead for me. Now is the time to keep stretching, reaching for and creating the opportunities that I desire. There will be people to help along the way but no one is going to do it for me. Being honest with myself about my limitations will lead me into a life that is limitless. Only then will I hone the abilities I do have. I’m getting after it. My new motto is, “Don’t wait!” And I don’t think you should wait either. Come on, let’s go get it together!

John’s Bio:  

John Grimes is a well-established insurance professional dedicated to providing a world-class experience and expertly advising clients on coverage to safeguard their families from devastating financial loss and make their future more predictable by providing a transparent experience that ultimately gives them the peace of mind that they deserve.

One of the lucky ones, John miraculously survived meningococcal disease (meningitis) as a sophomore in college.  John’s body endured considerable trauma that was mostly healed with physical therapy.  But, neurological dysfunction and blindness are permanent reminders of his battle with meningitis. To spread awareness John is an active advocate with meningitis organizations and shares his unique survival story and journey with sight loss on his podcast, Ambiguously Blind, with a mission to challenge beliefs and reveal abilities that make people extraordinary. 

Connecting With John

Join Our Community

Like what you’ve read and want to chat about it? Join us in the Bold Blind Beauty Facebook group.

Image Descriptions:

  • Header, Beyond Sight Magazine Cover and YouTube Thumbnail are identical and is a still image of John podcasting. He’s talking into a microphone with headphones on while sitting in front of dark blue drapes. John is wearing a blue plaid shirt and he has brown hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a mustache. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight November 2022 | Men In Motion | John Grimes.”
  • Video description: A clean-shaven John is talking directly to the camera and he’s wearing a blue shirt while standing in front of the dark blue drapes.
  • John, his wife and three daughters sitting outside on a lawn for a family portrait.
  • Professional outdoor waist shot of John smiling for the camera in a suit jacket and white shirt.
  • Outdoor waistshot of John wearing an Aille Design black braille beaded t-shirt design with a light colored jacket. He’s standing in front of a red brick building.
  • Professional 3/4 waist shot of John in a dark jacket on a white background.