Famous People Who Are Blind

Blindness, visually impaired or no light perception are different terms implying the same condition, which is a person’s inability to see. Visually impaired and blindness have different levels of severity, such as partial blindness or temporary visual impairment. No light perception is however a term that implies complete blindness.

Louis Braille

A person having no light perception cannot even perceive light and thus cannot see anything, any object or person.

The Braille Out …

While there are more renowned and famous personalities who were blind, it is perhaps most fitting to talk about Louis Braille before others. You may or may not be aware of Louis Braille but you have certainly heard of the Braille system. Louis was not blind by birth. He got injured by himself with his father’s awl and then on he had been blind throughout his life. He developed the Braille system so blind people like him could read and understand what is written. Even today, Braille system is used to publish books, papers and all kinds of documents for blind people to read. Had Louis Braille not turned blind, then the world would have been setback in regard to visually impaired reading.

List of Famous People Who Are / Were Blind or Visually Impaired

Makes You Wonder …

Stevie Wonder, one of the finest songwriter, singer and musician of all times, was born blind. Doctors said that excessive flow of oxygen to his eyes during the incubation period while in his mother’s womb had damaged his retina and he had never seen the light of the world. Yet, he has been instrumental in not only showing the path to the world of music but to the world at large.

Stevie Wonder

Ray Charles

Blindness is a physiological problem but is not always caused by physical factors or injuries. Neurological problems, genetic factors or conditions during birth or before birth can also cause blindness. Many people are born blind while others may become blind at a certain age.

Age Old Matter …

Blindness associated with old age was extremely common earlier in time but today it is not as extensive a problem. Many conditions that emulate blindness may be temporary problems of the eyes, the retina or some other parts within which may or may not be treatable.

Pictured From Left to Right: Helen Keller, Ella Fitzgerald, Harriet Tubman

In history, many people who were successful and globally known had become blind or visually impaired and many blind people who were either born that way or developed visual impairment have gone onto become famous people.

Conclusion …

There are dozens of fascinating accomplishments by people like Helen Keller who was not only blind but also deaf but that did not stop her from graduating or from becoming a world famous author, speaker and activist. She was also the first deaf and blind person in the world to graduate from college.