Hi, I’m Crystal. I am number two of four kids of a small town mid-western family. I am the only girl and the only one that has full vision. My three brothers were born with a rare genetic disorder called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, causing them to be born 100% blind. We are now adults, residing across the United States and through my eyes, a beautifully diverse family. I am in the DC metro area, enjoying life with my husband and rescue greyhound and thriving in my HR management career. My brothers are successful in their own unique ways and I promise you’ll hear more about them in later posts. Oh, and before we move on. Yes, you read this correctly, MyBrothersRBlind and yes, I have three.

I am in a unique situation of being the sighted sibling that continues to experience the lows and highs of having family members who are impaired. But, with so many existing resources for the blind community, I needed to figure out where my expertise fit and would make the biggest impact. I continued to digest their feedback, researched, and pondered over my purpose and when I least expected it, during my afternoon walk with our greyhound, my swirling thoughts crystalized into creating a blog that focused on three key areas.

Family Centered Resources:

There are several resources for parents specifically in helping their visually impaired child, but I believe there is an opportunity to expand support to not only caregivers, but also to siblings, and significant others. As a someone who grew up with older and younger disabled siblings, I struggled processing why our family was different, my own guilt, finding my identity outside of our family dynamic, and why people, including family and friends treated my brothers differently. There was a lack of support and resources for me as the sibling and now I also see my sister and brother-in-law navigating through their own struggles as the partner. I want to help close the gap and create a safe environment for caregivers, siblings, and significant others to ensure they have their own support and resources.     

Career Resources:

As an HR professional of 20 plus years, I have had ample experience recruiting, interviewing, coaching, and observing professionals in the workplace. I see the advantages a sighted person has in observing and learning from non-verbal’s, visually identifying cultural norms, and determining audience engagement through the eye versus sound. I’ve seen the hiring team’s hesitations in how to engage with a disabled candidate which distracts from the actual interview. I’ve experienced candidates who did not know how to confidently ask for the accommodation or able to easily navigate through the application and interview process. And, I have seen how the lack of a strong personal brand and not properly advocating for oneself results in exceptional talent being overlooked for a job or job advancement. I want to take my experience and partner with my peers in the industry to help individuals who are blind or have low vision create a strong brand and be capable and confident in owning their career.

Making Connections:

As mentioned, there are several great resources out there already. Non-profits, private organizations, federal and state funding, schools, and even bloggers like me. I want to be that connector for these groups to make this life we are all navigating a bit easier. Whether it is sharing stories, organizations, resources, or tools, I believe there is an opportunity for more partnerships and connections within this community.

As I close out my first blog, I want to thank my brothers, parents, and my husband for pushing me to push myself. Although this blog is to help others, I believe it is also therapeutic for me and I hope you find comfort in knowing you are not alone on this journey. Please feel free to connect or reach out!

Cheers!

Crystal