People often ask me, “what exactly do you see?” And I find this question extremely challenging to answer. I know of course that I can't see a whiteboard or a street sign, but beyond that, it's very difficult for me to convey how my world looks different for most peoples’, especially because I've had the same vision since I was born. The best analogy that I have settled on is that my eyes work as well as a greasy iPhone camera. And as you can imagine, getting around with eyes that make your world look like a blurry iPhone photo can be rather interesting to say the least, but if I've learned anything in the past 20 years, it's that I can make it work, which is in large part why I started a podcast in my basement during the coronavirus pandemic. My name is Marissa Nissley and welcome to Legally Blonde & Blind.
There are three main reasons I chose the title Legally Blonde & Blind for this podcast. First I'm albino, which means that I have extremely pale skin and platinum blonde hair. Next, I'm legally blind, which means that my visual acuity is less than 20/200 in both eyes. My vision is 2/400, which means that I have some usable vision, but overall it's not great. And finally, in November 2020, when I had started the podcast, I wanted to pursue a career in. That ship has sailed, but I still think the name is cute.
In my monthly episodes, I discuss everything you could think of relating to blindness ranging from processing a new diagnosis and facing discrimination to ranking my favorite blind jokes and sharing some of my many clumsy moments. My goal is to share my story and practically shout from the rooftops how much embracing disability can change your life. I have gained so much knowledge over the last two years researching episode topics, chatting with listeners, and finding mentors in the blind community. My sincere hope is that people can learn from me as well.
You can find Legally Blonde & Blind on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and many other platforms. For more information, visit legallyblondeblind.com. You can also stay up to date by following my social media pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @legallyblondeblind. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope to see you soon!