Blind gamer streams to raise money for charity

A blind gamer who went viral on TikTok will host a fundraiser livestream to raise money for a sight loss charity.

Dominic Hall received 2.5 million views on a TikTok video showcasing how he plays the game Mortal Kombat by using audio cues.

Hall would be conducting a fundraising live stream for iSightCornwall, a sight loss charity based in Cornwall, on Twitch on 13 February from 17:00 GMT to 19:00.

Hall, who worked as a volunteer for the charity and then as a member of staff, said it filled him with pride when he saw someone leave an appointment being able to do something they thought was impossible after losing their sight.

He said: "It's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about continuing to play video games and showcasing how I do it.

"Firstly, to inspire other blind or partially sighted people to give it a go but also to highlight to video game developers and fans how important accessibility features are."

When Hall was three years old he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in the central cluster at the front of his brain.

iSightCornwall said this completely damaged the optic nerve in his right eye and damaged the left eye, leaving him with 10% vision.

Hall learned to play video games by adapting set ups, sitting close to the TV, having magnifiers attached to handheld consoles and experimenting with game genres.

It added in 2022 he lost the remaining sight in his left eye but that didn't stop him from continuing to game.

The livestream would be hosted by Babcock International Group after iSightCornwall was chosed as its charity partner for the Association for Project Management (APM)'s Challenge Award.

A spokesperson from the Babcock team said: "Every penny of the money raised during the livestream will be spent helping someone with sight loss in Cornwall."

Carole Theobald, iSightCornwall chief executive, said: "Streaming and fundraising online as part of a Gaming for Good campaign is a fresh and exciting way of spreading awareness of what we do and of raising vital funds and it's been great working alongside Babcock to help grow and improve the channel."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].