CAREERS
BROADCASTER LUCY EDWARDS ON HER CAREER JOURNEY
When a degenerative condition caused her to lose her sight from the age of 11, Lucy Edwards began creating content online to help others with disabilities. Quitting law school after her videos gained traction, she retrained as a digital journalist at the BBC, becoming the first-ever blind presenter to host a show on Radio 1 in 2019. ‘I went into law with the aim of establishing better rights for people with disabilities,’ she says, ‘but I soon realised that I could create change through sharing information that could help or educate others.’ Now a freelance broadcaster, she is also an ambassador for Pantene and various charities, including the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
My parents first knew about my condition when I was four when they discovered bumps on the back of my legs. I had something called Incontinentia pigmenti, which manifests itself in skin abnormalities, but it can also lead to vision loss. They didn’t think much of it, but at eight, I went for a routine eye check and Specsavers basically said, ‘Get her to hospital,’ they were so worried. When I was 11, I lost the vision in my right eye, then, at 17, I lost the vision in my left eye, leaving me completely blind. toilet. I learned SEO and treated it like a journalism job, writing headlines on my iPhone and formulating series ideas. I applied for a BBC digital apprenticeship scheme and got in. That was huge for me – Imet people at the BBC who were blind, who showed me how to believe in myself.
After my apprenticeship, I went freelance. I got a reporting attachment for BBC Radio 4 In Touch, a show produced by blind people for blind people. I applied to the BBC in the first place as the website is one of few that’s accessible for my screen reader. Then, in 2019, I sent a show reel to Radio 1. They were looking for stand-in presenters over Christmas and I got a slot. It meant a lot, because for the first time, I was doing something that wasn’t ‘for disabled people’ but specifically about my voice and my skill.
When you’re blind in broadcasting or in any job, people need to make reasonable adjustments. As far as I know, none of the 40 London radio studios have screen reader accessibility or compatibility. When I do a show, I have to put Blu Tack on the buttons and that’s stressful when it falls off! There are so many times I’ve logged into software that doesn’t work as someone’s changed the coding and not thought about
