Edge Case Existence

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

An Introduction

Hello, my name is Niall Horn¹. 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) ²on various films and TV shows, later moving into Deep-Tech R&D³. I have a background in Computer Graphics/Simulation, Machine Learning and XR. While my career was/is my life; it’s also just been visible the interface defining it so far.

What’s mostly invisible, until now, is the reality of living with a complex set of medical conditions. I have XYY genetic disorder⁴, which is the substrate for multiple conditions that making my life exceptionally challenging. These include neurodevelopmental conditions: {Autism (ASD), ADHD, Dyspraxia (DCD)}⁵ – alongside daily and perpetual mental (and very physical) health challenges like: {Anxiety/Panic Disorder and Treatment Resistant Depression} as a product of comorbidity. I believe It’s time to accept that these medical conditions, are disabilities, for me, and people like me whom suffer from these. We shouldn’t have to feel ashamed in saying so.

These conditions, impact the lives of people like myself, in ways you may not imagine. I believe in facing these realities head-on, because I know, staying in the shadows and over abstracting lived experiences like my own will not help bring about awareness and to some extent (hopefully, one day) change. While these conditions do have some positives, these can be warped by stereotypical viewpoints, that unfortunately blur the lines in ways that negatively effect those seeking support. People like myself want to be part of a society, but one that also accepts us for all we are.

Yet, sadly even in 2025, people like myself are programmed by the old ways of society to be ashamed, hide these away and ‘mask’⁶ in order to participate in integration. Given what I have personally gone through in the past 14 months and more broadly over the course of my life, this is understandable, and I too was forced to pretend… But this is not sustainable for us, and in totality for a society that intends to transcend our Darwinian tribalistic traits to continue the trajectory towards concurrent innovation and equality.

I’m here to share parts of my life, my story and to pose questions like – Why should disabled individuals, who want to integrate, want to contribute, be forced into hiding, struggling to live and exist? All while dealing with the negative effects of predispositions we never signed up for when life was building our DNA.

I want to (re)build my life, to be more than just an existence. I want to rebuild my career in tech, and integrate the knowledge and experiences I’ve faced into my life and the way I work, learn and educate. However, this won’t come easy.

Hence, Edge Case Existence is born…

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 after experiencing a life altering discrimination event in Summer 2024⁷, recovering from medical trauma⁸ and picking up the pieces after things really fell apart.

A lot of what I write will reflect on people and experiences that shaped where I am – some very supportive, some quite the opposite. But I’m not here to assign personal 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.

I want to get back to building. This may include like: open-source tech projects, experimenting with new ways of working, sharing my journey to a new sense of self; now that I (somewhat) actually understand what I’m dealing with.

This isn’t a brand, a movement, a manifesto 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 with you in mind. While I do have a personal site dev site (currently neglected due to career loss); 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. I myself am also part of this, growing and learning more about others experiences from all walks of life.

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.

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 unfortunately and inexcusably lost along the way, who deserved a fair shot a life.

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 medical events 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! It is subject to change in both format and platform in the coming weeks.⁹

More coming soon.
— Niall (August 2025)¹⁰

Not to be confused with Niall Horan of Ireland / One Direction! ↩︎
I’ve worked at companies like Scanline VFX, Framestore and Juice Studio (Platige Image), as an Effects Technical Director (FX TD). ↩︎
I’ve spent time at companies like Industrial Light and Magic (as part of Disney), and began to build my own start-up. ↩︎
Also known as Jacobs Syndrome; I am only recently diagnosed. Not to be confused with XXY (Klinefelter Syndrome). ↩︎
Listed in order of effect on life (although this can vary). ↩︎
Mask / Masking is a term used heavily by people with Autism to describe intentional or unintentional (learnt) behaviours to hide symptoms, for social, safety and survival reasons. This is exhausting and unnatural for us. ↩︎
I feel this is vital to talk about, at the right time. ↩︎
This is unfortunately very common in individuals with complex medical conditions. I have huge respect for Medicine as a field and practice; but this makes the trauma so much more disappointing. ↩︎
It’s currently WordPress based, (please forgive my sins — but I cannot stand web-dev unless its WASM or WebGPU stuff!) ↩︎
Originally posted in July 2025; edited to reflect XYY diagnosis. ↩︎