“I’m not the best photographer in the world. I’m not formally trained. I’m just doing it because I love it, and it also helps me to see the world and show my perspective to other people. For me it’s about enjoying all the little things rather than focusing on what I don’t see or I don’t hear and trying to just take in the small joys along the way.” Born partially deaf (she’s worn hearing aids since she was two) and noticing that her sight was giving her trouble at 18, this mentality has guided her journey. “I realised that I was struggling a lot more than everybody else in the dark,” she says, explaining that this is generally the first symptom sufferers of Usher syndrome notice.

“I think the first thing was acceptance, and that was just naturally within me. Maybe because I grew up with my hearing loss, I was more prepared to deal with a second disability. My mum didn’t bring me up to feel sorry for myself… [She] used to say when I was a kid, ‘You’re only given the things you’re strong enough to handle.’ It’s no one’s fault, it’s not a curse, it’s just happened. And in all honesty I can say there are amazing gifts that have come from this, as well.”

“Because I am so focused on celebrating what I can see, I almost forget that I really don’t see much at all,” she says. “So those moments hit hard, but not very often, and not very long. I work extra hard to cope with both my hearing and my vision. I work so hard that some people go, “Really? How are you as blind as you say you are?”