Hope for Blind Teens aims to reach out to legally blind young people and their families. Growing up with a visual impairment in a sighted community presents its fair share of obstacles; we struggle with fitting in, we have doubts about our capabilities and we face low societal expectations every day. As a teen, it is easy to lay the sword down and give up; but through this blog, I hope to prove that this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.

Kristie is a rising senior in Ridge High School. She was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease at age 10. In middle school, she struggled with being different and feeling incapable, but since then, she has been able to defeat her visual impairment and find success both in and out of school. As an AP student and a varsity track athlete, Kristie has overcome the obstacles often associated with visual impairment and is excited to be able to share her story to help guide others in the blind community.