Meet our volunteers: Anna & Ellie
Anna and Ellie live with different inherited retinal conditions, but their journeys share a powerful thread: a passion for technology, a commitment to accessibility, and a desire to support others living with sight loss.
Through volunteering with Retina UK, both have found confidence, community and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
Independence through technology
Anna lives with Usher syndrome type 1D, a rare condition that causes profound deafness from birth and progressive sight loss. After receiving bilateral cochlear implants as a toddler, she now manages significant peripheral vision loss and night blindness, using a long cane to travel independently. As a BSc (Hons) Applied Computing student at Milton Keynes College, technology and accessibility have become central to her life.
“Living with Usher syndrome has shaped many aspects of my life,” she explains. “Technology has helped me maintain my independence, while learning about accessibility has shown me how important the right tools can be for people with dual sensory loss.”
Ellie, who lives with Stargardt disease, has a similar relationship with technology. Her condition affects central vision, and as she studies for a Level 3 IT qualification, accessibility has become a key part of her education and future ambitions.
“Technology has helped me maintain my independence,” she says. “Learning more about accessibility has given me confidence in what I can achieve.”
Finding community and support
Although Anna had known of Retina UK for years, it wasn’t until early 2025 – when her mum shared a link to the Young Adults peer support group – that she became actively involved.
“The group introduced me to other young adults living with inherited sight loss,” she says. “It was reassuring to connect with people who understood my experiences and were willing to share advice and support.”
“The Young Adults Network has been brilliant,” Ellie says. “From casual conversations that lift your mood to discussions about education, employment and living with sight loss, there’s always someone willing to listen and help.”
Ellie found their experiences invaluable. “They made me feel welcome from the start. Even when people haven’t faced the exact same challenges, they understand what it’s like to live with sight loss and are always willing to share advice and encouragement.”
Giving back through volunteering
Inspired by the support they received, both Anna and Ellie chose to volunteer with Retina UK.
Anna began by supporting technology related activities and helping others navigate accessible tech. Today, she is one of the administrators of ‘Tech Tribe’, the charity’s WhatsApp community for technology discussions. Alongside Ellie, she is also gradually taking over facilitation of the bi-monthly ‘Talking’ Tech peer support group meetings.
“The knowledge within the group is incredible,” Anna says. “People are always willing to help each other, whether it’s accessibility advice, assistive technology or everyday tech challenges.”
Ellie agrees. “Being able to support a space where people can learn about technology is incredibly rewarding,” she says.
Confidence, skills and belonging
For both young women, volunteering has been transformative.
“Volunteering with Retina UK has helped me build confidence, develop new skills and improve my public speaking,” Anna explains. “It’s shown me that sharing my own experiences can make a real difference to others.”
Ellie echoes this sentiment.
“Volunteering has helped me become more confident and more open to assistive technology. Finding Retina UK has helped me build confidence, develop new skills and find a community where I truly belong.”
To find out more about volunteering with Retina UK, please visit RetinaUK.org.uk/volunteer. For more information on our technology support, please email [email protected].