Happy Mother’s Day to Vision Impaired Mums! 
This Mother’s Day, we want to take a moment to celebrate all the incredible vision-impaired mums out there! To offer some insight into parenting with a vision impairment, we spoke with Nia, our North Wales Services Manager and proud mum to five-year-old twin boys. She shares her experiences, challenges, and top tips for making parenting just a little bit easier.
Parenting with a Vision Impairment
Hi, I’m Nia! I’m registered blind and have usable vision in my left eye. In many ways, parenting with a vision impairment is just like any other parenting journey – the nappies, sleepless nights, sibling disagreements, and, of course, endless kids’ TV. But there are also unique challenges that sighted parents may not experience.
The School Run – Organised Chaos!
The school run can be overwhelming – the noise, the busy roads, the queues, and trying to hold a conversation all at once. I feel incredibly lucky that my boys attend a small community school, which makes things a bit easier. But at first, I had plenty of worries:
- Would I be able to spot my boys in the crowd?
- What if I don’t recognise another mum from their class and accidentally ignore them?
My top tips for managing the school run:
- Ask the teacher to ensure your child walks directly over to you.
- Dress your children in bright, easily identifiable clothing.
- Be open about your vision impairment when you can. Let other parents know they can say hi and remind you who they are!
Judgment & Unrealistic Expectations 
The parenting world can feel incredibly judgmental. Social media often presents picture-perfect moments—think five-year-olds happily hiking miles without complaint or the infamous “healthy caterpillar-shaped lunches.” The pressure to be a ‘perfect parent’ is something we all feel, but for vision-impaired parents, this can be even more intense. It’s easy to feel like we need to prove we can do everything just as well as sighted parents.
My top tip for handling this pressure:
Connect with others who understand. Support groups like Blind Parents Connect on Facebook can be a great way to share experiences and helpful hacks with other vision-impaired parents.
Being a mum is one of the greatest joys of my life. To all the incredible vision-impaired mums out there—keep doing what you’re doing! You are amazing, and I hope you have a truly wonderful Mother’s Day!
