A Mother’s Vision of a More Inclusive World

At 19, Krystle Boateng was a thriving student at George Washington University — a high-achieving honors student and a double major with her future all planned out. Then, her vision began to blur. What started as cloudy light in hallways and difficulty seeing the board in class quickly escalated. After an inflammatory attack, doctors told her she had iritis, which turned into a diagnosis of panuveitis, a severe form of uveitis. Ultimately, her central vision rapidly deteriorated due to neovascularization, and an emergency surgery left her legally blind.

“I thought, who am I if not a straight-A student?” recalls Krystle. “I had my whole career mapped out in front of me, and then the doctors told me I should take some time off to focus on myself. I had no idea what to do and who I was anymore, and I just felt lost.”

Krystle was forced to navigate grief, identity loss, and an unfamiliar world that no longer felt built for her. Today, she is a mother of two young boys in Northern New Jersey and the founder of Inside Ability Book, a publishing initiative dedicated to producing inclusive children’s books with high-contrast, large-print options. Her journey from diagnosis to advocacy has been one of clarity, not despite her vision loss, but because of it.

“I wanted to be able to read to my kids without a screen or audio,” says Krystle. “But I couldn’t find any children’s books with large enough print to read comfortably. So, I created my own.”

What began as a personal frustration grew into a solution for many. Launched in 2021, Inside Ability Book is changing what storytime looks like, not just for parents and grandparents with vision loss but for children with ADHD, dyslexia, and those on the neurodiversity spectrum, too.

Krystle puts extraordinary care into how each book is made, from selecting bold, high-contrast text (with font sizes up to 75+) to offering two color contrast options: traditional black on white, and reverse contrast, white on black. Instead of opting for standard print-on-demand, she crowdfunded her first book through a Kickstarter so she could use higher-quality materials: 11x11 hardcover formats, sturdy binding, and premium paper that holds vibrant color. Every choice was intentional, designed to be both beautiful and accessible.

“It can be hard for some people in the low vision community to say, I have low vision and I need help,” says Krystle. “When you have a disability, in many circles, you’re being seen as othered, so part of my movement and advocacy is that I’m not just selling a book, I’m selling that it’s OK to have a visual impairment and to ask for the things that you need. You don’t need to just go with the default, and you also don’t need to hide the fact that you may need to do things differently. I want there to be pride in getting my books and being able to read to your children on your own.”

Krystle's daily life of raising two energetic boys, ages three and five, is a testament to resilience and resourcefulness. From snapping photos of labels to zoom in on ingredients or instructions, to dressing her kids in bright colors so she can spot them more easily on the playground, she’s developed countless adaptations that work for her. She talks to her sons openly about her vision loss in age-appropriate ways — they call her creations “mommy’s special books.” While motherhood never comes with a manual, Krystle quickly realized that parenting with low vision came with even fewer roadmaps. That's why she's so passionate about building support for others navigating similar paths.

“We know where to get a white cane or screen reader, but where do you go to figure out parenting with vision loss?” she asks. “Organizations like the Foundation, who are creating a community and helping to answer questions for those newly diagnosed, especially for people who weren’t born blind or visually impaired, it’s so important to help individuals like me.”

With each book, Krystle is rewriting what inclusion looks like for families. And her impact is growing, with plans to add braille overlays, visual descriptions for audio formats, and new contrast options for every reader.

“I’m not your typical author,” says Krystle. “I’m here to create awareness and confidence for others navigating life with low vision. I want people to see the work I’m doing to overcome barriers and feel inspired to tap into their own creativity to face the challenges in their lives too."