“My Existence Is My Resistance”: A Blind Trans Woman’s Journey of Truth, Loss, and Power

My whole life has been about challenging the status quo and refusing to conform to the preconceptions of what others might think of someone like me.  I was adopted as a baby, and although my adoptive parents were very loving and were to me my ‘real’ parents, I nonetheless grew up with an overriding sense of feeling alone. 

I was diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis at two years old, and this led to a childhood and adolescence dominated by ill-health and hospitalisation. The arthritis triggered issues with my eyes, and I went on to have over 50 eye surgeries between the ages of seven and eighteen and over 200 hospital admissions. I lost all sight in my right eye in my early 20s and then lost all remaining vision in my other eye in my early 40s.   

Despite these obvious challenges, I have always believed that I am here for a purpose and that no matter how tough things get, I always have a choice to either give in to the difficulties or live a life filled with meaning and purpose. It has not always been easy, but I have chosen to live my life to the best of my ability and to the fullest extent possible, and I am proud of what I have achieved thus far and what I have yet to achieve.  

The Attitudes we as individuals and society hold towards those who are different to us shape the way we Behave towards them, which ultimately shapes the Culture in which we live and how inclusive or not it is.

I have used my experiences to leverage positive impact through being involved in disability and LGBTQ+ advocacy and leadership throughout my life. I have often been called “inspirational” as a result of the things I have done, and whilst I understand why people say this, I am simply trying to live the best life I can, regardless of the challenges I have faced. I have successfully gained two degrees, built a successful career in training, public speaking and coaching within the disability and LGBTQ+ community and raised money for charities that matter to me through challenges such as taking up running marathons and walking on fire!! My mission in life is simple: to break down societal and individual barriers to what someone who is disabled and/or LGBTQ+ can achieve in life. 

Whilst I have no regrets about choosing to live a life that goes against the grain of what was expected of me, it has been quite lonely and isolating at times. One of my main mottos in life is “My existence is my resistance.” I have always tried to live my life with authenticity and honesty, and yet this has not always been possible in a world where being different to the norm is regarded as a weakness and even a sense of threat to the status quo. 

When I came out as transgender in 2013, I understood I stood to risk a great deal, and it led to the breakdown of my marriage and my relationships with my children. Yet, despite this, I knew it was something I had to do to be true to who I really am and always have been. Coming out not only meant the loss of family relationships; it also resulted in my losing most of my established friendship networks overnight. Shortly after losing all of my vision, I was forced to navigate my new life as a blind trans woman with very little support, at least to begin with. 

There’s an inevitable cost to embracing what makes you ‘different,’ but it’s worth paying if you genuinely want to live a meaningful and purposeful life.

The entire experience has taught me that there’s an inevitable cost to embracing what makes you “different,” but it’s worth paying if you genuinely want to live a meaningful and purposeful life. It’s taken me time to rebuild my life, reclaim my inner strength and resilience, and cultivate a supportive community around me, but I have no regrets. I recognise that I am one of the privileged ones and I am keen to use my platform to give voice to others whose voices often get ignored or silenced.

Although living as a blind trans woman does have its real everyday challenges, I believe the biggest difficulty is in navigating a world which still has a lot to learn about what it means to be disabled and LGBTQ+. Though there are practical ways in which society could provide better support to disabled people like me, I fundamentally believe that real positive change can only come if we address what I refer to as “The ABC of inclusion”. In simple terms, this can be understood as: the Attitudes we as individuals and society hold towards those who are different to us shape the way we Behave towards them, which ultimately shapes the Culture in which we live and how inclusive or not it is.

If we truly want to break down the barriers faced by those from marginal communities, then we need to do all we can to constructively challenge negative attitudes, change unhelpful behaviours and create cultures that embrace difference and celebrate diversity.

There have been many key moments in my life that I am particularly proud of but the main ones which spring to mind are as follows:

• Getting a place at Nottingham Trent University in 1991 to study communication Studies. Due to my ill health and disrupted schooling, I only obtained two A Levels and was not expected to secure a place at university. However, leaving home to attend university became a transformative moment in my life, and I am proud of the fact that I was able to earn a degree.
• Getting my first job with the Royal National Institute of the Blind in their policy and campaigning team in 1998. The unemployment rate for blind and partially-sighted people in the UK is 75%, so it was a huge achievement to get a full-time job which paid well and saw me being involved in key campaigns in the world of disability inclusion.
• Coming out as Sarah, my true self, in 2013 was a pivotal moment in my life. Although I lost nearly everything in the process, I had always known that I wasn't the man I had tried to be. Fear held me back from admitting this truth to myself and those around me. Undergoing gender transition while recently becoming totally blind added another layer of challenge. However, I knew it was the right decision for me and has helped shape me into the woman I am today.
• Running my first half-marathon in 2018 was another significant milestone for me. Because of my health, I wasn't allowed to participate in PE at school and never saw myself as a runner. However, I began with a couch-to-5k program and continued building my endurance, ultimately running the Royal Parks Half Marathon. Since then, I've completed four more half-marathons and am currently training for the 2025 London Marathon to raise money for an LGBTQ+ charity.
• Getting a job in 2019 at the University of Oxford in their central Equality and Diversity Unit, where I supported disabled and LGBTQ+ staff is another milestone I am proud of. Coming from a working-class background with a disrupted education, I never imagined I would work at an institution like Oxford. Nevertheless, I spent five years there, including a period as the interim head of EDI, before leaving in late 2024 to start my own training and consultancy business.

Throughout my life, I have seen myself as a Disruptor—someone who refuses to accept society's expectations and limitations on what someone like me is supposed to do and be. There have been numerous occasions when I could have chosen an easier path to "success." However, my focus has never been on what is easy but rather on what would enable me to have the most significant impact.

Being a Disruptor is not about persuading others to be like you or live as you do; for me, it's about living an authentic life. It means showing that, although far from perfect, I am determined to push myself to live the biggest, boldest, and most courageous life possible, regardless of what others may think.

Sarah Stephenson-Hunter (She/her) is a highly experienced and respected public speaker, consultant, trainer and podcaster. As a blind, trans woman with over 15 years of experience in leadership in the public sector, having previously led the EDI team at the University of Oxford, Sarah brings a unique blend of personal and professional insight into the challenges faced by disabled and LGBTQ+ individuals in both the workplace and wider society.  

Sarah is known for her ability to approach difficult and sensitive topics with openness and honesty.  She has spoken at a number of conferences and events, such as Pride in London and has had pieces in online publications such as Metro and Diva. Now the full-time co-director and founder of Simply Equality, Sarah is using her lived experience and tenacity to raise the voices and challenges of under-represented groups.  Her story of losing her sight just before coming out as her true self, combined with her passion for empowering others, provides a powerful platform for her work. Through speaking, consultancy and coaching, Sarah not only shares her journey but inspires others to ask: “What has this inspired me to do differently?”