@faceblinduk

Independent UK organisation set up by people with face blindness (prosopagnosia). Working to develop awareness, understanding, information and support.

 UK
faceblind.org.uk
Joined April 2014
  • Tweets405
  • Following84
  • Followers367
65Media
This is an anecdote from a Face Blind UK member. “After nearly an hour, I realised that the people on the screen were me and the people around me… and the video was a livestream of the carriage I was sitting in." #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Face Blind UK branded image, titled “Is that CCTV feed live?”, followed by a quote “I was on the train and thought the screen in front of me was a pre-recorded video. Eventually, I realised it was live and I had been watching myself on screen for ages”. A photograph of a CCTV screen is below. The screen reads “Onboard CCTV: For your safety and security CCTV images are being recorded on this train. 16:08” and has a video feed of a train carriage full of people.

ALT Face Blind UK branded image, titled “Is that CCTV feed live?”, followed by a quote “I was on the train and thought the screen in front of me was a pre-recorded video. Eventually, I realised it was live and I had been watching myself on screen for ages”. A photograph of a CCTV screen is below. The screen reads “Onboard CCTV: For your safety and security CCTV images are being recorded on this train. 16:08” and has a video feed of a train carriage full of people.

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Prosopagnosia can indeed be caused by a brain injury, such a stroke, encephalitis or traumatic brain injury but face blindness is more commonly present from a young age without brain injury. This is called developmental prosopagnosia. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Infographic titled “Fact or fiction” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: Face blindness is always caused by a brain injury” “Truth: Prosopagnosia can indeed be the result of a brain injury, such as a stroke or encephalitis. However, it is more commonly present from birth”

ALT Infographic titled “Fact or fiction” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: Face blindness is always caused by a brain injury” “Truth: Prosopagnosia can indeed be the result of a brain injury, such as a stroke or encephalitis. However, it is more commonly present from birth”

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If you struggle to recognise faces, walking into a busy cafe or bar and trying to find your friends is hard work! If you’re meeting a prosopagnosic and you’ve already sat down, sending a quick text describing the table location can be a huge help. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Face Blind UK branded image, titled “I’ll get there early and grab us a table” with a photograph of a bar with lots of tables

ALT Face Blind UK branded image, titled “I’ll get there early and grab us a table” with a photograph of a bar with lots of tables

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People with face blindness, or prosopagnosia, may recognise others by using non-facial identifying features. These include a person’s voice and hairstyle. They may also rely on other distinguishing features like what clothing they usually wear. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Infographic titled “Frequently asked” with boxes for a question and an answer. The boxes read: “Question: How do people with face blindness recognise their friends?” “Answer: People with face blindness often recognise others by noticing non-facial identifying features - like their voice, hairstyle, and body shape.”

ALT Infographic titled “Frequently asked” with boxes for a question and an answer. The boxes read: “Question: How do people with face blindness recognise their friends?” “Answer: People with face blindness often recognise others by noticing non-facial identifying features - like their voice, hairstyle, and body shape.”

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“I am currently at a conference and wished I had one of your badges with me to help other people to understand I’m not being rude if I appear to blank them after chatting to them earlier! I have written an explanatory message on my delegate name badge: it seems to be helping”
Face Blind UK branded image, titled “I added an explanation to my name badge” with a photograph of a conference delegate name badge on an LGBT+ Ally lanyard, with the handwritten addition “I am FACE BLIND. Please introduce yourself AGAIN” to the standard badge content “[Member Name]; Pronouns: SHE/ THEY”

ALT Face Blind UK branded image, titled “I added an explanation to my name badge” with a photograph of a conference delegate name badge on an LGBT+ Ally lanyard, with the handwritten addition “I am FACE BLIND. Please introduce yourself AGAIN” to the standard badge content “[Member Name]; Pronouns: SHE/ THEY”

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Face blindness is a spectrum. Some people with prosopagnosia are able to recognise their close friends and family, but may struggle with acquaintances. Some people may struggle to identify anyone, including themselves in the mirror or in photos. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Infographic titled “Fact or fiction” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: Face blind people can’t recognise anyone” “Truth: Face blindness is a spectrum. Some people are able to recognise very familiar faces, while others struggle to identify anyone”

ALT Infographic titled “Fact or fiction” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: Face blind people can’t recognise anyone” “Truth: Face blindness is a spectrum. Some people are able to recognise very familiar faces, while others struggle to identify anyone”

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Meeting in busy places, like train stations or shopping centres, can present significant difficulties for prosopagnosics. It can help to choose a very specific location to meet, and to describe your clothing or accessories ahead of the meeting time. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Face Blind UK branded image, titled “Meet me in the train station” with a photograph of a busy train station seen from above

ALT Face Blind UK branded image, titled “Meet me in the train station” with a photograph of a busy train station seen from above

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Estimates for how common face blindness is vary by study, but the generally quoted statistic is 2% of the population. Some studies have suggested that it is even more common. The population could be greater than we currently realise. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Infographic titled “Frequently asked” with boxes for a question and an answer. The boxes read: “Question: How common is face blindness?” “Answer: It is estimated that around 2% of the population are affected by prosopagnosia to some degree. That is as common as green eyes!”

ALT Infographic titled “Frequently asked” with boxes for a question and an answer. The boxes read: “Question: How common is face blindness?” “Answer: It is estimated that around 2% of the population are affected by prosopagnosia to some degree. That is as common as green eyes!”

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Chuck Close (1940-2021) was an American artist who made massive-scale photorealistic and abstract portraits. Surprisingly - given his chosen subject matter of portraiture - Close had prosopagnosia.
Face Blind UK branded image, with an image of artist Chuck Close. The surrounding text reads ““I was not conscious of making a decision to paint portraits because I have difficulty recognizing faces” “I began to realize that it has sustained me for so long because I have difficulty in recognizing faces” Chuck Close to BOMB Magazine, Summer 1995”. The image shows Chuck Close painting a portrait in his famous monumental grid style. He is holding the paintbrush with a handbrace and adjusting the brush with his teeth.

ALT Face Blind UK branded image, with an image of artist Chuck Close. The surrounding text reads ““I was not conscious of making a decision to paint portraits because I have difficulty recognizing faces” “I began to realize that it has sustained me for so long because I have difficulty in recognizing faces” Chuck Close to BOMB Magazine, Summer 1995”. The image shows Chuck Close painting a portrait in his famous monumental grid style. He is holding the paintbrush with a handbrace and adjusting the brush with his teeth.

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Speaking to BOMB Magazine in 1995, Close said “I was not conscious of making a decision to paint portraits because I have difficulty recognizing faces. That occurred to me twenty years after the fact when I looked at why I was still painting portraits, why that still had...
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...urgency for me. I began to realize that it has sustained me for so long because I have difficulty in recognizing faces”. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
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No, face blindness (prosopagnosia) is not simply being bad with faces. It is a neurological condition that impairs a person’s ability to recognise familiar faces, sometimes even those of family, friends or even themselves. #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Infographic titled “Fact or fiction” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: Prosopagnosia is just “bad with faces”” “Truth: It’s more than just “bad with faces”. It is a condition that impairs a person’s ability to recognise any person at any time. It can seriously impact daily life”

ALT Infographic titled “Fact or fiction” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: Prosopagnosia is just “bad with faces”” “Truth: It’s more than just “bad with faces”. It is a condition that impairs a person’s ability to recognise any person at any time. It can seriously impact daily life”

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Have you ever struggled to find your friend in a crowd? If so, you might have prosopagnosia! Prosopagnosia is a neurological condition which can be a problem when trying to find your friend outside the toilets in a public place! #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia
Face Blind UK branded image, titled “Meet you outside in a minute” with a photograph taken from the outside of a public toilet in a train station with several people entering and leaving.

ALT Face Blind UK branded image, titled “Meet you outside in a minute” with a photograph taken from the outside of a public toilet in a train station with several people entering and leaving.

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We are sharing today a brilliant Telegraph article by @fayboundalberti on her experience with prosopagnosia. Fay Bound-Alberti is a historian, academic and author of many works, including The Face: A Cultural History which examines our human relationships with faces
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While researching for this book, Fay became aware of how prosopagnosia has impacted her. The article is an honest and well articulated personal account of face blindness, with an excellent cover image by Felicity McCabe.
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With thanks to both Fay and Felicity for their permission to share this article and image. telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02… #faceblinduk #prosopagnosia

What it’s like to be face-blind: ‘I struggled to recognise my own child’

Fay Bound-Alberti’s rare condition means she relies on voices and body language to identify friends and acquaintances

telegraph.co.uk
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No, face blindness (prosopagnosia) is not seeing distorted faces. Prosopagnosia affects a person’s ability to recognise familiar faces, whether they are a close friend or family member, a famous actor in a film or sometimes even their own face. #prosopagnosia #faceblinduk
Infographic titled “Face Blind Myth Busters” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: People with face blindness see distorted faces” “Truth: People with face blindness see faces the same way as the general population. What they struggle with is matching those faces to an identity”

ALT Infographic titled “Face Blind Myth Busters” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: People with face blindness see distorted faces” “Truth: People with face blindness see faces the same way as the general population. What they struggle with is matching those faces to an identity”

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Prosopagnosia, or "face blindness," is a neurological disorder that impairs a person's ability to recognise familiar faces. People with prosopagnosia can see a face's individual features but fail to connect them to the identity of the person. #prosopagnosia #faceblinduk
Infographic titled “Frequently asked” with boxes for a question and an answer. The boxes read: “Question: What is exactly is prosopagnosia?” “Answer: Prosopagnosia, or "face blindness," is a neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to recognise faces, sometimes even those of loved ones. People with prosopagnosia can see the individual features of a face clearly, but fail to connect them to the identity of the person.”

ALT Infographic titled “Frequently asked” with boxes for a question and an answer. The boxes read: “Question: What is exactly is prosopagnosia?” “Answer: Prosopagnosia, or "face blindness," is a neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to recognise faces, sometimes even those of loved ones. People with prosopagnosia can see the individual features of a face clearly, but fail to connect them to the identity of the person.”

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A common misconception is that people with face blindness don’t see faces the way everyone else does. The truth is that we see faces clearly, without distortion, but the brain has difficulty connecting those features to a specific person. #prosopagnosia #faceblinduk
Infographic titled “Face Blind Myth Busters” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: People with face blindness can’t see faces at all” “Truth: People with face blindness see faces clearly, but struggle to recognise or distinguish them. It’s a problem with how the brain processes facial identity”

ALT Infographic titled “Face Blind Myth Busters” with boxes for a myth and a truth.. The boxes read: “Myth: People with face blindness can’t see faces at all” “Truth: People with face blindness see faces clearly, but struggle to recognise or distinguish them. It’s a problem with how the brain processes facial identity”

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Brad Pitt’s career has spanned more than 3 decades and he has been a household name for most of that time. He has often discussed his challenges with recognising people and his worries about offending people when he can’t recognise them. #prosopagnosia #faceblinduk #bradpitt
Infographic with a quote from Brad Pitt in 2013. It reads “You get this thing, like, ‘You’re being egotistical. You’re being conceited.’ But it’s a mystery to me, man. I can’t grasp a face…”

ALT Infographic with a quote from Brad Pitt in 2013. It reads “You get this thing, like, ‘You’re being egotistical. You’re being conceited.’ But it’s a mystery to me, man. I can’t grasp a face…”

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