Supporting Mental Wellness with Lived Experience

With a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, Kelli Sloan knows the importance of caring for one’s mental health as a part of overall wellness. As a person living with low vision, she also understands how disability and mental health can affect each other.

As a Licensed Clinical Social worker in The Chicago Lighthouse’s low vision clinic and a member of the Stronger Together team, which provides mental health and resource coordination for people with disabilities, Kelli uses her lived experience to help clients with their own challenges.

“If you’re fully sighted and then you lose your vision, most people do think, ‘There’s no way I could be independent.’ I’m trying to help them rewrite that story that they’ve always believed,” Kelli says. “Many clients haven’t talked to anyone else who knows what they’re going through. Connecting with someone who’s been there can help them feel seen, supported, and more confident about what’s possible.”

Kelli is no stranger to the organization. Growing up in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, she first encountered The Lighthouse as a student when our optometrists conducted evaluations at her school district. Kelli also received Lighthouse scholarships during most of her undergraduate and graduate education. She is pleased to be using her education to help others in The Lighthouse community, and appreciates the respect and camaraderie of her co-workers here.

“I feel really comfortable here, because nobody questions when I use ZoomText on my computer or my phone is talking out loud,” she says. “It’s nice to have the community aspect and having colleagues who also have vision loss.”

For more information about our Stronger Together program, visit www.chicagolighthouse.org/stronger-together.