Jessica Dowler: An inclusion story

“I’ve always known that I wanted to work with animals. I loved animals growing up and studied animal behaviour at university. About three years ago my twin sister, who has the same condition as me, was working here at Bath Cats and Dogs Home. When a job came up she encouraged me to apply, saying how supportive everyone was. No one has ever made me feel like I’m asking too much, they have been very supportive. They join me in making light of it, which is important to me because it’s difficult for me to deal with day to day, but it’s going to be my life forever, and I don’t want to be sad about it every day.

“My condition is Stargardt macular degeneration. When I was 20 and learning to drive, I couldn’t quite read the number plates so I went to the optician and they noticed a change in the back of my eye and sent me to hospital. Within two weeks, I went from “nothing’s wrong” to “you’ll be legally blind by the time you’re 40”. It was a lot to process. It’s degenerative, so it gets worse with time. For me it’s a slow progression and I can function and move around fine. Most people with macular degeneration don’t need mobility aids like guide dogs, but it affects reading, and the ability to see faces and things in the distance.

“I’ve been diagnosed for eight years now – nearly a third of my life. It’s part of who I am. A lot of people with disabilities are anxious about revealing it to people. Generally, if I know that I’m going to meet someone more than once, I’ll just tell them. However, handovers with new animal owners are more of a struggle. We only meet briefly, and I don’t want to waste time, so I won’t necessarily tell them. I’ll mask by looking them in the eye. Even though I can’t see their face while I’m doing it, for them it makes things easier.