How I See

Blind people use phones

An image of a woman holding a white cane whilst using her mobile phone recently went viral on social media, and it highlighted many of the misconceptions that the general public have around the lives of blind and partially sighted people. Many blind and partially sighted people responded by sharing their own photos with the hashtag #BlindPeopleUsePhones, saying how they use theirs.

In fact, there’s no reason why someone couldn’t have a mobile phone and also use a cane (or indeed, a guide dog). Most smartphones have built-in accessibility features like voice control, magnification and screen readers. Members of our community have told us they find them invaluable for things like planning journeys, sending messages and emails and checking social media.

Did you know that 93 per cent of blind and partially sighted people can see something? Our How I See campaign is just one part of our work to continue to challenge misconceptions of blind and partially sighted people, breaking down barriers in society and encouraging people to see the person, not the sight loss. Watch our film to find out more.

For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Share our film

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share our film to help spread the word.
Don’t forget to share your photos and experiences too, using #BlindPeopleUsePhones

#HowISee resources and downloads

You can raise awareness with #HowISee resources, which highlight examples of how someone with one of the four most common eye conditions might see. The downloads are useful for anyone who wants to learn about the spectrum of sight, understand different eye conditions and raise awareness about how a blind or partially sighted person might see. It can also help dispel some myths and misunderstandings that people may have about sight loss.