Living Beyond Sight
I’m Chelagat Kipkorir, a development communication specialist, disability advocate and founder of
Hope in the Dark Organization. Living with Retinitis Pigmentosa, I create spaces where blind and visually
impaired young people in Kenya are seen, heard and empowered.
Campus dialogues • Lived-experience storytelling • Youth mental health
The person behind Hope in the Dark
A lived-experience advocate using development communication to centre blind and visually impaired youth.
I am Chelagat Kipkorir, a Kenyan disability advocate and development communication specialist
living with Retinitis Pigmentosa. My own journey with sight loss has shaped how I understand inclusion, belonging
and mental health for young people with visual impairments.
I bring together lived experience and professional training to challenge stereotypes about blindness, design
honest conversations about mental health and open up platforms where visually impaired youth can show who they are
beyond their disability.
Quick facts
- 🎓 BA Public Relations – Kenya Methodist University
- 🎓 MA Development Communication (in progress) – Daystar University
- ♿ Founder – Hope in the Dark Organization
- 📍 Working with youth across Kenyan universities
Impact in numbers
These figures reflect some of the spaces and stories I have been privileged to be part of.
Where my work shows up
My work sits at the intersection of disability advocacy, storytelling and mental health. In practice, it unfolds
through three connected strands:
Advocacy
Disability & inclusion
I work with campuses, organisations and communities to shift how blindness and visual impairment are understood.
- Talks and panel contributions on disability rights and inclusion.
- Consultations on making events more accessible and welcoming.
- Campaigns that centre the voices of blind and visually impaired youth.
Storytelling
Campus dialogues & events
I design and host conversations that give students with disabilities a platform to speak in their own voice.
- BlindTalk forums in universities across Kenya.
- Themed editions such as “Dating Different” on love and relationships.
- Story-sharing space