Clinton Tyler is on a mission

Clinton Tyler is on a mission. He wants to educate people about what it’s like to be blind and still be independent. He works full-time at VisionCorps in the Rehab Department as the Intake and Support Specialist while he is completing his B.A. in Human Services at Elizabethtown College.

Clinton, 39, is married and the father of two young children, grew up in Philadelphia and moved to Lancaster after he met his wife.

He was a young teenager in school when he first noticed symptoms of his eye condition.

“I was having difficulty seeing the chalkboard in school,” he says, “and my parents suggested that I move closer to the board.”

His parents took him to see if he needed glasses. He visited an optician who did not recognize his eye condition and could not measure his eye pressure.

“I was shocked, clueless, and confused,” says Clinton when an eye doctor eventually diagnosed him with glaucoma at age 14. “At that time, I discovered that my right eye had a pressure of 45 and my left eye had a pressure of 35. I was given drops and advised not to miss any scheduled dosages because my eye pressure could rise again.”

He said it was not easy to find out more information about glaucoma, including how serious it was and its potential consequences.

“There was no Google back then.”

With the progression of his glaucoma, Clinton began noticing a gradual decline in his vision over the next several years.

“I could not see objects below me or on the sides. My vision was slowly encroaching upon me,” says Clinton. “At the time, I was working in the emergency room in Philadelphia, and I couldn’t see my patients’ IV lines, leading to a few close calls while transporting them.

“I also found it increasingly difficult to play some of my favorite sports with my friends like basketball and football. The ball would hit me in the face because I couldn’t see it until it was too late.”

Clinton is still a big sports fan – although he now follows professional teams more than playing sports himself.

“Sports are a passion of mine, and I’m a big fan of the Houston Rockets fan, the Philadelphia Eagles (Go Birds!) and the Philadelphia Phillies (Go Phils).”

At home, Clinton says he would trip frequently. He found it challenging to use clear bowls without spilling. It helped him to buy colorful kitchenware that provided contrast to help him see the food.

One accommodation that helps with his independence today include using is a white cane for mobility assistance.

“A white cane is helpful for me to use at night and when I travel for vacation,” explains Clinton. “The Meta Ray-Ban glasses are another big help for me when I travel.”

“I appreciate that people are developing ways for blind and visually impaired individuals to regain a sense of independence,” says Clinton. “I am a highly functional and independent person – and I want others with vision loss to be the same.”

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