A 14-year-old girl from Niverville is creating a place where kids and teenagers with vision impairments can connect with one another.

Taliah Braun was born with a condition called pediatric congenital microphthalmia, which means her one eye is much smaller than the other. Her left eye, which is blind, has a prosthetic eye covering it.

Braun says she's created a website called Vision Village.

"It's a website specifically for kids around Canada and the world with visual disabilities/impairments," says Braun. "It's meant to connect kids and teens who have visual challenges with each other. Also, to just see that they're not alone."

The idea for the website was formed a while ago, but in June of 2021, Braun says she decided to take the initiative and begin the process of creating the website.

"I've lived with this visual difference all my life. I had always wanted to talk to or see other kids my age with their disabilities as well, to just relate to that challenge. Over the years I expressed to my parents that I wanted a place like that. We weren't able to find it so I decided I would create a place like that."

Braun says she sees this online community as a way to create a sense of belonging for those who might feel lonely and share unique and interesting stories with others who understand them.

For example, Braun says from the time she was born, Braun says she has probably had over 100 eye appointments. 

"As a child getting my prosthetic eye had not been a fun process, it was uncomfortable. So when I was 11, my first Ocularist, Kathleen, I asked her to write a word on [my prosthetic eye] that I felt was an encouraging word."

The word Braun chose was 'Beloved'. With Braun's most recent prosthetic eye, she asked her Ocularist to draw something on part of the glass.

"They said, 'We've never done that before but we can try it. I was able to get them to draw a little owl and then a Bible reference on the back of the eye where no one will see it but I would know. It's been a really cool thing to have and makes it a lot more fun."