Amar Latif, a BBC One Show presenter and entrepreneur who is blind, has spoken about the terrifying moment he lost his sight completely at age 18. He went to sleep seeing a Madonna poster on his wall, and woke up to 'complete whiteness'. He said he felt claustrophobic and could not breathe, and kept closing and opening his eyes, hoping to see again.
Latif was diagnosed with the rare genetic condition retinitis pigmentosa at age four, which gradually caused visual impairment. Despite the challenges, he went on to study at university and spent a year in Canada, travelling with friends. He later founded Traveleyes in 2004, a travel company that pairs blind and sighted travellers, allowing blind people to experience the world through the descriptions of sighted companions.
In 2023, Latif was awarded an OBE for services to the visually impaired and entrepreneurship. He also trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro in August 2023 to raise funds for the Rafiki Thabo Foundation, a charity that supports education for disadvantaged children in East Africa. He is a patron of the charity and will present the BBC Radio 4 Appeal for them from June 21 to 27.
Reflecting on his journey, Latif emphasised the role of education in giving him opportunities. He said if he had been born outside the UK, his blindness might have led him to begging on the streets. Instead, he has used his success to help others, stating: 'I want to pay that forward to help others, which is why I'm so proud to support Rafiki Thabo.'
