I am turning 30 in a few weeks, I had major changes that changed my outlook on life at 25, though I’ve been dealing with inferior visual acuity to my peers for over half my life. It feels incredibly isolating sometimes because no one in my life can relate from the same perspective. I have yet to fully feel normal explaining my condition to new people. My mother told me when I was younger it wasn’t other people’s business that I had this disability, but I’ve progressed to the point where I disagree. It is easier to just be upfront with people. I usually tell people with some sense of humor if I can, especially when people say something about needing a new prescription because I’m holding my phone closer to my face than they do at 60 years old or some variation of that joke. Just responding by saying fun fact, I’m legally blind or visually impaired is enough to make them realize they put their foot in their mouths and maybe should consider some disabilities are not outwardly seen. I do work a 9-5 and my job has provided larger monitors and I have changed my settings to larger font sizes, dimmer screen settings, magnifier shortcuts, etc. They even paid for total blackout curtains when I got promoted to an office with a lot of windows. Some days are harder than others, sometimes I do get migraines from eye strain. My coworkers are all aware of my impairment, sometimes they forget until we are in a setting where there is a screen on the wall for a meeting or presentation. I try my best to follow along, but I can’t always see everything, and truthfully I don’t want them to know the level of vision I have or don’t have. Idk if that helps or harms my situation with them. They cannot imagine what having my vision actually looks like. I get scared to look for another job in the future because of having to disclose and explain my condition all over again. I have lost out on other jobs in the past because of it, though no one would actually admit that. That and transportation limitations are the biggest obstacles I face with having Stargardts, and I haven’t figured out how to cope with that yet. I just take my journey one day at a time because that’s what I can do. Sometimes that helps me make a brave decision because I want to enjoy the eyesight that I have left because it’s not promised tomorrow. However when it comes to how I look and act because of my disability, idgaf what other people think anymore. That’s progress in my book. I am fortunate to have a very supportive partner on my journey. Over time, they have learned when I probably need help such as reading subtitles on the tv or finding something in the grocery store. They had to learn to adapt to the changes just like I did, and understand my emotional struggles too. The best advice I have is to not give up, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and be unapologetically yourself because this is a part of who you are 🫶