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Veterans' stories

Photo of blind veteran Rob with his daughter

We've helped thousands of blind veterans to rebuild their lives. And every one of them has a story to tell. 

Some of our veterans are young men and women, struggling to find a new purpose in life after their military career came to an abrupt end. Others are older, trying to navigate the isolation of sight loss as partners pass away and children leave home. Some of our beneficiaries were blinded in conflict, while others lost their vision in later life through age-related illnesses. There are as many different stories as there are blind veterans. 

On this page, you'll find stories that can be shocking, tragic and heartbreaking. But they're also moving, inspirational and important to hear.

 

Meet our veterans

Simon

Simon was a young man in the prime of his service career when he was hit by a sniper's bullet in Iraq in 2006. 

He lost his left eye and was left with only 20 per cent vision in his right. Struggling to rebuild his life and adjust to his sight loss, Simon turned to Blind Veterans UK. 

 

Read Simon's full story
Blind veteran Simon, smiling and wearing his military uniform with badges and a beret

Rob

Rob was just 23 when he suffered severe injuries to his head and face in a horrific blast in Afghanistan. 

Despite losing both his eyes in the attack, these days he's achieving more than he ever thought possible and says that's all down to our support.

 

Read Rob's full story
Portrait of Rob wearing his uniform

Billy

Billy was devastated when he lost his sight while serving in Bosnia. With a young family to support, he felt terrified and completely unable to cope. 

Fortunately, we were there to help him achieve his independence again - and so much more.

 

Read Billy's full story
Blind veteran Billy smiling, wearing a red Blind Veterans UK polo shirt, with a British flag design covering the wall behind him.

Jules

After serving in the Royal Military Police for more than ten years, Jules became very depressed and isolated when his sight suddenly deteriorated in his late 40s.

Now one of our most active beneficiaries, he dedicates his time to helping other blind veterans in the same boat.

 

Read Jules's full story

Highlighted content

Blinded in combat: a photography exhibition

For Remembrance 2022 we teamed up with an award-winning photographer to capture the portraits of nine blind veterans who lost their sight in the line of duty.

Discover the amazing stories behind the portraits and find out how they lost their sight, the challenges they faced, and their ongoing journey of rehabilitation.

Visit the exhibition
Blind veteran Ken in his beret

Read more