Meet the hosts of ACBVA’s Voices of Vision, a live, unedited Zoomcast where we interview guests making an impact in the blind and low vision community.
Maria Evangelista
I am a proud Filipino born with low vision, and I’ve embraced my disability not as a limitation, but as a driving force to excel and advocate for others. With a background in finance, I’ve had the opportunity to work with one of the United Nations agencies, where I combined my professional skills with my passion for service.
Outside the office, I’m a broadcaster hosting a program dedicated to persons with disabilities — a platform where I aim to raise awareness, share stories, and empower the community. I’m also a passionate cook, an avid traveler, and a dog lover who believes that life’s beauty lies in the details we often overlook.
My journey hasn’t always been easy, but I’ve turned challenges into motivation. Through hard work and a strong sense of purpose, I continue to break barriers, proving that disability is not inability — it’s a different ability with its own strength and story.
Debra Hill
When I lost my sight eight years ago due to type two diabetes, I was so grateful for organizations like ACBVA which helped me face the challenges of this new “normal” in my life. Through interacting with others like myself, I learned I still had a voice and a vision to share with the world. I am so excited that I can now give back to others through ACBVA’s new Zoomcast show, Voices of Vision. We all have stories to tell, and I look forward to hearing and sharing the amazing visionaries who appear on our show.
As a blind artist, I strive to be an inspirational singer, motivational speaker, author and writer. My first album, Daily Reverence (2018), contains songs reflecting my faith and desire to help others. Since then, I have produced several hit singles such as Celebrate My Birthday and Tell Me Your Testimony.
In my blog, Love is Accessible, I focus on resources and helpful information for blind and low-vision persons as well as current news trends. Debra recently appeared on the Virginia Voice radio broadcast show, Shards of Light, and regularly engages in community outreach for ACBVA. I am also an ACBVA board member and co-chair of the communications committee. I will be the keynote speaker at the ACBVA state convention, October 2025.
When I speak, I share my personal story of God’s faithfulness and want everyone to know that Christ has the power to lift you out of all trying circumstances. I have a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia and two postgraduate Master’s degrees from both Virginia Commonwealth University and George Washington University. I live in Virginia with my long-time husband and have two lovely daughters.