In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of Blindsight, host Bill Lundgren sits down with Neva Fairchild—an advocate, counselor, and technological leader in the blind community—for a powerful conversation about resilience, adaptation, and acceptance. Born with a visual impairment that went undiagnosed until preschool, Neva takes us through her journey of coping with undiagnosed Stargardt disease, the challenges of navigating school without accommodations, and ultimately building a career that has reshaped the lives of others with vision loss.

Neva shares how she learned to stop hiding her condition, embraced assistive technology, and found her true calling later in life among those who not only lived with blindness—but thrived in it. Her story is a call to action to advocate for better services, honest conversations with doctors and families, and the dignity that comes from asking for help.

Neva’s journey is one of transformation—from a child who struggled to be understood, to a national leader who now empowers others to live well with vision loss.

Key Topics Covered:

Neva’s early signs of vision loss and misdiagnosis

Learning to pass in a sighted world and the emotional toll

Breaking through shame and isolation by meeting others with blindness

How technology and the right support changed everything

Her work with AFB and advocacy for older adults with vision loss

The importance of honesty, asking for help, and normalizing blindness

Chapter Markers:

00:00 – Welcome to Blindsight

01:00 – Neva’s diagnosis and early childhood struggles

04:45 – Going blind in adulthood: The emotional and medical shock

07:00 – Coping mechanisms, stubbornness, and a hunger to live fully

10:00 – The power of blind community and assistive technology

12:20 – Transitioning from enlargement to screen readers

14:30 – The shame of visibility and learning to accept her identity

17:00 – Career in blindness rehab and helping others thrive

21:00 – Advocacy for better doctor referrals and more vision specialists

23:45 – Final advice: "Blindness isn’t a character flaw"

26:00 – Closing thoughts and contact info