Conversations with Natasha Caudill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natasha Caudill.

Hi Natasha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 
I was born with a rare genetic eye disorder called Achromatopsia. I am completely colorblind, have day blindness, and low visual acuity. In 2019 I downloaded TikTok because I just wanted to watch funny videos on the internet. It was summertime, and I was bored, so I posted a few videos about my colorblindness since people typically find it to be pretty interesting. After posting a video about how I do my makeup as a completely colorblind person, my channel began to grow in views and followers. At first, TikTok was just something I did for fun, showing people how I got dressed, did my makeup, and shopped in only black & white. As my channel grew, I realized that I could Incorporate educational content into my videos as my own eye disorder, and blindness in general, are not subjects people know a ton about. There are so many people who think women can’t be colorblind or who don’t consider how inaccessible so much is for the blind and visually impaired. Since 2019, I’ve been able to work with beauty, clothing, and art brands to share my completely completely colorblind world, as well as speaking engagements (like working with NASA!) to share my story as well as to continue raising awareness for disability and accessibility issues. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is so much misinformation about Achromatopsia and color blindness, as well as blindness in general. There are also so many people who think I’m lying about or faking my vision since my eye disorder is rare and even rarer for a female. I get a lot of hate like this. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Because of my complete colorblindness, I see the world like a black & white movie. I started posting my TikTok videos with a B&W filter, so people could see the world how I see it. I realized that people loved to watch my videos and compare them to the color versions, so I now typically post a B&W and a color version of all my videos. I think this has become pretty recognizable for me, and I love that people can interact with my content in that way. My content can be as simple as a travel day in Michigan, and I’m always incorporating color and accessibility elements that come up in my daily life. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m really passionate about educating and sharing about blindness and accessibility. This isn’t what I planned to do with my life, but it honestly makes me so happy to wake up every day and get to do this. I’ve received messages from parents thanking me for helping them learn about and understand their kids who share the same eye disorder as me. It makes all the hate comments worth it. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/natashacaudill?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082932788955&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@natashac44?_t=8eKMu7O6RLv&_r=1

Image Credits
Emily Swan Photography
NASA ReelAbilities
Xian Horn