Olivia Durant

Olivia Durant (formerly known as Karrie Mentzer and Oni Hartstein) is an American activist originally from Pittsburgh, who came to national prominence from being legally blind at birth, then regaining eyesight in 2016 after a surgical procedure at The Eye Center of New York. Durant has been featured on Good Morning America and also been the subject of numerous articles including BuzzFeed and The Insider.

Durant was prescribed glasses with two inch thick concave lenses, then corrective contact lenses at age nine that provided a small amount of peripheral vision, albeit blurred. She's described difficulty visually recognizing people and told a story about becoming separated from her grandmother in a department store, then mistakenly running into the arms of a stranger.

With effort and strategically positioned lighting sources, Durant has recounted being able to laboriously read books. She also used memorization and other mental methods to navigate her surroundings without assistance. During her interviews, Durant has also discussed being ostracized and bullied by other children growing up.

During her teenage years, an eye doctor casually mentioned to Durant the possibility of an operation that might improve her vision, but it was cost prohibitive. Durant also stated how she reexamined the world through fresh eyes while seeing as much as possible with a positive mental attitude and sharing that viewpoint with others.

Sharing her story on social media garnered immediate national attention, multiple interviews and a desire for Durant to give speeches pertaining to her unique experiences and points of view on life.