Edge Case Existence

(Re)Building a Life at the Intersection of Tech, Disability, and Systemic Failure

An Introduction

Hello, my name is Niall Horn. I’m from North Yorkshire, England in the United Kingdom.

If you know me, it’s probably through my work in the Visual Effects industry (VFX) on various films and tv shows and Deep-Tech R&D. I have a background in Simulation, Computer Graphics, Machine Learning and XR. While my career was/is my life; it’s just a slice of the interface defining it.

What’s mostly invisible, until now, is the reality of living with a complex set of medical conditions. These include neurodevelopmental diagnoses—autism, ADHD, dyspraxia—alongside mental health and ongoing physical health challenges like panic disorder, treatment resistant depression, and chronic issues still being worked out. All of these are real, medical conditions, not just labels. I’m pro-diagnosis, pro-medicine, and believe in facing these realities head-on, because staying in the shadows won’t help bring about awareness.

These conditions, are disabilities and they impact the lives of people like myself, in ways you may not imagine. We are programmed by the old ways of society to be ashamed, hide these away and ‘mask’. All while dealing with the negative disadvantages from the effects of pre-conditions we never signed up for when setting our attributes on the character creation menu of life!

What is This Site ?

Edge Case Existence is my interface with the world. It’s a place to document what it’s really like to live, and (re)build – when your path isn’t one most people are prepared for. Some of this is about rebuilding: my career, my life post-discrimination (more info to come), recovering from medical trauma and picking up the pieces after things really fell apart in 2024. The rest is about building new things: open-source tech projects, new ways of working, and a new sense of self, now that I actually understand what I’m dealing with.

This isn’t a brand, a movement, or an attempt to chase attention. It’s a record of what happens when you try to move forward, even if most systems aren’t built for you. While I do have a personal site, Edge Case Existence has broader ambitions in covering these aspects of my life and story.

Why ‘Edge Case’?

In programming, an edge case is a scenario most systems don’t account for, a test that yields something rare or complex enough to reveal weak or blind spots in the system’s original design. It is no coincidence that I see duality in this definition to myself and my lived experiences. Not a failure, but proof that systems need to adapt and grow, and we as a species still have a way to go.

In tech, edge cases aren’t there to break things, they highlight what needs fixing, and sometimes, what needs a ground up rebuild from scratch.

What Will I Share Here?

A lot of what I write will reflect on people and experiences that shaped where I am—some supportive, some the opposite. But I’m not here to assign blame. I want to present my experiences and let everyone take away what they can from them.

My aim is awareness: sharing what really happens when complex medical realities and rigid systems collide, and what I’ve learned in the process. I want to open up honest conversations about living with serious, intersecting conditions while working in demanding technical fields.

You’ll also find the technical side: documentation of deep-tech and graphics projects, open-source experiments, XR work, and my process of (re)building a career with the tools and knowledge I have now. Everything here is written to be as clear, honest, and useful as I can make it.

A Note on Perspective

This is my story, but I know I’m not the only one. There are others out there as I type this, and there and others we have inexcusably lost along the way.

Now that I finally understand why things have been so hard for myself, I want to help others feel recognised, not isolated. Given the impact from a specific set of event’s in my career blurring into my medical and personal life, I have finally decided now is the time to talk.

I believe in sharing the real picture, not for sympathy, but to shed light and (hopefully) help others navigating similar territory.

If you’re curious, if you know my work, or if you want to understand what (re)building life under complex conditions looks like, you’re welcome here.

Please Note: This site and it’s identity is a work in progress! Oh yeah and it’s WordPress (please forgive my sins; But I cannot stand web-dev unless its WASM or WebGPU!)

Stay tuned.
— Niall (July 2025)