Welcome to Through Every Lens, the official blog of Loughlin’s Optics – Training & Consultancy. I’m Tammie, founder of Loughlin’s Optics, and this space is where I’ll be sharing stories, insights, and reflections on what it truly means to make eye care and the wider world accessible for everyone. At Loughlin’s Optics, I believe vision care is about more than just eyesight – it’s about insight. It’s about understanding how every individual experiences the world through their own unique lens.
This blog marks the beginning of a journey – one rooted in advocacy, education, and lived experience. It was created from both professional experience and personal passion — a passion for advocacy, education, and inclusion within the optical industry. My goal is simple: to start real, human conversations about diversity, accessibility, and breaking down the barriers to the care that’s deserved.
Working in eye care has given me the privilege to help people see better — but also the insight to notice where care can unintentionally exclude. Too often, systems, environments, and approaches are designed for the “average” patient, leaving many feeling unseen or overwhelmed. I’ve met neurodivergent patients who struggle with sensory overload, individuals with disabilities who face physical barriers, and people who simply don’t feel understood. This means many still face barriers to something as fundamental as eye health. These experiences have taught me that vision care must go beyond eyesight — it must see the whole person.
That belief is at the heart of Loughlin’s Optics – Training & Consultancy, where my work focuses on empowering professionals to deliver truly inclusive and compassionate care.
My Lived Experience My drive for inclusion also comes from my own life. I’m AuDHD (autistic and ADHD) and live with fibromyalgia, colitis, and the lasting impact of cancer. I’m also a parent to neurodivergent children and part of a disabled family, so these issues aren’t theoretical — they’re deeply personal. I know what it’s like to navigate healthcare systems that weren’t designed for every mind or body. I’ve experienced the fatigue, frustration, and invisibility that come with being “different” in places that are meant to care. I’ve seen firsthand the exclusion current systems create, how isolating it can be. These experiences have shaped my determination to make eye care more inclusive, empathetic, and accessible — not just for patients like me, but for everyone who’s ever felt unseen in a clinical setting.
Through Every Lens
Here on Through Every Lens, I’ll be exploring the many perspectives that shape inclusion in optics: 🔍 Access Lens — Rethinking accessibility in clinics, environments, and patient journeys. 🧠Neuro Lens — Understanding neurodiversity, sensory differences, and AuDHD in eye care. ❤️Human Lens — Sharing lived experiences and patient stories that bring care to life. 🔬Innovation Lens — Showcasing inclusive design, technology, and system change. 📘Practice Lens — Offering practical insight, training ideas, and professional guidance. Each lens invites us to see differently — and to create a more compassionate, informed, and inclusive future for the optical profession.
A Personal View
Every story shared, every barrier removed, and every conversation started brings us closer to eye care that’s truly for everyone. To a world where no one feels unseen – in the very place designed to help them see. This blog isn’t just about optics — it’s about people, perspective, and possibility. Welcome to Through Every Lens — and thank you for joining me as we reimagine what inclusive vision care can be. – Tammie Founder, Loughlins Optics – Training & Consultancy Advocacy • Accessibility • Inclusion