Blind content creator and ITV This Morning regular Claire Sisk has revealed she has faced accusations of “faking” her disability by online trolls, and even shoppers in a supermarket.
The 44-year-old regularly appears on This Morning where she shares the blind “hacks” that help her live a normal life. During her appearances alongside hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley Claire has demonstrated how she uses accessible tools to help her cook, clean, and even apply makeup.
While viewers appear astounded by Claire’s humour and positivity, others haven’t been so supportive with trolls accusing her of faking her disability.
ITV This Morning star Claire Sisk
Speaking to OK!, when asked about a moment which made her want to raise awareness, Claire said: “When you’re going blind, you’re not given a book on how to do things. I have an incredible family and wonderful friends who supported me – but there was no one to talk to who had walked the path I was on.
“I remember being accused in a supermarket of faking my blindness because I was using my phone. That scared me and made me think, ‘Oh, if a random stranger thinks this, what do my friends and family think?'”
I remember being accused in a supermarket of faking my blindness because I was using my phone.
She added: “I then began making videos, like how I cross the road, and put them on my private Facebook page. I got a lot of comments saying I should make it public, but I was always a very shy person. The more I thought about it, I realised people need to understand how difficult it is for us. When you’re going through some sort of disability, especially with sight loss, it can be hidden.”
Elsewhere, Claire recently opened up about negativity from trolls.
She said: “People have said they think I can see because I’m facing the camera, or because I’m blinking – which is a normal bodily function. They’ve said I can’t be blind because my eyes look normal. There are so many eye diseases that make your eyes look different, but there are also eye diseases that don’t. It annoys me, and that’s when I het demotivated, because out of 100 brilliant messages, the negative ones will sit and play on your mind the whole day.”
Claire Sisk on raising awareness for sight loss
Claire was 29 when two devastating strokes turned her world upside down. Her eyes were so badly damaged that she was told she would go blind. In preparation, she learnt how to cook, clean and do everyday chores by doing them with her eyes closed. In November 2017 she woke up and couldn’t see anything. That day she was officially registered as blind.
She said: “I didn’t have a single positive thought that day, I just felt numb.”
During Disability Awareness month, Claire started posting social media videos of herself on Instagram doing everyday things like shopping and crossing the road.
View this post on Instagram
Now, Claire wants to show people going through something similar that they can live a fulfilled life. In the past year she has travelled to 11 countries and attended over 50 music concerts. Now she is working with leading brands to make things accessible for people of all disabilities.
Claire said: “If I can empower them in a way that I didn’t have then that’s amazing!”
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