Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): See The Person

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and The&Partnership have launched a new campaign ‘See the Person’ - challenging outdated public attitudes and misperceptions of sight loss to break down barriers. The number one barrier faced by blind and partially sighted people in the UK is public misperceptions, the leading insight that inspired the campaign. Delivered with authentic storytelling and a through-the-line campaign strategy, ‘See the Person’ elevates the issue of sight loss within the public consciousness, setting out to change attitudes and behaviours towards blind and partially sighted people. At the heart of the campaign sits an emotive and thought-provoking film, directed by BAFTA-nominated Jesse Lewis-Reece at You Are Here. The film tells the story of Ava, a fictional teenage girl who must come to terms with losing her sight. Her story is inspired by the real-life sight loss journeys of many, capturing an authentic experience of diagnosis, which often mirrors the five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. We see the impact that losing her sight has on many areas of her life, from education to relationships. Most crucially, the film demonstrates how sight loss can impact mental health as well as physical health. However, as Ava moves towards the acceptance stage, a theme of hope starts to emerge as the film continues. With the help of RNIB’s various products and services, Ava’s friends, family and educators offer their support, whilst an RNIB Eye Care Liaison Officer counsels her post-diagnosis. Ava starts to find her feet again, accepting her condition and regaining confidence. In portraying the character of Ava, the lead actor, Eli London, drew upon their own personal experiences of sight loss, having had retinoblastoma in childhood, resulting in monocular vision. Jesse Lewis-Reece worked incredibly closely with London during production to fully understand the impact sight loss has had upon them, and their perspective was invaluable to the creative and film-making process. To make the film truly accessible to a visually impaired audience, RNIB and The&Partnership, used a number of techniques when crafting the audio storytelling. These included: creating the voiceover to sufficiently tell Ava’s emotional journey, as well as creating a multi-layered soundscape that all audiences could fully immerse themselves in. Additionally, Thom Yorke’s solo version of Radiohead’s ‘Videotape’ was chosen as the music track to accompany the emotional narrative, as it delivers a message of resilience and hope.