It all started out 12 years ago: the day one of my family members told me their secret. 

“Anjal. I have a problem with my eyesight.”

“What type of problem,” my four year old self asked, my eyes wide open with curiosity. 

“I have an eye problem in which I can only see a small circle of vision,” this person explained. “All my side vision is completely black It is like constantly looking through a paper towel roll. Soon, this circle of vision is going to get smaller and smaller until-”

“-until you can’t see anything anymore?” I asked sadly.

He nodded his head with a distraught look on his face.

“This eye condition I have is called Retinitis Pigmentosa. I do not want a lot of people knowing, except for close family. Don’t worry. You will understand when you are older.”

For this reason, as I narrate this story, this individual’s name remains confidential. 

As the days passed I witnessed this individual bumping into objects and struggling to locate items.

I tried to help this person as much as I could. I would hold his hand and guide him in public places. I would type information on the computer for him. I would constantly try and learn more about his condition online in hopes that he could preserve his vision. I would constantly try and come up with inventions that would help him. But there was only so much I could do as a four-year-old.

As I grew older, I began to wonder why this person wished to keep their visual impairment a secret from everyone except people that were close to him. Through observation, I realized that individuals with visual impairments feel socially isolated with the thought that other people will not be able to understand their condition and hardships. 

For this reason, I decided to start Eye Matter, with a mission to help create bonds and an online community for individuals with visual impairments. Hopefully, over time with Eye Matter, people like my close family member, will be able to feel comfortable and more confident with their condition internally and publicly.

I will be uploading weekly podcasts which will interview individuals who have visual impairments, the staff of low vision centers, and professors of Ophthalmology. This podcast will provide advice, experiences, and an online community for individuals with visual impairments.