Most disabled people will tell you that it is not their ‘impairment’ that stops them from living a full life: public attitudes are the main barrier, but they are notoriously difficult to change.

After qualitative research and implicit association tests with members of the public, we found that people had narrow views of what someone living with sight loss can and can’t do, and that they tended to view blind people in terms of damaging and restrictive archetypes. No one was invested in unpleasant prejudices; they simply lacked empathy.   

We invited research participants to use an app that enabled them to see the world as though they had cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma – of varying severity – and to undertake ordinary activities. The experience was overwhelming. In minutes, attitudes were transformed.  

Our insights led to a new corporate identity, logo and strapline. A multifaceted public education campaign was born, all around increasing empathy, with a partnership with Amazon / Alexa. It smashed its fundraising target. RNIB has refocussed its entire corporate strategy on changing public attitudes and removing day-to-day barriers to participation.

Accolades

Versiti and RNIB earned accolades for this important work:

MRS 2021 I ‘Virginia Valentine’ Cultural Insights I Winner

AURA 2020 I Insight Impact I Finalist