Vision loss is different for everyone. Some are born blind, while others lose their sight later in life. Some have partial vision that remains stable, while others experience gradual or total loss. Each journey is personal and shaped by many factors, such as lifestyle, support systems, and timing.
For Rondae Hill, vision loss has been an ongoing journey marked by strength, setbacks, and self-discovery. What makes her story powerful isn’t just the challenges she’s faced; it’s how she continues to rise, rebuild, and inspire others along the way. This is her story.
Every Vision Loss Journey Is Unique
Vision loss comes in many shapes and sizes. Some people are born blind, while others lose their sight later in life. Some eye conditions leave people with some usable vision, and some continue to progress, leading to total blindness. All of these factors impact one’s vision loss journey and their path to reaching their goals.
At Outlook Enrichment, our philosophy is a little different than other organizations. It’s important to meet people where they are, and if circumstances change, our doors are always open to tackle the next challenge.
It is through these doors that Rondae recently entered, seeking the support and skills to move forward in her vision loss journey. Rondae is not new to vision loss. She was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa about 20 years ago. Then, a macular hole took her eyesight from her right eye two years later. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) often leads to gradual deterioration of the retina, usually leading to total blindness. The news was hard to digest, and Rondae admits that mentally, she was not where she needed to be to move forward. At the time, she was a single parent, running a daycare and doing independent contracting on the side. When she reached out for help, she couldn’t find an option that would allow her to get the training she needed while simultaneously fulfilling her responsibilities at home.
Finding Strength & Support Amidst Setbacks
As her eyesight started slipping, so did her mental health, job, and housing. She no longer felt safe doing daycare, as she perceived herself to be a liability. With kids to support, she found herself going from self-employed to unemployed and from having a home to living in someone else’s basement.
She was reminded of her uphill battle every time her eyesight declined, but these worries had to be pushed to the side. She was, first and foremost, a mother now trying to make it on a fixed income. She would eventually become a grandma in the same situation when she adopted her three grandkids and committed to being their sole caretaker and provider.
As they say, before you help others, you must first help yourself. She began to take advantage of all the resources Outlook has to offer, from recreational activities to adaptive technology training and peer support groups.
“I absolutely enjoy the support group meetings. I wish it had been available 20 years ago. It may have been the thing to help me after my diagnosis. Meeting and sharing with people like you is so important. Sometimes, blindness or disabilities in general can be isolating,” said Rondae.
Embracing a New Chapter With Confidence
It was technology training at Outlook that truly motivated Rondae. She is focusing on learning to use JAWS, a screen reader that allows users to navigate their computer screen with little or no eyesight. Rondae admits JAWS has been a challenge, but is putting her new tech skills to the test by writing a book about her life.
“I’m trying for the third time to learn technology. The first two times, I was both a parent and mentally not ready to learn. With RP, you are kind of in a constant state of grieving every time your vision changes, and sometimes that can be overwhelming and stop the learning process,” said Rondae.
Before being diagnosed with vision loss, Rondae did not know anyone else who was blind or had low vision. Recently, she’s found herself surrounded by the blind community. She attended Outlook Enrichment’s White Cane Day Happy Hour last October and was delighted to engage in positive activities with people who share similar experiences.
In the winter, Rondae brought her grandkids to our family ice skating event with the Lancers. Being a single grandma on a fixed income with vision and hearing loss and no transportation can be limiting. Usually, she improvises by walking with her grandkids to places nearby. Not only did her grandkids get to ice skate, meet the Lancers players, and get tickets to a Lancers game, but Rondae loved being able to expose them to other blind people who are living life to the fullest.
With the future of her eyesight unknown, Rondae is constantly questioning what will happen if she becomes totally blind. How will she care for her grandkids? How will she support herself and her family? She is finding the answers to those questions thanks to peer support and acquiring the skills and tools she needs to continue her vision loss journey. She’s envisioning herself going big, traveling, and inspiring others through mentoring and public speaking.
Go Rondae! We’ll be here cheering you on.
Vision loss doesn’t mean the end of your story; it’s the start of a new chapter. At Outlook Enrichment, we’re here to support community members like Rondae every step of the way, providing tools, training, and connections to help you move forward with confidence.
No matter where you are in your journey, you don’t have to walk it alone. Connect with Outlook Enrichment today.
