Craig Brown, a former engineer from Leicester, found himself struggling to cope with the shock of going blind at the age of 30. However, learning to play the guitar helped him crack the shell of his depression and gave him a new community and a new kind of sight. Brown said that he initially found it hard to deal with the impact of losing his sight and spent ages moping and just sitting around. His dad suggested he should try playing the guitar, as he is a massive guitar collector.
Brown said learning to play the guitar gave him something to focus on and cracking it provided him with a sense of satisfaction that helped him gain the confidence he needed. Initially, he couldn’t see where his fingers were on the strings, which was a significant challenge. However, Brown stuck velvet dots on the neck of his guitar to overcome this challenge.
Brown has now set up a social media profile, called Blind Guitar Guy, and has more than 1,000 followers on TikTok. He said that he hopes to expand his following to help raise money for the Leicester-based Vista charity, which helps people with sight loss. The charity has helped Brown when he was registered blind, and he wants to give back to them. Brown said he now hopes to work with the charity to help other blind and partially-sighted people learn the guitar.
Vista is a charity that provides advice, support, and equipment to Blind and partially sighted people in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland, empowering them to lead independent lives and reach their full potential. The specialist organisation works with people of all ages, supporting them through their sight loss journey, right from the point of diagnosis and beyond. Members of the Vista team provide information, advice, and practical support to people with sight loss and their families and carers
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