Tag: Marie Elise

Posted on by

Beyond Her Blur: Marie Elise’s Empowering Perspective

I believe that no matter how much more my vision will degenerate, I now have the trust in myself and the trust in my surroundings that I will be able to thrive in the future.

~Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur

Editor’s Note

With great pride, we spotlight Marie Elise as Bold Blind Beauty’s May Woman On The Move. Previously featured as our April Monthly Beauty, Marie Elise’s story is proof of the transformative power of advocacy, leadership, and lived experience in the disability community.

Through her immersive travel stories, Marie Elise invites us to experience the world beyond sight-capturing the sounds, scents, textures, and flavors of natural destinations. Her unique perspective inspires us to connect deeply with our surroundings and discover the richness of every place through all our senses.

Building on this, Marie Elise’s work demonstrates that advancing equity isn’t just about breaking down barriers, it’s about expanding what’s possible when we center diverse perspectives and lived experiences. Her dedication to authentic representation and her ability to inspire meaningful change shine as a guiding light for all striving to create a more inclusive world.

We are honored to share Marie Elise’s story and celebrate her impactful contributions to disability advocacy and beyond.

Stephanae McCoy
Editor-in-Chief, Bold Blind Beauty

Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

The photo is in the Beyond Sight Magazine cover template and shows a portrait of Marie Elise. She has wavy, shoulder-length brown hair and is smiling brightly while sitting among tall green grass. She is wearing a vibrant red lace top with thin straps and a delicate gold necklace featuring a small charm. The sunlight casts a warm, golden glow on her face, highlighting her skin, red lipstick, and cheerful expression. Some blades of grass are in the foreground, slightly blurred, adding a natural and intimate atmosphere to the image. The image is styled as a magazine cover with the title ‘BEYOND SIGHT | A Bold Blind Beauty Project’ and features ‘Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur.’ The cover is dated May 2025.
Beyond Sight Magazine | Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur

YouTube Video

Marie Elise | May 2025 Woman On The Move

Introduction and Gratitude

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in to this video. I am just beyond grateful and excited to be featured in this month’s segment of Women on the Move from Bold Blind Beauty, and will be sharing a bit more about my vision loss journey in this video. My name is Maria Elise. I’m 32 years old and I was born and raised in the Netherlands, which is also where I currently live.

I was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, which is a subtype of juvenile macular degeneration, the genetic form of macular degeneration, when I was about 16 years old. This is, I think, about the average age to be diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease. The onset of the disease can vary a lot; some are diagnosed younger, already in their childhood, some, like me, uh, in puberty, and others, even in early adulthood.

Living with Stargardt’s Disease

Marie Elise is riding a white horse along a sandy beach with gentle waves rolling in behind her. She is smiling and wearing a riding helmet, dark sunglasses, and a patterned black-and-white long-sleeve top with dark riding pants. The sky is a vibrant mix of blue and white, filled with soft, wispy clouds. The overall scene is bright, open, and joyful, capturing a serene moment by the sea.
Marie Elise riding a white horse

Because of this condition, I am losing the central portion of my vision. So in the central part of my vision, I basically see a constantly moving blur with sort of like, I think it’s called visual noise in it. This kind of blur in the middle can get gray or black in the future, but I do not know when or how fast that is going to happen.

For me, my sight loss was quite rapid in the beginning. I think that I already started losing vision when I was maybe around 12 or 13, I just didn’t notice it. It’s because when I was diagnosed, I saw about 50% in my left eye and 30% in my right eye. Even though probably many of you with visual impairment will know that it is very difficult to sort of express what you see in percentages because my vision really varies depending on the lighting conditions, on how much color contrast there is, et cetera, et cetera.

Now I see between 10% to 15%, more or less, again, depending on the day. But I’ve had the luck that for at least the past couple of years, my vision has been relatively stable. So right now, I find myself in a phase where it’s stagnated.

My current vision allows me to navigate the streets without a white cane, as I still have enough functional vision left. But I do use an ID cane or symbol cane, especially when I’m traveling, to communicate to those around me that I have a visual impairment.

Coping with Anxiety and Building Trust

In the beginning, when I first got diagnosed, of course, I was still quite young that my brain took, as I like to call it, the dirtiest yet quickest escape route for me, which was flight.

I think that I suppressed my emotions concerning my visual condition for many years. I think that subconsciously, I was deeply anxious and truly afraid of what was going to happen to me in the future. And part of me still is, except now I have acknowledged that I have this anxiety. I have worked with it, and I have also grown a very steady and high level of trust for the future. As I really believe that no matter how much my vision will degenerate, I now have the trust in myself and the trust in my surroundings that I will be able to thrive in the future. And this doesn’t mean that the anxiety has gone away completely, but it just means that it is something that I can control and no longer overtake my life.

Because, unfortunately, when I was about 24 years old, having suppressed emotions for so many years, I suffered an anxiety disorder, and was in a really bad, bad place for the second half of my twenties. And I think this was my body’s way of saying, like, Hey, you know, I think that you’ve been suppressing a lot of emotions concerning your insecure future. And it’s time to, well, kind of look at it in the mirror, and that’s what I did. And here I am, in a place of more trust and love towards myself. So that was also really important for me to share with you in this video.

Creating a Travel Platform

Marie Elise, wearing a black polka dot dress and holding her symbol cane in her left hand, is smiling in front of the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre. The only thing separating her and the painting is an oval-shaped wooden bar. She is standing in the designated disability space in front of the Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa

I think part of where the trust comes from is also that I now have my own platform. I am a very passionate traveler. I have always been, since I was a young child, I watched a lot of Steve Irwin, and I loved Planet Earth and listening to David  Attenborough, and all the nature documentaries. I’ve always been crazy about exploring. But of course, when you get told that you’re losing a very important part of your vision, I think there was also a part of me that was, that was really afraid that I could no longer do something that I was so passionate about.

So, being a passionate traveler, I actually started a travel platform for visually impaired travelers that is specifically, but not exclusively, as I like to say, for visually impaired travelers. And I share stories there about everything that I experience on my travels non visually. So I write about sounds and smells and textures and flavors. And I also report on accessibility insights from the destinations that I visit, as unfortunately, accessibility still varies from destination to destination.

So I just hope that this is a very inclusive travel media source for all of you watching that also like traveling like me, but are not really sure where to find the right information. With this platform, of course, I hope to motivate visually impaired travelers to keep on exploring. I hope to push for a more inclusive travel industry. But I also really hope that it will just inspire people, regardless of visual ability, to consciously connect with their senses and to just be with their environment in a richer way. As many of us depend so much on our vision that I think we forget just how powerful our smell is and how powerful our ears are, et cetera, et cetera. So that is really something that I hope my stories can do.

Passions Beyond Vision

Marie Elise, sitting down with her symbol cane in her hand, and standing on the ground, is touching a series of tactile photos at the ‘The World Unseen’ exposition by CANON. She looks concentrated as her fingers are resting on the images that show hands of elderly people, made tactically by textured prints of the photos.
‘The World Unseen’

Another part of I think, where my newly developed self-trust comes from is that I have really learned that my visual disability is just a tiny part of who I am. For example, I also really love makeup. I’m wearing red lipstick right now, which I almost wear every day.
I really love animals, I’m crazy about dogs. I’ve had two already in my life, and hopefully next year, I’ll get my third dog. I love horse riding, I just love the feeling of being in the saddle. You know, as competent horse riding is very much about becoming in sync with the movement and the feeling with the horse.

I love teaching. Aside from riding and creating for my platform, I also earn my money as a teacher. I am a private tutor for children. Uh, so I’m very passionate about educating people, which is something that I do on my platform, too, of course. I love baking. I love the feeling of kneading dough. I’m a very smell and touch-oriented person, partly due to my visual disability, of course, but just also because I find that really relaxing.

What I would also like to add is that I am very passionate about South American culture. I have lived in both Spain and Argentina, so Dám Español. I love the warmth of the people there. I love their passion for dance and food. It’s quite different from the country where I’m from, which is in the north of Europe. So it’s a continent that I love traveling to. Also, because I feel safer traveling to countries where I can speak the local language, so that if I need any help, well that I can ask for help from the locals in their language.

Connecting with Me

So if you have any questions for me, of course, feel free to drop them in the comments. You can also send me a DM via my Instagram @beyondmyblur. You can write me an email, which is beyondmyblur@gmail.com. And of course, you can visit my travel website and maybe sign up for the newsletter so you can stay tuned for updates, which is www.beyondmyblur.com.
And then I want to thank you for watching, and I want to wish you a great rest of your day.

Marie Elise’s Bio

Marie Elise (32) is a travel writer, speaker, and content creator from the
Netherlands. At the age of 16, she was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease, a
condition that causes progressive loss of central vision. A passionate explorer,
she founded Beyond My Blur, a platform for visually impaired travelers. On her
website and social media, Marie Elise shares non-visual travel stories – rich in
sounds, scents, textures, and flavors – alongside accessibility insights for each
destination. Through her work, she aims to inspire people of all visual abilities
to consciously connect with their senses and push for a more inclusive travel
industry.

Connecting With Marie Elise

Connecting With Bold Blind Beauty

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

Image descriptions:

  • The header photo is in the Beyond Sight Magazine cover template and shows a portrait of Marie Elise. She has wavy, shoulder-length brown hair and is
    smiling brightly while sitting among tall green grass. She is wearing a vibrant
    red lace top with thin straps and a delicate gold necklace featuring a small
    charm. The sunlight casts a warm, golden glow on her face, highlighting her
    skin, red lipstick, and cheerful expression. Some blades of grass are in the
    foreground, slightly blurred, adding a natural and intimate atmosphere to the
    image. The image is styled as a magazine cover with the title ‘BEYOND SIGHT | A Bold Blind Beauty Project’ and features ‘Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur.’ The cover is dated May 2025.
  • Piccybot YouTube Video description: Marie Elise is smiling and engaging directly with us. Her skin is pale, with her cheeks lightly flushed, and she’s wearing striking red lipstick. Her eye makeup is subtle but enhances her almond-shaped eyes.
    • Her brown hair, with some lighter highlights, is parted slightly off-center and is styled in a neat side braid that cascades over her left shoulder. On the left side of her hair, near her forehead, she sports a vibrant red flower. She’s wearing a dark, button-down shirt adorned with a floral print; the flowers seem to be pink, red, and possibly a touch of white. A delicate silver necklace is visible around her neck.
    • She seems to be in what looks like a cozy living room. Behind her, we see a large, rectangular window with a split frame, suggesting it might open in two halves. The window is covered with a white curtain bearing a floral pattern that includes birds, leaves, and flowers. To the right, there’s a tall, dark wood cabinet with ornate carvings, and to the left, we catch a glimpse of what seems to be the back of a pink armchair. On the table just underneath the window, there is a beautiful sculpture of an egret. To the left on the same table is a decorative vase. There is a dark green pillow with a leaf print pattern placed beside the sculpture.
  • Marie Elise riding a white horse: Marie Elise is riding a white horse along a sandy beach with gentle waves rolling in behind her. She is smiling and wearing a riding helmet, dark
    sunglasses, and a patterned black-and-white long-sleeve top with dark riding
    pants. The sky is a vibrant mix of blue and white, filled with soft, wispy clouds.
    The overall scene is bright, open, and joyful, capturing a serene moment by the
    sea.
  • The Mona Lisa: Marie Elise, wearing a black polka dot dress and holding her symbol cane in her left hand, is smiling in front of the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre. The only
    thing separating her and the painting is an oval-shaped wooden bar. She is
    standing in the designated disability space in front of the Mona Lisa.
  • ‘The World Unseen’: Marie Elise, sitting down with her symbol cane in her hand, and standing on the ground, is touching a series of tactile photos at ‘The World Unseen’
    exposition by CANON. She looks concentrated as her fingers are resting on the
    images that show hands of elderly people, made tactically by textured prints of
    the photos.
    Posted on by

    When Games Perpetuate Myths: Disability Isn’t a Card to Play

    “Seek, Discover, Enjoy:” Marie Elise, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and a long black sweater, is standing in front of a large sign at Amsterdam Airport that reads: “Seek, Discover, Enjoy.” She has her right arm raised in the air, and in her left hand, she’s holding her symbol cane. The letters on the board are white, set against an orange and pink background.

    We understand the importance of representation, and that’s why at Bold Blind Beauty, we believe that real beauty goes beyond physical appearance. We stand for A.I.R. (Access, Inclusion, and Representation)TM, and our April cover model, Marie Elise, embodies this belief wholeheartedly. We want to create a world where everyone feels seen, heard, and appreciated for who they are.

    Advocacy work is still so necessary, to help ensure disability becomes seen not as a disaster,
    but simply as a natural and neutral part of human diversity.

    ~Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur

    Editor’s Note

    A half-body shot of Marie Elise smiling straight at the camera with her hands in her pockets, standing against a beige-colored background. Marie Elise has her brown hair up and is wearing fiery red lipstick. She has on a green t-shirt with a drawing of a mountain range and a silver necklace with an eternity symbol pendant filled with the ashes of her dog. She is also carrying a backpack, of which the straps are tied around her chest and waist.
    Fiery Red Lip 💪🏾

    At Bold Blind Beauty, our mission is rooted in Access, Inclusion, and Representation—values that challenge stereotypes and amplify the authentic voices of those on the blind spectrum. This month, our April Monthly Beauty, Marie Elise @beyondmyblur, takes on a topic that strikes at the heart of how society perceives disability: the party game ‘Shit Happens.’

    As I shared in response to Elie’s Instagram post, none of us can truly know how we would react in a disability-related situation unless we experience it firsthand. Games like ‘Shit Happens,’ along with many disability simulations, can be misleading and even harmful. They risk reinforcing misconceptions and perpetuating the idea that disability is only about hardship or tragedy. This idea continues to fuel high unemployment rates and social exclusion within our community.

    When people “think” they understand disability based on a game or a brief simulation, they often walk away with a skewed perspective, believing they’ve grasped what it means to live with a disability. In reality, these experiences rarely capture the complexity, resilience, and richness of disabled lives. Worse, they can set us back by spreading inaccurate information and deepening societal barriers.

    Part 1 of Marie Elise’s thoughtful response is included below. Don’t miss Part 2—“Blindness and Betrayals: A Miserable Game”—now available on YouTube. Marie Elise’s voice is a powerful reminder that the lived experiences of people with disabilities cannot be reduced to a game or a momentary exercise in empathy. True understanding comes from listening to real stories, challenging our assumptions, and centering the voices of those who know disability best—the people who live it every day.

    Let’s continue to break down barriers by seeking genuine connection and understanding, not shortcuts or simulations. Together, we can reshape perceptions and build a world where everyone is valued for who they are.

    Stephanae McCoy
    Editor-in-Chief, Bold Blind Beauty

    Beyond Sight Magazine Cover

    Beyond Sight Magazine’s cover shows Marie Elise, standing on top of a hill at Schönbrunn Palace, is posing for a photo with her arms raised in the air. She is wearing red shorts and a red lace crop top, and she has her symbol cane in her left hand. She’s also wearing a large black sunhat. Behind her is the famous yellow palace, Schönbrunn, located in Vienna, as well as some grass from the hill she is standing on. The text reads Beyond Sight Magazine | Monthly Beauties | April 2025 | Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur | A Project of Bold Blind Beauty.
    Marie Elise | April 2025 Monthly Beauty

    The Blind Spot: Rating Life’s Challenges

    Marie Elise asks: How would you rank losing your sight?

    During a recent trip to Spain, I played the game ‘Shit Happens’ with some
    friends. In this card game, featuring 200 everyday and outrageous misfortunes,
    Players are challenged to rank each scenario on a “misery index” from 0 to 100.
    To my surprise, one of the highest-ranking cards was ‘going blind’, scored at a
    staggering 99.5 — only 0.5 points below ‘being buried alive’, which topped the
    scale at 100.

    As someone living with vision loss, I couldn’t help but pause at that number. Is
    going blind, truly that close to the worst thing imaginable, or do we — as a
    society — still have a lot to learn about what it actually means to lose one’s
    vision?

    Marie Elise, wearing a long-sleeve black top with caramel-colored dots, is looking down at a card she is holding in her right hand. The card reads “Going Blind” in yellow letters and features a white symbol of a person holding a cane.
    “Going Blind”

    Surely, the latter. Ranking it this high, in my opinion, says more about our
    collective fear of disability than about disability itself. That fear is rooted in a
    lack of knowledge, in ableism — and yes, even in games like this one, however
    silly or deceptively insignificant they may seem.

    As one of my followers, @rex_and_ayo, commented so insightfully: many
    factors can influence how someone experiences vision loss, from access to social security and emotional support, to their country of residence, ability to
    work, and much more. And yes, at the beginning of someone’s vision loss
    journey, it can absolutely feel like a 100.

    But that doesn’t change the fact that games like Shit Happens fuel the narrative
    that blindness is nothing but a tragedy, one that apparently leaves little room
    for a full and meaningful life.

    To me, that 99.5 is more than just a number on a card. It’s a reminder of why
    advocacy work is still so necessary, to help ensure disability becomes seen not
    as a disaster, but simply as a natural and neutral part of human diversity.

    Marie Elise’s Bio

    Marie Elise (32) is a travel writer, speaker, and content creator from the
    Netherlands. At the age of 16, she was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease, a
    condition that causes progressive loss of central vision. A passionate explorer,
    she founded Beyond My Blur, a platform for visually impaired travelers. On her
    website and social media, Marie Elise shares non-visual travel stories – rich in
    sounds, scents, textures, and flavors – alongside accessibility insights for each
    destination. Through her work, she aims to inspire people of all visual abilities
    to consciously connect with their senses and push for a more inclusive travel
    industry.

    Connect With Marie Elise

    Image Description

    • “Seek, Discover, Enjoy:” Marie Elise, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and a long black sweater, is standing in front of a large sign at Amsterdam Airport that reads: “Seek, Discover, Enjoy.” She has her right arm raised in the air, and in her left hand, she’s holding her symbol cane. The letters on the board are white, set against an orange and pink background.
    • Fiery Red Lip: A half-body shot of Marie Elise smiling straight at the camera with her hands in her pockets, standing against a beige-colored background. Marie Elise has her brown hair up and is wearing fiery red lipstick. She has on a green t-shirt with a drawing of a mountain range and a silver necklace with an eternity symbol pendant filled with the ashes of her dog. She is also carrying a backpack, of which the straps are tied around her chest and waist.
    • Beyond Sight Magazine’s cover shows Marie Elise, standing on top of a hill at Schönbrunn Palace, is posing for a photo with her arms raised in the air. She is wearing red shorts and a red lace crop top, and she has her symbol cane in her left hand. She’s also wearing a large black sunhat. Behind her is the famous yellow palace, Schönbrunn, located in Vienna, as well as some grass from the hill she is standing on. The text reads Beyond Sight Magazine | Monthly Beauties | April 2025 | Marie Elise | @beyondmyblur | A Project of Bold Blind Beauty.
    • “Going Blind:” Marie Elise, wearing a long-sleeve black top with caramel-colored dots, is looking down at a card she is holding in her right hand. The card reads “Going Blind” in yellow letters and features a white symbol of a person holding a cane.