Hello again, I’m so happy that you are continuing to join me and my guests as we explore the benefits of improving accessibility and advocate for more fullsome inclusion of people living with disabilities.
On this episode of The Accessibility Advantage, I sat down with Jarrett Gist, an Independent Financial Advisor and Investment Advisor Representative with D.H. Hill Wealth Management. Jarrett was diagnosed with Stargardt disease at 19, and his path from that diagnosis to where he is today helping individuals and families, including many with disabilities, build financial independence made for one of the most practical, hands-on conversations I’ve had on the show.
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From the Texas A&M Corps to a Life-Changing Diagnosis
Jarrett’s vision changes first surfaced during his freshman year in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, after a minor accident with a bungee cord drew him to an eye doctor for the first time. What followed was a referral to a retina specialist, and eventually a diagnosis of Stargardt disease a juvenile form of macular degeneration. Jarrett had to leave the path he’d been on and figure out, from scratch, what came next.
A visit from a state orientation and mobility instructor someone Jarrett initially waved off, insisting he could still ride a bike and get around fine ended up planting the seed for his entire career. He went on to earn a degree in blind rehabilitation from Stephen F. Austin State University, worked as an orientation and mobility instructor for 14 years, and later earned both a master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in visual impairment and an MBA.
The Tools That Actually Work
Jarrett and I compared notes on assistive technology from our very different eras of vision loss his diagnosis came with far more available tools than mine did decades earlier. He talked about relying on ZoomText for magnification and a built-in reader, along with a CCTV magnifier for reading physical materials. His guiding principle was one I appreciated: find the fewest tools that get the most done, since constantly switching between devices or platforms eats up time and energy that could go toward actually living your life.
From Orientation and Mobility to Financial Advising
Jarrett’s shift into financial advising grew out of a long-standing personal interest in investing, combined with what he saw repeatedly in his O&M work: clients on SSI or SSDI who were afraid to accept raises or pursue new opportunities for fear of losing their benefits. That tension wnting to grow financially while staying protected became the problem Jarrett wanted to help people solve.
Getting there wasn’t easy. Studying for the Series 65 securities law exam meant 12 to 15 hour days for nine months straight. When he finally sat for it, the testing center had his allotted time wrong and wouldn’t let him use his ZoomText hotkeys, forcing him to manually adjust magnification throughout the exam. He missed passing by one question and had to wait three months to retake it which he did, and passed.
Building a Financial Foundation, Whatever Your Starting Point
Jarrett laid out a clear, practical framework for financial independence: a checking account to handle regular bills, a savings account for the unexpected, a retirement account even a modest Roth IRA starting as early as age 18 and, when ready, an active investment account. His point about retirement accounts stuck with me: it’s not about how much you can contribute each month, it’s about how much time your money has to grow. Starting small and early beats waiting for a bigger paycheck down the road.
He also shared a couple of lesser-known tax advantages available to people who are legally blind, including a tax exemption and the ability to freeze property taxes regardless of age.
Vetting Accessible Platforms and an Unexpected Business Advantage
Jarrett intentionally partners with custodians like Fidelity and Schwab in part because of their accessibility, and he makes a point of getting on the phone directly with clients rather than relying solely on digital tools. He also shared a genuinely surprising story: using a Tesla with full self-driving capability enabled by a bioptic lens that gets his vision to the legal 20/40 driving threshold has let him pick up clients and bring them into the office for in-person meetings. More than one potential client, he said, has been sold on working with him before they even reached the boardroom, simply from seeing what he’s able to do.
Why Accessibility Should Matter to Financial Companies
I pushed Jarrett on something I ask most of my guests in some form: why should companies care about accessibility beyond the bare minimum the law requires?
He was direct that compliance and regulation matter, but also pointed to something simpler people with disabilities deserve the same access to tools and services as anyone else, and companies that build genuine relationships with clients, disability or not, are the ones that earn long-term trust.
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Jarrett’s closing advice was blunt and practical: if you haven’t started a financial plan, start one. If you’re on the fence about stepping away from the safety of government assistance toward greater independence, know that it’s hard, but worth it. His own mantra get comfortable being uncomfortable echoes something I’ve said for years in different words: that the real obstacle is rarely a lack of solutions, it’s our own reluctance to do something unusual or uncomfortable to get there.
About Jarrett
Jarrett Gist is an Independent Financial Advisor and Investment Advisor Representative with D.H. Hill Wealth Management, where he focuses on helping individuals and families pursue their financial goals through personalized wealth management and investment planning.
Jarrett’s professional journey is shaped by his own experience living with vision loss. Diagnosed with Stargardt disease at age 19, he has navigated many of the educational, professional, and accessibility challenges that come with being visually impaired. Rather than allowing those challenges to define his career path, Jarrett has used them as motivation to build a career centered around helping others.
His career also includes extensive work as a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, where he helps individuals with visual impairments develop the skills needed to navigate their environments and live more independently.
Today, Jarrett brings those experiences together through his work in financial advising, with a particular interest in serving individuals with disabilities. He believes financial education and access to quality financial services should be available to everyone, regardless of ability. Through both his personal and professional experiences, Jarrett has developed a unique perspective on accessibility, not only in physical environments, but also with the tools that clients rely on to manage their money.
Connect with Jarrett
Jarrett C. Gist, MBA
Investment Adviser Representative
6713 Old Jacksonville Hwy Suite 101
Tyler, TX 75703
903-343-3558
jgist@dhhill.com
Keep the Conversation Going
This conversation was a reminder that independence physical and financial often comes down to finding the right tools and the willingness to do the uncomfortable thing. So here’s what I’d ask of you:
- Watch or listen to the full episode and hear Jarrett’s story and advice in his own words.
- Visit Jarrett’s scheduling page if you’d like to talk with him directly about your own financial plan.
- Follow Jarrett on LinkedIn or Facebook and share this post with someone navigating disability benefits, financial planning, or both.
- Tell us what you learned. Drop a comment, reach out to Jarrett directly, or email me at maxwell@theaccessibilityadvantage.com.
And if you’re a business wondering whether your platforms, tools, or services are truly accessible to clients with disabilities, that’s exactly what I help with at The Accessibility Advantage. Reach out and let’s figure it out together.
What’s your excuse?
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