A blind dad-of-four Dave Steele, from Manchester has opened up on what it’s really like to lose the last part of your sight and the impact it has on your loved ones, in a moving documentary
Dave Steele’s life was forever changed when he was diagnosed with Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in 2014. RP is a genetic eye disease that causes gradual vision loss and often leads to complete blindness. There is currently no treatment or cure.
In a bid to raise awareness of the realities of living with sight loss and tackle misconceptions, Dave has now released a heartbreaking BBC documentary titled ‘The Film I’ll Never See’. The film follows his emotional journey as he faces final sight loss and comes to terms with the knowledge that every day he is potentially seeing things for the last time – including the faces of his loved ones.
At the beginning of the film Dave explains that he has no useful vision in his left eye and no peripheral vision in his right eye, likening it to ‘looking through a tiny straw’.
“I could wake up tomorrow and the lights could be gone, you know?”, he says. “Those edges in that remaining straw of vision could be gone.
Following his RP diagnosis, Dave, lost his job and his family were plunged into financial uncertainty, facing the very real threat of losing their home. Yet, rather than allowing blindness to define or defeat him, Dave reframed his diagnosis as a turning point and began writing his feelings down and creating poems. Through poetry, he found purpose.
Now known as the spoken word artist The Blind Poet, Dave uses his voice to inspire and uplift others living with sight loss and invisible disabilities around the world – including those supported by the northern sight loss and disability Henshaws. As a patron of Henshaws, Dave recites his poetry and speaks at the charity’s annual Carols by Candlelight Concert and its community hubs.
Watch ‘The Film I’ll Never See’ on iPlayer here The film is airing on BBC One on Friday, August 29 at 7:30pm.
