My name is Drew. Some may know me as DrewpyDesigns. I was born with albinism and nystagmus, but that’s not my full story. I’m a three-time TTT champion, self-employed as a graphic designer, a streamer, a content creator and an ambassador for Speed Of Sight. I have never let my disability stop me, and I urge others to live their lives without letting a disability stop their dreams too.
Throughout my younger years in school, I was always teased and bullied. People would point out my eyes or head wobbling. I always felt left out as I struggled in sports or couldn’t see my friends during break. This was hard at first, but I have since realised it taught me to never be fearful of my disability; otherwise, I’d never achieve anything. Even now, if someone says something about my eyes, I take time to explain to them why my eyes are the way they are and that I have no control over it. Awareness and understanding are vital in stamping out misconceptions and prejudice.
As previously mentioned, I am a three-time champion in Gran Turismo 7 in TinyTurnip’s Twisted Trackdays, a racing championship with some of the best online racers competing against each other. I’m a huge motorsport fan and sadly, due to my visual impairment, I’ll never be able to get a driving licence. When I first started in TTT, I never thought I’d win a race, let alone three championships. But with determination and a lot of practice, I have been able to achieve this.
Another area I have always struggled with is reading, so you’d imagine streaming and reading comments would be a massive issue for me. However, thanks to technology and visual aids such as text-to-speech, streaming has become not only possible but a huge part of my life. In fact, during my streams, the TTS has become an important part of viewer engagement. We’ve named the voice Frankie and I often say I’m now the co-host in my own streams, with Frankie entertaining the viewers with her less-than-perfect pronunciation of certain words.
I’m a strong believer that no matter what someone’s situation is, if you work hard, stay true to your beliefs and embrace any obstacle on your path, you will get to where you desire.
