Lucy Edwards
Years active2015–present
TikTok information
Page
Followers1.8M
Likes51.3M
Last updated: June 15, 2023
Websitehttps://www.lucyedwards.com

Lucy Edwards is a British social media influencer, disability activist, and journalist.

Early life

Edwards lost sight in her right eye at age 11 due to incontinentia pigmenti, a genetic condition; she lost her remaining eyesight at age 17.[1][2][3][4] Before completely losing her sight, she was interested in becoming a lawyer.[5]

Career

Edwards trained to become a BBC journalist through the programme Extending Digital News.[1] She has written for the BBC on her experiences as a blind traveller, and has also worked with on the Ouch and in Touch radio programs.[2][6] In 2019 she became BBC Radio 1's first blind presenter.[7][8] In May 2023, and ahead of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, she launched Eurovision Described on BBC Sounds, a podcast including audio description of proceedings for blind and partially sighted Eurovision fans. Edwards presented the podcast alongside Abi Clarke.[9] Later in 2023, Edwards traveled to Japan, where she filmed content for BBC's The Travel Show.[10]

She has also written for British Vogue[5] and CN Traveller.[11]

Edwards has spoken out about inaccessibility, such as the lack of audio description for many television programs, films, and theaters, and inaccessible website design,[3] and has promoted businesses whose locations are accessible.[11]

In 2021 she was named a Pantene ambassador.[1] She has also appeared in L'Oreal advertisements.[3]

Social media presence

Edwards began posting on YouTube in early 2014 under the name Yesterday's Wishes.[4][12] Her content included vlogs about her experiences with blindness and accessible makeup and beauty tutorials.[6][13]

In 2019 Edwards appeared on Say Yes to the Dress Lancashire.[6][14]

She began posting on TikTok towards the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many of her videos going viral.[1][15][16] Many of her videos focus on her daily life as a blind person.[3][17] In May 2020 she was featured as part of TikTok's Creator Spotlight, and in December she was included in the 2020 TikTok 100.[18][19] By September 2023, Edwards had 1.8 million followers.[20]

Personal life

Edwards lives in Birmingham with her former guide dog, Olga, current guide dog, Molly, and her husband, Ollie.[2][5][7][21] The couple had begun dating when she was 17; she lost her remaining eyesight two months into their relationship.[20] At their wedding in 2023, Edwards had her guests and husband put on blindfolds during her walk down the aisle.[20]

Edwards uses apps such as Be My Eyes (for which she is a paid ambassador) in her daily life.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sappington, Shayna (29 June 2022). "'I had to learn how to be myself again': Lucy Edwards on going blind at 17". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Edwards, Lucy (5 November 2022). "'I'm blind, but loved going on a must-see safari'". BBC News. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Deibe, Izzie (5 September 2022). "Blind Presenter Lucy Edwards Calls Out Entertainment Industry: "It's Time to Do Better"". uk.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 Riley, Cindy (30 November 2022). "Lucy Edwards Is Blind But Not Broken". Future of Personal Health. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Edwards, Lucy (17 May 2023). ""It's Given Me A Fire And A Purpose": Lucy Edwards On Being "Blind, Not Broken"". British Vogue. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "Blind Vlogger Lucy Edwards On Being Herself And Making A Difference". Disability Horizons. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Radio 1's first blind presenter 'excited to represent disabled community'". BBC News. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  8. ↑ Duerden, Nick (26 December 2019). "Radio 1's first blind presenter: 'I'm proud of who I am, I like being blind'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  9. ↑ Omar, Rakeem (10 May 2023). "Blind presenter Lucy Edwards hosts Eurovision description show". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Lee, Nylah (20 October 2023). "Japan's ancient art of taiko drumming". BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Lucy Edwards' favourite restaurants with guide dog access in London". CN Traveller. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Malone, Ailbhe (11 May 2015). "This Is How You Do Your Make-Up When You're Blind". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Cardellino, Carly (12 May 2015). "Watch This Inspiring Video of Blind Beauty Vlogger Lucy Edwards Applying Makeup". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Say Yes to the Dress (30 March 2019). "Gok Helps Blind Bride Lucy Find Her Confidence | Say Yes to the Dress Lancashire". YouTube. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "Blind TikTok star Lucy Edwards says reaction to candle video 'crazy'". BBC News. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  16. ↑ Torres, Krista (16 October 2020). "A Blind Woman Is Going Viral For Showing How She Does Everyday Tasks". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  17. ↑ Winter, Lottie (5 October 2021). ""Going blind has excluded me from the beauty industry in ways but it's also given me a clearer idea of what beauty really means"". Glamour UK. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "TikTok Creator Spotlight: Lucy Edwards". Newsroom | TikTok. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Introducing The TikTok 100 – our 2020 Year in Review". Newsroom | TikTok. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 Cheong, Charissa. "She lost her sight at 17. When she got married, she found a way for her guests and partner to experience what the moment was like for her". Insider. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  21. 1 2 Visram, Talib (29 March 2023). "'When does this milk expire?': Chat GPT-4 is now helping blind people navigate everyday tasks". Fast Company. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
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