Caitlin O'Malior

My name is Caitlin O’Malior, and I work in Advocacy and Communications at the non-profit, LightHouse for the Blind. I am a San Francisco resident and am visually impaired. Diagnosed with my condition as a teenager, I spent many years adapting and accepting my reality as a legally blind individual. Eventually, I overcame my insecurities and discomfort in my own skin, and learned to not just embrace my disability, but become a support to others going through the same struggle.  

In the past few years, I have become involved in advocacy and public policy and began to foster this newfound passion—particularly where the issues of employment among the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community is concerned. Currently, approximately 70% of working-age blind and visually impaired Americans are unemployed. This, however, is in no way a reflection of the community’s desire to work or capabilities. As someone who has experienced first-hand the difficulty of having an employer see beyond the disability just long enough to provide an opportunity to show your worth, I am personally driven to help grow the population of employed blind adults. I believe the way to tackle this issue first and foremost is to change the misconceptions of blindness, provide accessible workforce development programs and resources, and elevate the BVI community. I believe that by serving on the Committee on City Workforce Alignment, I will be able to represent a community who is largely impacted by unemployment and employer discrimination and can provide a unique perspective to fellow committee members.  

I love working toward a greater good and giving back to the BVI community by leading by example. I believe nothing can happen without cohesive collaboration, and by learning from one another. It is my honor to serve the residents of San Francisco and represent the BVI population. I believe my lived experiences and professional development have provided me the skills and knowledge to make positive impact toward shaping accessibility and equal opportunity, while pushing me to continue to learn, grow, and strive for greater representation and impactful programs and legislation that will elevate and employ people who are blind or visually impaired. 

Kind regards,  

Caitlin O’Malior