Wigan sight loss charity Henshaws lauds BBC after The Wheel contestant answers question on artwork he's never seen

Wigan sight loss charity Henshaws has praised the BBC and one of its contestants on The Wheel game show.
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University student Toby Addison proved a firm favourite with fans when he appeared on the March 18 programme last Saturday and used humour when talking about his visual disability before going on to win £45,000 by correctly answering a question on artwork he had never seen..

His appearance was hailed by local visual impairment charity, Henshaws for its inclusivity, and for helping to inform people about the challenges of daily living with a visual impairment.

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It comes after Toby told the programme: “I am fully blind, or what we call fully blind.”

Henshaws offers services for partially sighted and blind people in WiganHenshaws offers services for partially sighted and blind people in Wigan
Henshaws offers services for partially sighted and blind people in Wigan

He went on: “There’s a spectrum so I’m 96 per cent blind and I can see lights, so I can tell the studio lights are on, can’t see you (host, Michael McIntyre), can’t see anyone around the wheel, so sorry if I was staring at you with weird eye contact. Not my fault.”

Stephen Tongue, director of fundraising at Henshaws, said: “Game shows are watched by millions of people and The Wheel is a favourite with viewers.

“We’re pleased the show featured Toby and that he was able to highlight his experiences. It’s important that all game shows are as inclusive as they can be because Toby shows that disability is no block to being triumphant.

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“It’s great the BBC have given him a platform and we look forward to seeing more people with visual impairments on game shows in the future.”

Toby hit the jackpot after being asked by McIntyre: “Which of these artists has won the Turner Prize in the 21st century?” The possible answers were given as: “Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst or Amish Kapoor”.

But Toby admitted he had never seen any of the works of art, telling viewers, jokingly: “Blind people don’t like art.”

Toby was born visually impaired from a genetic condition and was partially sighted until he went fully blind aged 16.

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He has a popular TikTok account, with a following of more than 240,000. His videos regularly attract likes and views, and some have gone viral.

Stephen added: “At Henshaws, we go the extra mile to support visually impaired people to achieve the things they want to do. That can be starting a TikTok channel, playing football, or finding new ways to increase independence and confidence. We believe in the art of the possible and providing people with the tools they need to live life to the full.”

You can help people to achieve their goals by donating to Henshaws at www.henshaws.org.uk.