This is a list of notable individuals who were blind or became blind over the course of their lives. The list is organized into categories based on their notable achievements or contributions.
Activists and organizers of the blind
Tilly Aston – Australian educator, founder of the Victorian Association of Braille Writers.[1]
Helen Keller – American deaf-blind writer, lecturer, and communist activist.[6]
Juan Carlos González Leiva – Cuban lawyer, who founded the Fraternity of the Independent Blind of Cuba and the Cuban Foundation of Human Rights.[7] He has been harassed, imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime.
Judy Castle Scott - American, blind advocate and activist in the field of vision loss[8]
Jack Birkett – also known as "Orlando" and "The Incredible Orlando"; camp actor, dancer, mime. Best known for his roles as Borgia Ginz in the
Derek Jarman film Jubilee, and as Caliban in Jarman's version of The Tempest. Though his best-known and most prominent roles have been with Jarman, he has had roles in other films, including 1984's The Bride[15] and in televised productions of
Shakespeare[16]
Dana Elcar – Played Peter Thornton (MacGyver). He lost his vision during this time and it was written into the character's story.[17]
Tommy Edison - Person known as the "Blind Film Critic", being blind since birth.
Skyler Davenport - Played a visually impaired teenager who is housesitting for a wealthy client when three criminals break into the house to rob it for the film
See for Me
Ginny Owens – American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, author and blogger, born with poor vision and has been blind since the age of three.
Jay Owens – American electric blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[54]
Blind Tom Wiggins – an American pianist and composer, he had numerous original compositions published and had a lengthy and largely successful performing career.[70]
Joseph Plateau – Physicist who went blind at forty-two when he gazed too long at the sun.[107]
Lev Pontryagin –
Sovietmathematician who went blind at fourteen.[108] He continued mathematical study with the help of his mother Tatyana Andreevna, and made major discoveries in a number of fields of mathematics.
Russell Redenbaugh – blinded as a teenager, graduated from Wharton with an MBA, Self-Made Wall Street and Silicon Valley Millionaire, BBJ Black Belt Three Time Masters Champion
Toph Beifong – from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender was born blind, but uses her Earthbending abilities to sense vibrations and "see" things that are in contact with the earth. For this reason, she hates flying and sailing, as she lacks contact with the ground and is truly blind.
Reader – a blind
inhuman who has the ability to make anything he reads manifest into reality. He needs to sleep in between uses of his powers.
Tahl – A love interest of
Qui-Gon Jinn, was rendered blind after being held captive. However, with the use of the Force, she was able to compensate for her blindness.
Garrett – from Quest for Camelot, a love interest of Kayley, was rendered blind after being struck accidentally by a horse during a stable fire. But uses his skills he learnt from Ayden, a silver-winged falcon, to survive whilst living in the Forbidden Forest.
Snake – from Zero Escape, a blind man forced into a Nonary Game.
Terezi Pyrope - from Homestuck, a main character in the webcomic, who is blind, but can process the world through scent and taste.
^"The king of popera". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
^Durand, Sébastien (2001). "Une femme d'exception dans l'ombre de l'Institution Nationale des Jeunes Aveugles : Joséphine Boulay (1869-1925)", L'orgue, n° 255, III-2001, p. 7-20.
This is a list of notable individuals who were blind or became blind over the course of their lives. The list is organized into categories based on their notable achievements or contributions.
Activists and organizers of the blind
Tilly Aston – Australian educator, founder of the Victorian Association of Braille Writers.[1]
Helen Keller – American deaf-blind writer, lecturer, and communist activist.[6]
Juan Carlos González Leiva – Cuban lawyer, who founded the Fraternity of the Independent Blind of Cuba and the Cuban Foundation of Human Rights.[7] He has been harassed, imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime.
Judy Castle Scott - American, blind advocate and activist in the field of vision loss[8]
Jack Birkett – also known as "Orlando" and "The Incredible Orlando"; camp actor, dancer, mime. Best known for his roles as Borgia Ginz in the
Derek Jarman film Jubilee, and as Caliban in Jarman's version of The Tempest. Though his best-known and most prominent roles have been with Jarman, he has had roles in other films, including 1984's The Bride[15] and in televised productions of
Shakespeare[16]
Dana Elcar – Played Peter Thornton (MacGyver). He lost his vision during this time and it was written into the character's story.[17]
Tommy Edison - Person known as the "Blind Film Critic", being blind since birth.
Skyler Davenport - Played a visually impaired teenager who is housesitting for a wealthy client when three criminals break into the house to rob it for the film
See for Me
Ginny Owens – American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, author and blogger, born with poor vision and has been blind since the age of three.
Jay Owens – American electric blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.[54]
Blind Tom Wiggins – an American pianist and composer, he had numerous original compositions published and had a lengthy and largely successful performing career.[70]
Joseph Plateau – Physicist who went blind at forty-two when he gazed too long at the sun.[107]
Lev Pontryagin –
Sovietmathematician who went blind at fourteen.[108] He continued mathematical study with the help of his mother Tatyana Andreevna, and made major discoveries in a number of fields of mathematics.
Russell Redenbaugh – blinded as a teenager, graduated from Wharton with an MBA, Self-Made Wall Street and Silicon Valley Millionaire, BBJ Black Belt Three Time Masters Champion
Toph Beifong – from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender was born blind, but uses her Earthbending abilities to sense vibrations and "see" things that are in contact with the earth. For this reason, she hates flying and sailing, as she lacks contact with the ground and is truly blind.
Reader – a blind
inhuman who has the ability to make anything he reads manifest into reality. He needs to sleep in between uses of his powers.
Tahl – A love interest of
Qui-Gon Jinn, was rendered blind after being held captive. However, with the use of the Force, she was able to compensate for her blindness.
Garrett – from Quest for Camelot, a love interest of Kayley, was rendered blind after being struck accidentally by a horse during a stable fire. But uses his skills he learnt from Ayden, a silver-winged falcon, to survive whilst living in the Forbidden Forest.
Snake – from Zero Escape, a blind man forced into a Nonary Game.
Terezi Pyrope - from Homestuck, a main character in the webcomic, who is blind, but can process the world through scent and taste.
^"The king of popera". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
^Durand, Sébastien (2001). "Une femme d'exception dans l'ombre de l'Institution Nationale des Jeunes Aveugles : Joséphine Boulay (1869-1925)", L'orgue, n° 255, III-2001, p. 7-20.