From Hiding to Helping: How Cory Turned Vision Loss Into a Life With No Limits

At just six years old, Cory Rainford realized something about his vision was different. He couldn’t have known then that decades later, he’d be turning that realization into content that makes people laugh, cry, and feel a whole lot less alone, all from behind a camera on his YouTube channel, Legally Blind No Limits. But first, he had a lot of hiding to do.

He was on a camping trip with his cousin and a group of kids, playing manhunt in the dark. While everyone else ran confidently through the woods, Cory stood still, confused. “How are they running around with no problem?” he wondered.

That moment led to specialist appointments and, eventually, a diagnosis. First, doctors told him it was retinitis pigmentosa. But at 16, after genetic testing, Cory was finally diagnosed with choroideremia, a rare, inherited retinal disease that primarily affects males due to its X-linked pattern. Later, his cousin Blade would learn he has choroideremia, too. They traced it back to Cory’s grandfather, a loving man who quietly lived with vision loss but rarely spoke about it. And that silence stuck.

“I used to purposefully not remember the name of my disease,” says Cory. “I pushed it to the back of my mind, and I masked it.”

For years, Cory moved through life doing everything he could to keep his vision loss in the background. He played sports, and he built a successful career in marketing and partnerships with the NBA—his dream job. He commuted into Manhattan, traveled to events, and kept up with the fast pace around him. But behind the scenes, it was getting harder.

He remembers counting how many times he said “sorry” after bumping into people during one commute, and it was more than 40 times just to get to work. At work events, he struggled to see faces and navigate crowded rooms. Once, when his boss asked if he was drunk, Cory said yes. That’s how far he was willing to go to keep his vision loss invisible to the world.

“I would rather that than admit to her that I was losing my vision,” recalls Cory. “Looking back, I laugh at that, but it’s wild I wasn’t willing to admit the truth.”

As his choroideremia progressed, so did the pressure he put on himself to keep up. He was having panic attacks trying to navigate work and travel. Instead of asking for accommodations, he internalized it. In 2022, feeling overwhelmed and defeated, he left his job.

“I was stubborn,” says Cory. “I thought it was my fault, not my vision.”

Then, at the end of 2023, after avoiding his retina specialist for years, Cory went back. During the appointment, his doctor told him his vision had declined to less than 10%. He needed to start using a white cane and connect with resources. Cory remembers sitting with that reality. For the first time, he couldn’t push it aside, and his white flag was up.

Instead of running from choroideremia, he began researching it. He learned about the genetics and that research is advancing potential treatments. Understanding what was happening in his own eyes shifted something in him. For the first time, acceptance didn’t feel like giving up—it meant adapting.

Cory connected with the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, and he learned to use a white cane. He discovered technology and apps that made everyday tasks more accessible. Most importantly, he found community—people who understood both the practical challenges and the emotional weight of vision loss, and that shift rippled into every part of his life.

Today, Cory is 35 years old, married to his wife, Liv, and the proud dad of two children, ages 7 and 4. Their family splits time between New Jersey and the Dominican Republic, where Liv’s family is from. They intentionally spend as much time as possible surrounded by family and the ocean, making memories now, while Cory navigates the vision he has today.

“In a lot of ways, my blindness has turned my life into the dream life I always wanted,” says Cory. “When we’re at the beach or out in nature, I’m fully present. I’ve been forced to slow down. Now I really focus on what matters.”

His kids have grown up understanding choroideremia in their own beautiful way.

“My son turns into a security guard when we’re out,” says Cory. “And my daughter will say, ‘Daddy, look,’ and then put whatever it is right into my hands. They totally get it, and even with it, they still think I’m their superhero.”

Because choroideremia is inherited and primarily affects males, Cory has thought deeply about what it could mean for future generations. For a long time, that reality felt heavy. Now, it fuels his determination to speak openly and to be part of a community pushing research forward. He wanted his kids to grow up seeing their dad not just adapt, but thrive, and he wanted to show other families that was possible, too. And that openness led to something he never expected, creating his own YouTube channel.

After leaving his job and learning how to adapt, Cory realized he had gained knowledge he wished he’d had years earlier. So he decided to share it through video content. He named his channel ‘Legally Blind No Limits,’ inspired by how it felt the first time he heard the words “legally blind.”

“Being ‘legal’ made it feel more real than even the diagnosis,” recalls Cory.

Cory’s videos blend honest conversations about adapting to vision loss with humor, lightness, and his natural, bubbly personality. He and Liv, completely self-taught, film and edit everything themselves. Cory brings the ideas, and Liv helps bring them to life.

“To me, a lot of the content in our space feels really serious, and of course it is, because vision loss is serious,” says Cory. “But I’m such a clown, and I love to joke. So I wanted to bring that into the space, too.”

He also speaks candidly about how choroideremia has challenged his sense of identity as a man. Letting go of pride and asking for help hasn’t been easy.

“I’ve had to learn that it’s OK to ask questions and be honest and open and still feel strong,” says Cory. “I was so worried about what others would think, and what I thought about myself. I wish I knew sooner that I didn’t need to hide who I am.”

In sharing the parts that once made him uncomfortable, Cory has found freedom.

“Making these videos has done more for me than I ever expected,” says Cory. “If I’ve helped just one person, then I’ve accomplished what I wanted.”

Cory once tried to hide his blindness, even from himself. Now, he leads with joy, honesty, and a confidence that’s impossible to miss. With every video he posts on Legally Blind No Limits, he’s proving that vision loss doesn’t have to dim your light, and that sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply show up, be yourself, and let others see that there are no limits.