Impact
Since 2006, outcome of Blind With Camera has been demystified the polarity between blindness and visual expression, broken down the psychological barriers that prevent blind and visually impaired people, established that “Blind Can Do” and delivered the message “Diminished sense doesn’t mean diminished life” and facilitated cultural and social integration of the visually impaired.
Impacts on visually impaired photographers or artists or volunteers
- Trigger an insightful journey to bring out and their hidden potential to express creatively. It stimulates and develops their emotional, intellect and inspires what still can be achieved.
- Process of creation of picture or artworks i.e. translating mental images into physical medium demands focus of mind, senses, insightful, judgmental, and intuitiveness. Collectively the process helps in developing key workspace skills like problem solving, perseverance, flexibility, team, collaborative work, and time-management. Also develop social competence and make them more employable.
- Visually impaired photographers / artists have a feeling of belonging and pride in accomplishing seemingly impossible task. This elevates their self-esteem, develops personality and increase confidence to take challenges and makes them more employable and therefore financial independence.
- Visually impaired take pride to represent their world to the sighted people.
- Earning from sales / use of their photographs and artwork, opens new income opportunities like income from sensitisation workshops transform them from passive welfare recipients to contributing participants in mainstream activities.
Impacts on blind community
- Encourage peer group to take photography (other medium of self expression) as hobby
- Inspire peer group to take new challenges, over protected visually impaired to come out of their home and explore.
- Inclusiveness of the exhibition, encourage visually impaired to visit art gallery (most would be first time visitor).
- Increase access to art and popular culture by use of adaptive tools.
Impacts on Society
- Sensitise people, demystify the polarity between blindness and visual expression and illuminate them of new approach to visual medium.
- Correct public perceptions of visual impairment and disability in general.
- Brings people with sight and visual impairment on equal platform, bridging the gap between “us” and “them” and increase tolerance in society.
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