In The Spotlight: 7 Famous People With Visual Impairment

Blind celebrities exist, and they struggle just like all of us! Read on to find out who and which eye disease they suffer from. 

Johnny Depp

One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Johnny Depp, who stars in many successful hits like the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, has been legally blind in his left eye and near-sighted in his right eye since birth. He confessed in an issue of Rolling Stone saying: “Everything is just very, very blurry”. 

Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr.

Allan Pineda Lindo Jr., aka apl.de.ap. is a famous rapper and a member of the “The Black Eyed Peas” band. He is also legally blind and was born with a condition known as nystagmus, which involuntarily makes the eye move. A few years back, he went through an operation that planted an artificial lens into each of his eyes and helped correct his vision.

Mila Kunis

The beautiful actress had a special reason for her unique colored eyes. Kunis hid the fact that she was blind in one eye for many years. She opened up about her chronic Iritis diagnosis with a severe inflammation that affected the color of her left eye as well. Successful surgery restored her vision.  

Missy Elliott

Considered one of the most iconic female rappers, musician Missy Elliott was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that impacts the thyroid, resulting in the overproduction of thyroid hormones. Although it can’t be cured, with the help of medical assistance and a healthy lifestyle, Elliott has gotten her condition under control. 

Casey Harris

The famous rock band X Ambassadors have a very talented keyboardist named Casey Harris, who is also blind. Harris was born with the genetic condition, Senior-Loken syndrome, which affects the kidneys and retina and lead to Harris’s visual impairment. This doesn’t stop him from playing amazingly and taking a fundamental role in the band’s songwriting and producing process.

Judith Dench 

One of Britain’s best actresses and Academy Award winner, Dame Judith Dench, has been battling with age-related macular degeneration for many years. Yet, she doesn’t let this eye condition stop her from continuing to perform. Friends and family members read the script lines aloud to help her memorize it. 

Five Blind Boys of Alabama

Gospel Group The Blind Boys of Alabama started out in Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind in the late 1930s, featuring 5 visually impaired musicians. Today, Five Blind Boys of Alabama became one of the best-known African American groups in the world! “Our disability doesn’t have to be a handicap. It’s not about what you can’t do. It’s about what you do. And what we do is sing good gospel music, “says group member Ricky McKinnie in a 2011 interview. 

Move forward to a new world of innovation.

When your eyes fail you, like these blind celebrities, there is still hope. A wearable device will give you back your purpose. 

Recognize your family, identify products and read text from any surface with the OrCam MyEye device, for people who are blind or visually impaired.