Alyssa (Student)
Alyssa is a 21-year-old southerner who is pursuing a career in computer science. She grew up well connected in the blind community because her mom is a teacher of blind students. Alyssa has developed a critical consciousness about ableism and its impacts on her and other disabled people, and about 40% of the time she has enough courage and energy to call people out for being ableist. She uses both screen magnification and screen readers; she is working on becoming more proficient with her screen reader and caring less about what people think when she puts headphones on to listen to her computer.
Alyssa was a participant in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Ava (Student)
Ava is a spicy 14-year-old from the Pacific Northwest who speaks her mind and despises being stereotyped. She constantly has to educate sighted people that albinos come in all races—she is not white. And she has to remind blind people that she’s a Braille reader, some albinos are totals. Ava attends a public music magnet school where she is the third ranked violinist and the first ever blind student.
Ava is a composite character drawn from data in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Callie Jefferson (Student)
Callie’s proper deportment belies her young age of 18, but her melodic drawl proclaims her Southern roots. Callie loves stories, reading them, writing them, and listening as others tell them. She cares deeply about the people in her life, especially her mom, and always makes time to listen when someone’s had a hard day. The education system wasn’t kind to young Callie, but things changed dramatically ten years ago when she and her mom moved to a new town. Now, Callie has the kind of school experience most blind kids can only dream about—thanks to an incredible teacher of blind students.
Callie Jefferson was a participant in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Captain Marvel (Student)
Captain Marvel is a 16-year-old “mega nerd” from New England. Her inquisitiveness extends beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe into school life, where she is a high-achieving student. When she runs into accessibility issues, a common occurrence, she reaches out to her blind friends, who are scattered from coast-to-coast. Captain Marvel’s gone to more conventions and summer programs in the blind community than she can count; at each one she collected a few more wicked awesome blind friends. In the blind community, Captain Marvel is known for her upbeat, occasionally goofy, personality, her willingness to pitch in, and her knowledge of all things nerdy.
Captain Marvel was a participant in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Jasper (Student)
Jasper is an athletic 14-year-old. The only thing he enjoys about going to a school for the “visually impaired” is the sports; the classes are too easy to be interesting. Last year, Jasper and his mom, Mina, went to a blind convention for the first time and Jasper finally met some other blind teens who had academic interests. He’s enjoyed staying in touch with the friends he met and appreciate that he can now call other blind people when he has school questions.
Jasper is a composite character drawn from data in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Liam (Student)
Liam is a wicked smart 15-year old who’s at the top of his class at High Tech Academy, the premier STEM magnet school in Boston. But no one pegs Liam for a future valedictorian. His wavy blond pompadour, laid back demeanor, and summer uniform of button-downs, chino shorts, and boat shoes lead strangers to assume Liam is too busy sailing to excel in school. He does enjoy sailing with his dad, but the preppy dress code is just a tool for blending in, his Braille notetaker and long white cane draw way too much attention.
Liam is a composite character drawn from data in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Rebecca (Student)
At 19, Rebecca is about to graduate from her Midwestern high school, and she’s torn about it. She’ll miss riding to school with her little sister, Meghan, and occasionally having class with her. At the same time, she’s ready to go to a new school, she’s hoping college will be more accessible. If it isn’t, Meghan has threatened to drive the two hours to campus to yell at the professors; according to Meghan.
Rebecca was a participant in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.
Sam (Student)
Sam was a talented soccer player and aspiring engineer before he became blind at the beginning of high school. The unexpected change in his vision forced him to quit soccer, and, even worse, some of his “friends” decided he wasn’t cool any more—that sucked. But Sam is grateful that he had a built-in support network; his mom and younger brother had been blind for years. After adjusting to the blind life, Sam joined the track team and found better friends. Today, Sam is 18 and about to head to college; he’ll be majoring in engineering at a large Mid-Atlantic university.
Sam was a participant in Shaheen’s 2020 Blind Youth Experience Study.