Seth: Finding His Words Again through Braille

Seth was a teenager who loved to write – often filling notebooks with stories and ideas. He dreamed of becoming an author, but his dream was derailed in December of 2023, when Seth received a diagnosis of legal blindness.

Although Seth had known he might lose his vision someday due to an inherited condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, his vision loss had been rapid. Suddenly, he could no longer read his own writing. Writing, which had once brought him joy and purpose, felt out of reach.

Seth had plans to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) in the Fall of 2024. Seth says his family gave him an ultimatum for the summer before college: “Either get a job or go to the Lighthouse.” Seth had previously attended weekend and summer training camps at the Lighthouse alongside other teens who were blind or visually impaired. Seth enjoyed these programs, so he chose the Lighthouse.

In June of 2024, Seth started training full-time at the Lighthouse to learn the skills to live independently with vision loss. He lived with other clients in Lighthouse housing.

A summer turned into a year of full-time training before Seth felt ready to go to college, but that year was a turning point. Seth learned orientation and mobility skills, adaptive techniques for daily living, technology, and Braille. Braille was his favorite subject, and he flew through the curriculum. It was more than a skill; it was the key to his future. Braille restored Seth’s love of writing and his dream of becoming an author.

In preparation for college, Seth also learned how to navigate new environments, and he learned about assistive technology tools for school and writing. For instance, he learned to use the Mantis Q40, a refreshable braille device. This technology device connects to a computer, tablet or phone, and it translates written text into a tactile braille display that continually changes as the user reads. It can also be used to type notes or other writing and read them later via braille.

In the Fall of 2025, Seth began his first semester at the University of Minnesota- Duluth (UMD). He does so with the skills, confidence, and technology needed to thrive in a college setting.

Like many college freshmen, Seth starts UMD full of hope and possibility for his future.