Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
012 Creating Community with Eavan O'Neill
In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, host Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, sits down with Eavan O'Neill, the founder of Brightside Community. Eavan shares her journey of vision loss, beginning with the early signs noticed in elementary school, through the "perplexing" diagnosis of cone dystrophy, which later confirmed as Stargardt disease, during her senior year of college. Her story provides a raw look at the emotional shock of a life-changing diagnosis at a pivotal time—just before the pandemic and her college graduation. We discuss the cultural misconception of blindness as an all-or-nothing experience and the profound, immediate fear that comes with a rare diagnosis where the prognosis is unclear and no cure is offered.
Eavan shares her initial struggle with depression following the diagnosis and the intentional steps she took to climb out of that dark place. She reflects on the "cosmic pause button" the pandemic provided, which gave her the space to process her new reality with her family. A key turning point was realizing the therapeutic power of sharing her story. This led her to find a new sense of control and self through running marathons, and most significantly, to establish a safe, supportive space for others facing similar challenges.
The conversation culminates in an in-depth discussion about Brightside Community, a non-profit support group that has grown to over 150 members worldwide. Eavan details the group’s mission—to connect individuals experiencing vision loss of any kind (age 18+)—and how their meetings offer a vital "other level of understanding" that even the most supportive sighted loved ones cannot provide. She shares the group's structure, including the use of Slack for 24/7 connection, and reflects on the fulfillment of seeing members build real-life friendships. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking community, coping strategies, and a reminder that acceptance is an active component of grief, not its endpoint.
Topics Covered: Stargardt disease, cone dystrophy, navigating vision loss in college, adjusting to disability, parental guilt, the role of research, coping with depression, finding control through running, the power of sharing your story, building community, peer support groups, Brightside Community, acceptance as a component of grief.
https://brightsidecommunity.com/
ABOUT THE PODCAST
inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.
Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!
CONNECT WITH US
Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com
Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod
Email: mailto:insightoutpod@integralmhs.com
Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod
Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml
Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/
Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod
©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC
No comments yet. Be the first to say something!