I was born deaf, but with 20/20 vision. I’ve always wanted to be an actor. My favorite actors were John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Jon Voight, Robert Mitchum, Doug McClure, and Kirk Douglas. When I was a kid, I played sports like football, basketball, and track. When I was at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind, I was a good player, but I kept thinking about wanting to act! I went to a community college for a while in Arizona. I made the honor roll one…
Read More
My name is Brian Switzer. I am deafblind as a result of a condition called Usher Syndrome. As a child, I attended a couple schools for the deaf before switching into a public school. I progressively went blind. I was diagnosed with sight loss at age 4, became legally blind at age 16, and now only possess some light sensitivity. I hold a Master’s degree in Public Policy. I am a co-author on a book on living with deafblindness called, “Walk In My Shoes: An Anthology On Usher Syndrome.” And…
Read More
My story began three years ago when, at the age of 38, I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. My life changed forever that day and it was the start of the biggest challenge my family had ever faced. Within the first week of my diagnosis I was declared severely sight impaired (legally blind) and lost my job after being told I’d never drive again. We were plunged in to debt and I fell in to a spiral of anxiety, depression and isolation as my sight began to decline rapidly. We…
Read More
Change has always been hard for me, no matter how big or small. In fact, a few weeks ago, my husband switched out the living room rug with the one that was in our bedroom. Once I made the discovery that he did this, I immediately told him that I didn’t like this change. But change is my reality due to Usher Syndrome. Usher Syndrome is a condition that is characterized by hearing and vision loss. I have moderate to severe hearing loss, but it has been stable my whole…
Read More
