Beyond Sight
My Story

A close up picture of Leah Dykema as she smiles at the camera with simple glasses and a bun with braids in her hair. She wears a red Chinese cheongsam dress with ornate gold design.

Welcome to the iAccessAbility website! My name is Leah Dykema, the creator behind the iAccessAbility YouTube channel, formerly known as AppleTalk. A bit about my background: I was born in Xiamen City, in the provance of Fujian in China with a rare genetic condition called albinism. I spent the first 3 ½ years of my life in an orphanage before being adopted and brought to the United States.

I'm the youngest of four siblings. I have two older brothers who are both married with kids and an older sister in college. Growing up in a homeschooling family, we stayed active and involved in a variety of activities. I've participated in swimming, dance, track and field, bowling, and even a Paralympic sport called Goalball.

My journey to independence with visual impairment has been supported by the Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where I've made incredible friends and met wonderful trainers through training sessions, weekend sports retreats, and camps. I also learned Braille with the help of the Iowa Department for the Blind, and I now use it to type on my phone ‑ here's a demo of how I do that: How to Use Braille Screen Input on an iPhone or iPad - YouTube

A picture of Leah Dykema kneeling on the floor by a desk with her Apple collection arranged to be displayed. She wears a t-shirt with symbals of Apple products across it.

I've been an Apple fan, collector, and user since I was 9 years old, with the iPad and iPhone being my primary devices. Since 2017, iPads have been my essential tools for reading, writing, drawing, watching content, creating art, and more. My passion for technology and curiosity have driven me to become self‑taught, with YouTube playing a big role in expanding my knowledge.

I find it easiest to read with inverted colors, like the white text on a black background you see here. Simple fonts, such as Arial or Helvetica, in larger, bold styles, improve my readability. Because I'm sensitive to light, white backgrounds can be overwhelming, often washing out content and leading to eye strain. Even small white areas, like a line or image, can reduce the visibility of the entire screen for me.

I created the AppleTalk YouTube channel in September 2020 to help people maximize their productivity with Apple products. Prior to that, from 2018 to 2020, I made weekly 20 to 30-minute tutorials for a small group of friends, which I shared via Google Drive. In early 2024, I rebranded to iAccessAbility and shifted my focus to sharing my knowledge of Apple accessibility as a visually impaired person with albinism. My goal is to eventually vlog about my life as a visually impaired albino while continuing to provide helpful tips, tricks, and tutorials for the blind and visually impaired community.

Thank you for visiting iAccessAbility and learning a bit more about my journey. My mission is to empower individuals with visual impairments by sharing my experiences, tips, and accessibility knowledge. I hope to inspire others to embrace their unique challenges and use technology to enhance their lives. Stay connected, and feel free to reach out if you ever have questions or need guidance on navigating the world of Apple products with accessibility features. Be sure to checkout the rest of the site and the many resources around!