Today, we are honoured to host a guest post from Lucy Pirie-Guy, an optometrist who shares her candid, insightful, and inspiring experience of navigating her career with a limb difference. Her story is a powerful testament to resilience and a vital contribution to the conversation around disability in optometry.

An Unseen Presence: The Reality of Disability in Optometry

I cannot count the number of times I have said, “is it better with 1 or 2…?” in my life.

I also cannot count the number of times I have heard, “how do you type so quickly?”, “don’t you do well,” and, “how did you lose your hand… if you don’t mind me asking?”

In optometry, I meet hundreds of people from all walks of life every year, but no one seems to expect an optometrist with a limb difference. It’s not an occupation in which, at least in my experience, disability is very visible. I did some Google searching to find any existing network, group, or blog post discussing disability in optometry and came up short—not a single thing. So, I decided to write down my experience in the hope that professionals out there with disabilities or differences, visible or hidden, might feel seen and that any optometry hopefuls out there might see that it is possible.

Finding a Way: The Practical Journey

Optometry is a big part of my life: it is the only career I have ever had. When I applied for university at the age of 17, no one was even sure if I would be able to do it. I recall more than one university expressing intrigue at how I would manage. I even went to one for a day where they had me insert and remove a contact lens from a poor, unsuspecting staff member’s eye to work out if I could!

Since then, like all of us, I have found my own techniques for safe lens insertion. I have also removed lost lens fragments, epilated rogue lashes, performed paediatric exams lying on the floor, and perhaps most impressively, mastered the retinoscope.

“But finding a way to do them with five fewer digits than everyone else has certainly been a journey.”

Lucy Pirie-Guy – Optometrist

To anyone that’s been in the business for a few years, none of those things is particularly impressive. But finding a way to do them with five fewer digits than everyone else has certainly been a journey. (To all those wondering: a good old rubber band is my best friend. I have tried various adaptations and pieces of equipment over the years, and nothing has yet beaten an elastic band for holding a cotton bud or a trial lens). I am thankful to have grown up being told, “there is always a way,” and I have certainly found that to be true so far.

Beyond the Clinic: Navigating Curiosity About Disability in Optometry

Outside of the practicalities, there are, of course, the patients. We have all heard some weird, wacky, and occasionally shocking things within the confines of our test rooms, but every colleague I have ever spoken to has been blown away by the frequency with which I field a comment or question about my hand. They are astonished to hear that it is often several times a day.

Now, almost none of those comments are malicious, but it does get old. I recently considered getting a tattoo saying “born this way” on my arm so I could just hold it up when asked… but I’m not a huge Lady Gaga fan, so I decided against it for fear of it being misconstrued. My soapbox aside, the conversation around disability in optometry also has to include these societal challenges; we cannot control the things that people think and say about us. I hope I deal with it with enough finesse to balance educating the curious with my own personal boundaries.

A Message to My Colleagues and the Next Generation

To any fellow optometrist with physical differences, I would love to hear your experiences and all the wonderful tips and tricks you have come up with to make life easier.

To any prospective optometrist or student, all I would say is this: don’t let anyone else decide what you are or are not capable of. Optometry is, at its heart, problem-solving. Someone comes to us with an issue, we use our arsenal of tests to figure it out and come up with a plan. In my experience, having a disability makes you a master problem-solver, and those skills are invaluable when faced with a new challenge. Thinking about disability in optometry should focus on the unique strengths it can bring to the profession.

I am very aware that my particular disability is only one of a huge spectrum (and hidden disability is a whole other kettle of fish). But as I said at the start, no one seems to expect an optometrist with a disability. We are around, we are capable, and we are just carrying on, proving that there is a place for disability in optometry.

About the Author

A Final Word from The Eye Care Advocate

I want to extend my most sincere and heartfelt thanks to Lucy, our guest author, for sharing such an empowering and insightful post. Her candour and courage in discussing her personal and professional journey are not only inspiring but also a vital contribution to the conversation around disability in optometry. Her message of resilience and creative problem-solving is a testament to the strength that diverse experiences bring to our profession.

For any prospective student out there who may have a physical disability or difference and is wondering if optometry is the right path for them, I hope this article serves as a powerful and reassuring answer: yes, it is. Your unique perspective and problem-solving skills are not barriers; they are assets that will make you a more empathetic and resourceful clinician.

This is a story that needs to be heard. I encourage everyone, especially my colleagues and current students, to share this article widely across your networks (I include sharing buttons below). Let’s work together to ensure the next generation sees optometry for what it is: a welcoming and inclusive profession for all.