The Reader: Bravo to Natalie Dormer for highlighting the plight of the blind

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Insightful: Natalie Dormer worked with the RNIB for her film 'In Darkness'
FilmMagic
1 June 2018
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It’s a little-known fact that every day in the UK 250 people start to lose their sight — the equivalent of one person every six minutes. But, despite the prevalence of sight loss, it’s rare for film and television to feature a blind or partially sighted character.

That is why it’s so refreshing to see Natalie Dormer taking on the role of a blind pianist for In Darkness, which had its premiere last week in Los Angeles [“Helping hand: Dormer’s praise for RNIB”, May 24].

There are so many myths and misconceptions that exist around sight loss, but thanks to Natalie’s commitment to researching the role, we hope that this film will help to dispel rather than reinforce these outdated perceptions.

In preparation for the role Natalie spent a long time in the company of the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) Connect community members talking about their experiences of living with sight loss and asking questions to gain a greater understanding of some of the challenges faced.

She also learned to use a white cane and practised navigating the streets near her home, taking copious notes to inspire and inform both her writing and portrayal of the role.

We very much hope that this film will go some way to continuing RNIB’s work of dispelling misconceptions and striving for a world where there are no barriers for people with sight loss.
Sophie Castell
Royal National Institute of Blind People

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Sophie

It’s sad, isn’t it, that blindness is so commonly represented as synonymous with obliviousness or foolishness in many stories.

Even as a gullible child, I remember furrowing my brow at the bit in Genesis when Jacob tricks old, blind Isaac into blessing him instead of his hairy brother Esau by strapping goat skin on his arms. A rather feeble disguise, one feels. Yet it’s enough to fool Isaac’s touch.

Think, too, of how Gloucester in King Lear is duped by Edgar into believing he stands on a cliff edge, or how the lecherous, blind husband in Chaucer’s Merchant’s Tale is cuckolded right under his nose (until his sight suddenly, miraculously returns).

Some works of fiction even use blindness as a symbol of wickedness, such as the evil pirate Blind Pew in Treasure Island.

It’s encouraging, then, to read of the research Natalie Dormer put into her role and the help she received from the RNIB.

Here’s hoping the film avoids the usual tropes and, as you say, goes some way towards dispelling a few misconceptions about sight loss.

William Moore, Arts Editor

Drop ID checks from healthcare

As healthcare workers, we are concerned about your report [“8,900 checks on NHS ‘health tourists’ find just 50 liable to pay’, May 29] demonstrating the tiny proportion of chargeable patients identified by recent ID checks in the NHS.

ID checks and charging deter vulnerable people from seeking help. What is more, as we have seen with the Windrush generation, determining eligibility is not easy and further entrenches discrimination. Deterring people from healthcare delays care that causes harm to individuals, threatens public health and costs more.

As healthcare workers we must “do no harm”. These discriminatory policies turn healthcare workers into border guards and undermine our duty of care. The charging regulations must be scrapped immediately. Healthcare must never be a “hostile environment”.
Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, Professor David McCoy, plus 150 further signatures
MedAct

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