Fourteen is a pivotal age for anyone, but for Molly Burke, it was the year her life changed. After being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at four, a condition that causes low vision, she lost most of her sight at 14.
“I struggled a lot. I lost all of my friends, I was really badly bullied, depressed and suicidal ... 14 is a formative year for anybody, right?”
Molly Burke with four-month-old future guide dog Valentina. Her own guide dog, Elton, has stayed in Los Angeles.Credit: Stephanie Simcox
Now 31, Burke has become a trailblazer for people with disability in the fashion and beauty industries.
She was the first blind creator to hit 1 million followers on social media, and today, she has more than 3 million followers on YouTube and TikTok combined, discussing everything from how she knows she has her period to her favourite beauty products. She has spoken at the United Nations and World Economic Forum, partnered with companies such as Google, and in 2024, was named one of Forbes 30 under 30.
This is the Canadian’s first visit to Australia, where she is being hosted by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT for their inaugural Boundless Beauty Summit – dedicated to the beauty industry and accessible design.
In the early years after losing her sight, the internet – more specifically, YouTube – was a life raft.
“So many people look at beauty influencers and they roll their eyes like, ‘Oh, these are just these girls who are self-absorbed and obsessed with how they look.’
“[But] these girls changed my life. They helped give me my confidence back, rebuild my self-esteem and regain a skill that I felt like I no longer had access to.”
It’s a common misconception that people experiencing low vision or blindness don’t wear make-up or care about beauty. But for Burke, losing her sight simply changed how she interacted with fashion and beauty.
“I couldn’t see mannequins any more. I couldn’t see in store windows. I couldn’t flip through magazines or swatch lipsticks on the back of my own hand.
“But going blind didn’t change who I am. It changed how I do things.”
It turns out YouTube, and later TikTok, are relatively accessible mediums. Anyone who has watched a fashion or beauty influencer knows the detail with which they tend to narrate their videos – from the texture of a piece of clothing to the specific shade of lipstick.
“I literally was getting every single detail I needed,” says Burke, who learnt slowly how to do things such as apply her mascara or choose the right foundation shade for her skin tone.
People in Burke’s life started to notice.
“Girls at school were stopping me and being like, ‘What eye shadow are you wearing? I love it!’, or, ‘Oh, can you give me fashion advice?’
“They were asking a blind person, who historically we would think would have no value in that conversation, for their advice. And I started making new friends again through that.”
Still, Burke lacked positive role models who reflected her own experiences.
“I didn’t see an example of a successful, happy, thriving blind person,” she says.
At 20, Burke decided to become that person by starting the YouTube channel.
“Historically, it’s been very clear that the beauty industry just hasn’t cared about disabled people,” says Burke.Credit: Stephanie Simcox
While diversity and sustainability have become buzzwords in recent years, the beauty industry has been slow to adopt accessible design – just 4 per cent of beauty and personal care brands cater to those with disability, according to research by Procter and Gamble.
“Historically, it’s been very clear that the beauty industry just hasn’t cared about disabled people,” she says.
While Burke reads braille, she’s among a small percentage of blind people who do. Universal design, rather than accessible design, she says, is key.
Haircare brand Herbal Essences, for instance, has incorporated raised dots and stripes into its packaging so consumers can differentiate between otherwise identical bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
These additions are universal because they benefit everyone.
And while big brands may dismiss these changes as costly or too niche, Burke points out that its in their financial interests to make them.
“Designing for disabled people, it’s not something I’m saying you should do from the goodness of your heart. This is a business move.”
One in five Australians live with a disability, representing $40 billion in disposable income. Research from Circana found that inclusive brands are growing 1.5 times faster than their less inclusive competitors.
Despite her success, Burke faces daily reminders that the world was not built for people like her. Navigating public toilets, for example, is an ordeal that most people don’t think twice about.
“Being blind will be hard as long as the world isn’t accessible. And that was something I had to realise. For so long in my life, I thought I would just work hard enough and get to a certain point where my blindness would no longer matter.
“But it doesn’t matter how many followers I have, how much money I make, how successful I am. If the world isn’t accessible for me, that’s hard.”
That hit home earlier this year when Burke was forced to evacuate her Los Angeles home during the city’s devastating wildfires.
“It wasn’t until I was safe that I [realised] that once again society hasn’t really put safety guards in place for my community.”
People with a disability are two to four times more likely to die or be injured in a natural disaster than the general population. Burke would like to see greater education and policies to protect them.
While Burke has come a long way from that 14-year-old girl with big dreams, her journey to self-acceptance hasn’t been linear.
“As [you] age, your body changes, your face changes, and there’s so much expectation and pressure. I live in Los Angeles, working in entertainment ... I see people’s comments on my appearance. It’s not easy being a 31-year-old woman and knowing that I’m changing and I can’t see myself change,” she says.
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