List of people with visual disabilities

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[edit] Blind from birth

[edit] People who became blind later in life

• Tilly Aston (1873–1947), Australian disability activist who founded Association for the Advancement of the Blind in 1895. Vision impaired from birth, blind at 7 years of age.
• Joaquín Balaguer (1906 or 1907-2002), three-time President of the Dominican Republic [2]
• Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986), became blind in old age from a hereditary condition
• Louis Braille (1809–1852), became blind at the age of 3, after he accidentally stabbed himself in the eye with his father's awl, and the lost the sight in the other eye from sympathetic ophthalmia.
• Pope Clement XII (1652–1740), became blind in the second year of his pontificate, as a result of old age.
• Kristen Cox (1970– ), American Republican politician, selected as running mate to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. of Maryland, blind from age 11 from Stargardt's disease
• Tim Cordes, American physician, blind from childhood from LCA
• Dana Elcar (1927–2005), actor, glaucoma
• Enrico Dandolo (died 1205), doge of Venice, blind from trauma.
• Frederick Delius (1862–1934), became blind later in life after contracting syphilis
• Clemente Domínguez y Gómez (1946–2005), leader of the Palmarian Catholic Church, blinded in a car accident.
• Matthew A. Dunn (1886–1942), US Congressman from Pennsylvania, blind as a result of accidents by age 20
• Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), mathematician and physicist. Blind late in life.
• Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), astronomer, philosopher, and physicist, blind by age 72 not from looking at the sun but from cataract and glaucoma
• Thomas Gore (1870–1949), American Senator, went blind from childhood accident
• George Greer (born 1942), the judge in the Terri Schiavo case
• James Holman (1786–1857), known as the "Blind Traveler"
• Mary Ingalls (1865–1928), sister of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Isaac the Blind (1160–1235), French cabbalist (possibly blind from birth)
• James Joyce (1882–1941), writer, at times blind, underwent several operations
• King John the Blind of Bohemia (1309–1346)
• John II of Aragon (1397–1479), able to see again after cataract surgery (couching) by Abiathar Crescas
• Helen Keller (1880–1968), deafblindness resulted from fever at age 19 months
• Esmond Knight (1906–1987), British actor
• Fritz Lang (1890–1976), nearly blind at the end of his life
• Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky (1792–1856), mathematician.
• Magnus IV of Norway,(Old Norse: Magnus Blinde), (1115–1139) King of Norway.
• Mike May (born 1954), regained partial vision due to stem cell research.
• John Milton (1608–1674), became blind at the age of 42.
• Bernard Morin (born 1931), mathematician who made important contributions to topology, blind from the age of six
• J. Bazzel Mull, East Tennessee radio and TV evangelist, became blind in an accident at 11 months
• Craig Oliver (born 1938), Canadian television journalist
• Joseph Plateau (1801–1883), physicist, blind due to retinal exposure to sunlight.
• William Prescott (1796–1859), historian, from childhood blind in one eye, severe visual impairment in other eye
• Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911), publisher, blind at 43 from retinal detachment
• Omar Abdel-Rahman (born 1938) religious leader and terrorist
• Marla Runyan (born 1969), Olympic long-distance runner, diagnosed with Stargardt's disease at the age of nine
• Tony Sarre, blind film director (Australia)
• Zohar Sharon, blind pro golfer
• Amanda Swafford (born 1980), contestant on the third cycle of America's Next Top Model, retinitis pigmentosa
• Sabriye Tenberken (born 1970), co-founder of Braille Without Borders
• James Thurber (1894–1961), lost an eye as a child when his brother shot him with an arrow and as an adult lost the sight in the other eye.
• Sue Townsend (born 1946), registered blind in mid 2001 due to a diabetic condition she has suffered from for 20 years.
• Eamon de Valera (1882–1975), President of Ireland.
• Abdurrahman Wahid (born 1940), former President of Indonesia
• Erik Weihenmayer (born 1968), first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and complete the Seven Summits

[edit] People blind in one eye

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• Louise Ashby (born 1971), American actress and model, lost an eye in a car accident at the age of 21.
• Tex Avery (1908–1980), blind in his left eye
• Gordon Banks, English Goalkeeper, lost sight in one eye in a car accident
• Bryan Berard, American NHL defenceman, lost majority of the sight in his right eye as a result of an errant stick by Marian Hossa.
• Jón Þor Birgisson (born 1975), lead singer of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós
• Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910)
• Bohemund IV of Antioch (died 1231), the One-Eyed
• David Bowie, Lost sight in his eye in a fight with George Underwood over a girl. Bowie has stated that although he can see with his injured eye, his colour vision was mostly lost and a brownish tone is constantly present.
• Gordon Brown (born 1951), lost the use of his left eye as a boy during a game of rugby.
• Richard Shaw (a.k.a. Dr. Wolfgang Von Bushwickin the Barbarian Mother Funky Stay High Dollar Billstir or Bushwick Bill) (born 1966), American rapper, member of the Geto Boys, lost an eye during an argument with a girlfriend.
• Dale Chihuly (born 1941)
• Ry Cooder (born 1947), blind in one eye
• Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925–1990), lost his left eye in a car accident in 1954
• Moshe Dayan (1915–1981)
• Jack Elam, stabbed in left eye with a pencil at a Boy Scout meeting
• André De Toth (1912–2002), film director known for his work on House of Wax, a film notable for its 3D effects. Ironically, since he was blind in one eye, De Toth was not himself able to perceive the effects.
• Sandy Duncan, lost vision in one eye following surgery.
• Peter Falk (born 1927), lost his right eye at age three as a result of a tumor.
• Leo Fender
• Nick Griffin
• Hannibal (247 BC–183/182 BC), lost one of his eyes during the crossing of the Apennines.
• Rex Harrison (1908–1990), blind in one eye as the result of a childhood illness.
• Eric Hosking, bird photographer
• Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) compiler of the first English dictionary, blind in one eye from childhood
• Johnny Jordaan (1924–1989), Dutch singer, lost one eye in a friendly fight during childhood
• Friedrich Kuhlau (1786–1832), German classical composer, lost his right eye at the age of nine in a street accident
• Patrick Leahy (born 1940), blind in one eye from birth
• Jim McMahon (born 1959), legally blind in one eye due to a childhood accident
• Janet McTeer (born 1961), blind in one eye
• Alan Moore
• Demi Moore, blind in her left eye^{[citation needed]}
• Horatio Nelson (1758–1805), lost an eye in battle and later took advantage of his disability.
• Kirby Puckett (1960–2006), Baseball Hall of Famer; baseball career ended when he lost the sight in his right eye due to glaucoma
• Claude Rains, blind in one eye
• Theodore Roosevelt, blinded in left eye in White House boxing match
• Cordwainer Smith (pen name of Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger), blinded in left eye as a child, vision impaired in right eye by infection
• Art Tatum
• James Grover Thurber
• Robert Thurman (born 1941), scholar and author, lost his left eye after a tire iron slipped[3].
• Mo Udall (1922–1998), lost an eye in a childhood accident. It was mistreated by a drunken doctor.
• Dick Vitale (born 1939), basketball sportscaster; blind in one eye from a childhood accident
• Momus, lost sight in one eye due to acanthamoeba keratitis
• Wesley Walker, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
• Henry Grady Weaver (1887–1949), author, General Motors executive, blind in right eye since birth
• Rich Williams
• E.O. Wilson (born 1929), blind in his right eye from a childhood fishing accident
• Xiahou Dun, blinded by arrow during a battle. According to legend, is said to have immediately eaten it.
• Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi (1607–1650), most legends state he lost it in a sword sparring session with his father; however, the truth is unknown.
• Thom Yorke, singer of the band Radiohead

[edit] Blind musicians

This article or section may contain original research or unattributed claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details.

• See also the article Blind musicians

British jazz pianist George Shearing

• Amadou and Mariam
• Frankie Armstrong, English folk singer and voice teacher, sight degraded in late teens onwards from glaucoma
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), became blind in later life.
• Blind Blake
• Andrea Bocelli (born 1958), barely sighted at birth became completely blind at 12.
• John William "Blind" Boone (1864–1927), American pianist[4]
• Archie Brownlee (of The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi)
• Henry Butler
• Jessica Callahan (born 1986), singer, blind from retinopathy of prematurity
• Clarence Carter (born 1936), American singer and musician
• Ray Charles, (1930–2004), blind from glaucoma after age 7.
• Arizona Dranes
• Blind Gary Davis
• Josh Groban
• Blind John Davis (1913–1985) (also known as John Henry Davis)[5]
• Blind Willie Davis
• Jose Feliciano (born 1945), blind from birth due to congenital glaucoma
• Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996), jazz singer, went blind as a result of diabetes in her old age.
• Blind Mamie Forehand
• Clarence Fountain (of The Blind Boys of Alabama)
• Blind Boy Fuller
• G.B. Grayson, old timey fiddler from Ashe County, North Carolina, recorded in 1920s
• W.C. Handy, (1873–1958), Blues composer, went blind in middle age
• Louis "Moondog" Hardin, (1916–1999), composer, blinded in youth (teenage?) in an accident
• Lance Hayward
• Jeff Healey
• Al Hibbler (1950–2001), American singer
• Heather Hutchison (born 1988), teenage pop-singer, blind from birth
• Blind Lemon Jefferson (1893–1929), Blues musician & singer
• Blind Willie Johnson
• Skip Jones blind, African-American Delta blues musician
• John Kay (born 1944) Singer/songwriter and guitarist from Steppenwolf
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935–1977), blind jazz saxophonist, perhaps best known for his ability to play more than one saxophone at once.
• Kuzuhara Koto (1813–1882)
• Stalebread Lacombe, Jazz musician, went blind in middle age
• Francesco Landini, 14th century Italian composer; blind from childhood, from smallpox
• Jean Langlais, (1907–1991), French organist & composer, blind from age 2
• Corinna May (born 1970), German jazz singer, blind from childhood
• Blind Willie McTell (1901–1959)
• Ronnie Milsap (born 1946), American country music singer and musician, blind from birth due to congenital glaucoma or congenital cataracts
• Blind Mississippi Morris (born 1966), American blues artist, became blind at age 4.
• Moondog (1916–1999), musician and composer, blinded as a young adult
• Gilbert Montagné French singer and musician
• Joe Morello (born 1928), American jazz drummer
• Turlough O'Carolan (1670–1738), Irish composer
• Ginny Owens, Contemporary Christian singer, totally blind from age 2
• Paul Pena, American blues musician, featured in the movie Genghis Blues

[edit] Blind painters

[edit] Ancient, fictional, and mythological characters

• Albino from Alejandro Jodorowsky's Technopriests (impaired vision due to albinism)
• Paul Atreides, from the Dune universe
• Jamesir Bensonmum, blind butler from the film Murder by Death
• Daredevil, comic book superhero
• Jorge de Burgos, in The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
• Doctor Mid-Nite Another comic book superhero.
• Elle Driver, played by Daryl Hannah, in Kill Bill 2 had one eye plucked out by Pai Mei during her tutelage and then the other by Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman, during a duel.
• Jake Malinak from the TV series Becker
• Jim Dunbar, lead character of short-lived TV series Blind Justice
• G'Kar (Babylon 5) (had one eye plucked out while being tortured, later received a cybernetic eye)
• Garrett, a young blind hermit from Warner Brother's Quest for Camelot
• Suzy Hendrix from Frederick Knott's Wait Until Dark, played by Lee Remick in the 1966 Broadyway play and Audrey Hepburn in the 1967 film.
• Isaac, biblical patriarch
• Geordi La Forge (Star Trek)
• Maharet from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles
• Odin (Norse mythology) (gave up one eye in exchange for wisdom)
• Oedipus, blinded himself
• Phineas, king and seer, from Salmydessus in Thrace, in Jason and the Argonauts
• Polyphemus, a cyclops, blinded by Odysseus
• Samson, Biblical character, blinded by the Philistines
• Con Smith, teenage assassin from the video-game Killer7. He is voiced by Jun Hee Lee.
• Tiresias, the Blind Seer (Greek mythology)
• Toph, an Earthbending master from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
• Tommy Walker, a deaf, dumb and blind kid from The Who's rock opera, Tommy.
• Zatōichi