I don’t look blind, or do I? (A blind girl rant)

"You don't look blind" is a phrase most blind people hear on a regular basis, so that begs the question, is there really a way to "look blind?" The answer? NO! Blindness is a spectrum and our community is as diverse as any other group of individuals! There is no one way to look or be blind. In fact, most blind people don't even use a mobility aid like a cane or guide dog, so you very well may be interacting with a blind person on a daily basis and have no idea. I'm blind, so this is what blindness "looks like" for me but one day that may change. A common complication of RP is developing cataracts, which often make the eyes appear more foggy. Will this make my blindness more real? No, I'm blind either way - no matter how my eyes look. If we in the blind community can understand that, I'd like to hope others can too. There is no one way to look or be blind! We and our eyes all look different and EVERYONE is perfect as they are. <3

“You don’t look autistic” “you don’t look disabled” “you don’t look depressed” etc. etc. it’s such a huge struggle outside of the disabilities themselves.

I work at Starbucks. Because of you I was more aware of the most caring and helpful ways I can interact with blind customers and the accommodations we have as a business. A customer who is blind came in with a friend. I noticed she was blind because she was using a cane. I walked over to her and let her know we have a braille menu. She was super excited. I used my voice to guide her to where it was. Her eyes were not facing me while we interacted and to be honest it was relieving as a neurodivergent person who has to force a lot of eye contact in a service job myself. I am very grateful for your content. I'm glad you are embracing your freedom to allow your eyes to do whatever they want to do. You are amazing, smart and beautiful. Love you Molly!

As someone with a chronic illness who is regularly told how well I look, I think I might be able to understand. Since I’ve wished to look more sick so people don’t expect more from me than I’m capable of, the part about “looking more blind” making things easier for you was very relevant.

I am legally blind. I have a lot of sight for a blind person, but I have strabismus. It switches between eyes and isn’t all the time, but I am very self-conscious and people make horrible comments. I often feel like I don't belong with the blind community but also am not 100% sighted. There have been times I don't want to meet people or do certain things because of it. I was literally crying watching your video. I can't thank you enough. I really can't. Thank you soo much!!!!

I work in two different rehab centers for very different clients and I want to say that like in disability in addiction there is no "face" or "type" that an addict looks like. I also grew up with a mother with a disability and although she was not blind she would get the similar sentiment of "you don't look disabled"

Everything you said here is so true! I’m legally blind, and I constantly get the comment, “You don’t look blind/disabled.” People frequently accuse me of lying or exaggerating. I have often found myself trying to look blinder in contexts where I need accommodations, or trying to look less blind in contexts where I’m worried people will discriminate against me. Blind people shouldn’t have to cater to sighted people’s expectations just to be treated with basic decency and respect.

I’m so glad your touching on this. I got yelled at by an old lady using a automatic cart thing in target today with my service dog. She asked to pet him and I kindly told her he was working and she then told me I’m a healthy young girl with no issues and that I’m just lying t have a dog with me. Then told me that if I have a dog in public I’m signing up for him to be pet. I have many chronic illnesses that don’t visual show and it was such a scary angering experience.

Yes! Thank you Molly! I'm autistic and often have people say you don't look autistic, what does an autistic person look like? It's a neurological condition, and just like blindness it is a spectrum and everyone is individual

I'm not blind but I am disabled and have lupus and I agree with you so much, especially with the "you don't look (insert condition or disability here)". It makes me feel really bad. I used to push myself to act "normal", mostly to put others at ease, but it's exhausting. I used to force myself to go to dinner or go for a walk so I didn't look sick or disabled. Disability and the range that a chronic illness affects someone is a huge spectrum and it changes day to day. I love and appreciate your content so much. It makes me feel not so alone

As disabled people, a lot of us mask how we truly feel/look/anything in order to please able bodied people. I didn’t realize I was doing this at all until I was 20, but I’ve been doing it since I was at least 5. It’s something that’s so hard to unlearn when we might not know or remember anything else. This video is great representation for some of us, thank you for everything that you do Molly 💙

i’m not blind, but i am disabled and i relate so much. i hate the pity and/or praise. nobody understands how the praise could negatively affect me, but it bothers me so much, and you explained it so well. people expect of me so much more than i can actually do all the time. also, the internalized ableism is so real. i hate it so much. thank you so much for this video ❤️ its so important.

There used to be a Candian stand-up comic duo where one was blind. (I don't remember their names.) The blind one didn't look like a stereotypical blind person (no dark sunglasses or guide dog). As part of his routine, he would tell a story about someone going up to him and saying, "You don't look blind. How come you're not wearing glasses?" His response, "Have you ever seen a deaf guy wear earmuffs?"

THANK YOU for saying this!! I started work and a supervisor chatted with me about me getting sworn in as a lawyer. I told her I’m excited that a blind judge will swear me in and she told me “why would you want that, you aren’t blind?” Like she didn’t ask just said I couldn’t be blind when in fact I am and a good worker and soon to be lawyer. Plus I ALWAYS get the excuse of people forgetting I’m blind cuz I look so normal. It’s so sad and frustrating 😅😢😢😢

I’ve had this said to me many times before. I don’t really understand why people think it’s a compliment. My vision loss comes from optic nerve damage from a brain tumour. A lot of people still don’t understand that vision loss can come in hundreds of different forms.

My husband has strabismus but he is sighted (should wear glasses but he does just fine without them and is more comfortable that way) but other then that he is able bodied. BUT people were and still are looking at him funny or keep staring or even make fun of. One of my close relatives was concerned about me getting married to him, because of this condition, because he could pass it down (even if we don't want children which is unfortunately not accepted and we will surely change our minds 😡🤦) and because he's ugly and not "normal" and I could do better. It still hurts me, but he is so used to it, it's actually a little bit sad, that he had to get used to it. By no means I want to compare your struggles with his but our society is so weird. We can treat a "normal' person differently because they don't look "normal" but we also treat disabled who look "normal" in such a weird way and call them liars... I just can't comprehend it

As a sighted person, listening to mollies perspective truly help me educate myself on disabled people and how to be courteous and respectful. Thank you mollie for being so informative!❤❤

Hey Molly! As a blind person who also has CP, I haven't hurd the "you don't look blind" BS, but people do say things like "oh you por por kid" because I have CP and because of my blindness and it pisses me off to no end. Thank you for making this video, kind regards, a blind teen from BC. PS. I was born blind.

this was so honest and good! (as always) I'm so thankful for your perspective and truth, Molly. Stigma is so ugly and it comes in all forms. I'm a sighted person and this will be good for all of us to learn from.

Because I was able to successfully make it from my chair at the doctors office to the reception desk approximately six steps away , without my cane , I was accused of not really being blind. I mean I have only been to this office like 20 times . I asked my MD to have a discussion with the reception lady about the retina and it’s function ( or in my case dysfunction ) . She actually said , “ well you tried to fool me with the white cane .” Oh yes . I just love carrying that thing around for fun these days . 🤷‍♀️