A Man from Brazil Became the First Visually Impaired Photographer to Shoot Paralympics

Joao Maia (41) from Brazil who lost his eyesight almost completely at the age of 28, became the first visually impaired photographer who obtained accreditation to shoot the Rio Paralympics, The Huffington Post writes.

In a short video published on the official YouTube channel of the Olympics, Maia says that he can still distinguish colors and shapes, but only when they are close up. His loss of vision was caused by uveitis, an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Maia says that he got interested in photography after his vision loss: it helps him express himself. “I think photography gives me the opportunity to tell people I am visually impaired, that I exist, that I am here. I am registering what I see, in my way: out of focus [and] blurry. But, the way I see it, photography gives shape to my view.”

The photographer also said that he often asks sighted people for help: they describe him how athletes look and help edit his photographs. His works are available on Instagram @joaomaiafotografo.