Visually Impaired Baker

Being a visually impaired baker has it own unique set of challenges. Everyone with Retinitis Pigmentosa (like me) all have their own story and a unique experience as their eye sight deteriorates.

In 2018 I went for a complete routine eye test at Specsavers because I got a voucher through for a free test when I used to be the trainee manager in lush – so I thought, what have I got to lose! Little did I know… it’d be my eyesight haha!

The test started off totally normal, reading the letters and that kind of the thing, and then they asked to take photos of the back of my eyes, which I thought was pretty cool! She examined them for a while and started asking me questions, such as, do I suffer with night blindness. With not a proper idea of what she meant I told her I’d always struggles seeing the dark as long as I can remember and I never really out much thought into it other than thinking at the time it was a bit weird that other people could see and I couldn’t, but apart from that, I just assumed it was something to do with not really liking carrots very much!

The optician then said they had this new piece of equipment in where they can test your visual field and would I like to try it out, innocently I thought, ‘wow, so much new stuff since I’ve last been – why not!’ The optician was chatting to her colleague for a while, having already handed me a clicker and explaining that I needed to look at a small white box within the machine my chin was sat against, and click the button every time the sides of the outer box flickered. I waited. And I waited some more, because I assumed that the lady was going to finish her conversation with her colleague before she started the test. It was only when she said to me, “don’t forget to click the button” that I began to think, “oh god, so it’s been running this whole time?! How come I didn’t see anything happen!”

She aborted the test because I essentially failed miserably, and she started asking me if I knock into things/trip up etc, which is a resounding yes – most accident prone person ever, I thought. 

Obviously by this point I clearly recognised something had gone amiss and there was a problem, she sat me down in a little room and told me she was going to refer me to hospital because I had pigmentation at the back of my eyes and needed more tests done. She told me she wasn’t allowed to diagnose so she couldn’t say any more than that, and in the most polite way – I essentially refused to leave until she told me what she suspected may have been the problem. Eventually she caved and said ‘retinitis Pigmentosa’.

My blank expression back to her simply just asked, ‘well it’s not like I’m going to go blind or anything is it’ and her sunken face just dropped with a lack of knowing what to reply with. She said, ‘well, it more starts with tunnel vision’. I didn’t know what to say, so I kind of silently took my referral card and left.

When I got out I phoned my friend Laura and said I urgently needed her and she joked that she thought I was pregnant because apparently they can tell that from your eyes sometimes! I didn’t laugh. She came and met me and we walked, I was so so shocked I can’t even explain, I’ve never felt that way before. All of a sudden it felt like the world was closing in, I couldn’t breath and I went really light headed! I THINK it might have been the start of a panic attack! I’ve also never ever had one of those before so I couldn’t be certain, but I think that’s what it is so I knew how to overcome it with slow, deep breaths. Laura was quite horrified and said we had to go for a kaspas dessert because I was ‘white as a sheet’ and needed some sugar!

The next day, I rang a private hospital local to me and paid out of my own pocket to have testing and get some answers to avoid waiting the otherwise 6 month wait time! Sadly, although I was seen within a couple of weeks, they couldn’t give me answers of certainty but did say they’d be include to agree that it is retinitis Pigmentosa. I went back on the nhs and waited the 6 months to be seen at Moorfields eye hospital in London for more thorougher, eye and genetic testing.

Indeed the results came back eventually and not only was I lucky enough to have RP, I also came to learn I have a dominant gene which I’ve developed on my own since my parents both don’t have the gene! (As I found out through getting their blood tested at a later date).

These days, I’ve sort of made peace with it, I was registered SSI (severely sight impaired – blind) in 2023 and it still kills me that my driving licence was revoked in 2019 and that I lost my precious, mint green (or white, as my colour blind husband calls it) Ford fiesta, and I hate that it’s hard to get out to places that I want to go to. But generally I think I adapt well. I actually spotted my car about a year or so ago driving along the A12 and it was absolutely horrendous, seeing my car bought back all the emotions I felt losing it in the first place, it’s like I mourn it?!

The condition means that my sight is gradually decreasing with each passing year, for those who wonder, you can download an app called RNIB Eyewear and I would say I’m about a 3.5 ish on there. I’ve lost my mid periphery to the left, right, top and bottom, so I can see that my vision is shrinking. Here’s a link to the eyewear page where you can download their app: https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/assistive-aids-and-technology/eyeware/

Being a visually impaired baker runs its own risks in the kitchen, I use my husband to take things in and out of the oven to avoid myself knocking into the sides of the open oven (that I can’t see when looking forward) to avoid burning myself. I have to be a very tidy baker too as anything and everything around me is a hazard.

And open dishwasher door, or open cupboard doors are my nemesis, anything left on the side will likely end up getting swiped onto the floor and/or broken and I lose count at how many cakes I’ve damaged and had to re-decorate because I’ve hit the side of it or something as I can’t see much of what’s around me. 

Generally being a visually impaired baker isn’t impossible, but it’s faffy, long winded and makes everything take longer as I have to be extra careful!

My story is unique and adds to my business mes uniqueness too. I want to go Annie’s cake creations to be able to hire a premises, hire a team and train then up to work the same way as me so that one day, when I am forced to call it quits due to my eyesight, I don’t have to completely call it quits on the business!

My supporting me as a visually impaired baker, you’re not just supporting a small business, but you’re supporting someone who is living their dream on a limited amount of time, helping me to make this possible, while I still can!

So here I am, a visually impaired baker, and you can view my gallery of work here: https://anniescakecreations.co.uk/gallery/

So thank you so much for your support!

Annie xx