As holiday shopping continues, we found some additional companies founded and run by entrepreneurs who are visually impaired. Many items offered represent practical products deemed helpful in their founders’ own activities, like a bold, no-bleed pen, or tactile screen overlays for smart phones, as well as tasty treats like coffee or biscotti, clothing, or technology products. Check out these sites to find out more:
Low Vision Products for Seniors and Others – EZ2See Products: This company, whose founder lost vision due to retinitis pigmentosa, offers a variety of items for people with low vision “or anyone who can use its practical, uniquely designed products.”
A. T. Guys, Your Access Technology Experts (atguys.com): Presented as “Your Access Technology Experts,” the company sells items like tagging devices, services and training books, and other “cool gadgets, accessories, and more.
The Unseen Bean: Founder Gerry Leary, blind since birth, has a love of coffee that has helped him “overcome every obstacle he has faced” to become “the world’s only known blind Coffee Roaster.” His company sells a variety of coffee blends as well as biscotti.
GuideLight Dog Products (guidelightsandgadgets.us): As the name implies, this company sells gifts for dogs, including dog toys, airport leashes, LED harness strips, and more. Co-founders are KaeAnn Rausch, a guide dog user, and Barry Scheur, blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity, according to an article from an American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Access World article: Barry Scheur: Reinventing Himself in Retirement.
Braille Jewelry | Elegant Insights (elegantinsightsjewelry.com): Founded by Laura Legendary, who is blind, this company offers an assortment of novel gifts, from holiday ornaments to snowflake jewelry, charms, and other accessories. They offer a braille jewelry and accessories collection that can be personalized as well.
Wright Turn Only: Totally blind woodworker Ray Wright creates a wide range of products out of wood, such as bowls, a lightsaber spatula (made for Weird Al Yankovic), and a wooden icecream cone. He accepts custom orders and explains that “Here in our woodshop we like to build two things…Things out of wood and more importantly, we like to build confidence.”
Blind Girl Designs: Founder and CEO Tricia Waechter, who has worked in the fashion industry for more than 30 years, launched this company in early 2021. She values designing clothing that is “not only beautiful, but comfortable and timeless.” Tricia is visually impaired, with about ten percent of her vision remaining, “but doesn’t let this stop her from building a clothing empire with garments that are as unique as you are.”
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