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Frequently asked questions
This page of my website aims to answer some of the many questions that I have been asked about my blindness, my work in the media and the overlap between these two topics. The opinions on this page are based merely on my experiences and perceptions and, I am certain, do not reflect the views of all blind people. We’re a diverse bunch, just like any other group of people, so please bear that in mind as you read on. That said, I hope the topics covered on this page give you a useful and interesting insight into my world and my work.
You can either browse through the whole of this page (which might take some time – I’ve covered quite a bit here), or go straight to the link for the question or questions which are of interest to you. Either way, happy reading!
What eye condition do you have?
Do you prefer to be called blind or visually impaired?
Does being blind improve your hearing?
You said you use a long cane. I thought it was called a stick?
How did you get started in media work?
Does your blindness limit the media work you can do?
What adaptations and assistance do you need when you work?
What work would you like to be doing in ten years from now?
What eye condition do you have?
I have bilateral microphthalmia. None the wiser? Don’t worry, neither was I or my family when we first heard it, so I will elaborate. Basically, it means that both of my eyes are smaller than they should be and that they didn’t develop properly when I was growing in the womb.
In terms of what most people count as “seeing” – nothing. But, unlike some people who are also blind, I don’t live in a world where it is completely dark around me. I can tell the difference between day and night because I have limited light perception. If there is something in front of me which is at face height, e.g. a person who is taller than me, or a high, solid brick wall, I can see a shadow and also sense that it is there through sound.
Do you prefer to be called blind or visually impaired?
I prefer blind because that’s what I am. That said, there are many blind people who prefer to be referred to as being “visually impaired” or “vision impaired”. Some people who are partially sighted also use these two terms, so it can get a bit confusing.
Does being blind improve your hearing?
No! If I had money for every time I’ve been asked that one, I’d be filthy rich by now! I think the best way to explain this one is to say that, as a result of being blind, I use my other senses more. For example, where as sighted people predominantly use sight to help them get around and avoid obstacles and danger, I use hearing and touch and a long cane sometimes, but that’s obviously not a sense! But, as far as I know, you don’t get exceptional hearing if you’re born blind. Unless there’s a scientist out there who can tell me different…
No. And, contrary to popular belief, nor do most people who are blind or have severely
impaired vision. The most up-
Indoors, in places that I know well, I don’t need any form of mobility aid. Outside and in unfamiliar buildings, I either use a long cane or I am guided by a sighted person; my access worker if I am working, or friends and family, if I am out and about with them. All mobility aids (both dogs and canes) have there limitations. They can’t read signs, help you identify the people you want to network with (and those you want to avoid) at busy functions, or tell you what wardrobe and makeup have done with you before you go in front of the cameras, to name but a few crucial examples. So, when I am going to be working in a new place, have to attend a wardrobe fitting, or take part in an important event, I opt to be accompanied by a sighted person whenever possible.
You said you use a long cane. I thought it was called a stick?
Don’t worry, so do most people. I stopped getting irritable about this when I left my teenage years behind, but while we’re on the topic of mobility, I thought I might as well set the record straight, to help out any other teenagers who are blind and possibly getting annoyed about this. Sticks are used by people whose physical mobility is restricted. Canes, (generally symbol canes by people with some useful level of sight and long canes by people with little or no sight), are used by blind and partially sighted people. As a teenager, this small but crucial difference was extremely important to me, as the word stick conjured up an image of a little old lady hobbling down the street (sorry little old ladies everywhere!) and not that of a teenager who happened to be blind but still wanted to look as cool and normal as possible!
How did you get started in media work?
Sorry, the answer to this one is a bit convoluted, but so was the process of beginning
my media work! When I was nine, the Royal National Institute for the Blind contacted
my Mum to ask if she would be willing to let them make a “day in the life of” video,
about my experience of mainstream education and my views on my life and my future,
as a nine-
It was great to work with Peter and the film crew from the Moving Picture company but, fun as it was, I definitely wasn’t thinking of a media career at that stage.
Of course, there was the video launch and some coverage in National newspapers and magazines, most of which felt a bit strange to me, but did give me useful skills in press and publicity work at a very early stage in my career. Then, a few years later, (by which time I was seriously toying with the idea of a career in the media), I entered a radio presenter competition on a local radio station, (which I won), and then started working as a volunteer reader for the Talking Newspaper Association of the UK, where I began learning some of the skills you need in voice artistry. I started doing media work professionally (i.e. getting paid for it) in 1998, when I was 18.
So, in brief, what’s happened in your career between when you got started professionally in 1998, and now?
Quite a bit actually, which is why I have been lucky enough to end up with a diverse
and rewarding career. I ran a company, Sound of the Future, for just over five years,
producing audio versions of brochures, newsletters, training literature, fact sheets,
reports etc, helping companies, charities, colleges, universities, trusts and organisations
to make their information accessible to blind, partially sighted and dyslexic people.
Also, during that time, I began working part-
As much as I was enjoying all of this, I began to realise that my work was becoming
just a bit too wide-
Does your blindness limit the media work you can do?
I have to try and be diplomatic here, but I also have to be honest. You see, although I, and several other people who happen to have disabilities, have made considerable headway in securing work in media circles, I don’t believe that there is as much “true” equality out there as there really should be. Let me explain …
I have all the skills I need to do the work that I apply for, otherwise, just like for any other job applicant, it would be a waste of time for all concerned for me to apply. But sometimes, people’s lack of awareness (and in some cases ignorance), does make things more difficult, as these few examples show:
I have been refused voice-
I was strongly discouraged from attending a casting session for a part in a training
video by being sent an email, telling me that it would be “too much work to re-
I have never been sent a casting brief for an audition that I have been invited to attend, that doesn’t include the word “blind”. Now, I’m perfectly happy to audition for parts that have been written specifically with a blind actor in mind, where the disability is usually central to the storyline; I am, after all, an actor who happens to be blind. But, in my opinion, true equality will not have been achieved until casting directors also consider us for the “everyday” storylines featured on our televisions and in our cinemas every day of every week. I believe that it is perfectly possible to include actors with disabilities in storylines where their disability is not central to the plot, or referred to frequently throughout the dialogue. The disability then just becomes incidental; just a characteristic of the actor and not necessarily even referred to. In other words, more like it is for us, most of the time, in real life.
Progress has been made, because several of us actors and models with disabilities are getting work, but there is much more to be done to encourage those with the power to make change, to see beyond the disabilities, and to not limit our casting opportunities by considering us only for parts which mention the disability that we have in the casting brief, the script, or both. Our disability is a very small part of who we are, so start sending through all the casting briefs and let us be the judge of what we can or can’t do! When that starts to happen, then we’ll start to see real diversity on our screens!
What adaptations and assistance do you need when you work?
All scripts and documents are sent to me as word files, to enable me to transcribe them in to Braille, via a translation programme and a Braille embosser. Any information sent to me in print is read by my access worker, who also provides assistance with finding and getting to meetings and locations, and who helps me to get around quickly and efficiently when I’m working in unfamiliar places.
What work would you like to be doing in ten years from now?
In an absolutely ideal world, I’d love to be working as a voice artist, specialising
in voice-
© Anna Cannings.
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