Molly Burke

Molly Jane Lucy Burke is a Canadian content creator, public speaker, author, and disability rights advocate born on February 8, 1994. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at four years old, she lost most of her vision during her early teens. Burke turned her lived experience into a platform for empowerment, building a social media audience of millions while advocating for accessibility, disability representation, and inclusive fashion and beauty standards.

Early Life and Advocacy

Burke was raised in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Following her diagnosis with a rare form of retinitis pigmentosa, she began public speaking at five years old as an ambassador for Foundation Fighting Blindness Canada. After losing the majority of her sight at age 14, she faced severe bullying, which fueled her commitment to anti-bullying campaigns and disability activism. She served as an ambassador and speaker for We Day events globally, ran with the Paralympic torch ahead of the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver, and won Miss Teen Canada International in 2010 before stepping down to focus on international motivational speaking.

Digital Career and Content Creation

Burke launched her self-titled YouTube channel in 2014, becoming one of the first visually impaired creators to gain massive mainstream traction online. Her content blends vlogs, lifestyle tips, accessibility reviews, and beauty and fashion advice, breaking down stereotypes about blind individuals. Over the years, she has expanded her audience across multiple platforms, producing videos that feature her guide dogs and breakdown common misconceptions about living with vision loss. Her prominent collaborations include work with major brands such as Google, Microsoft, Dove, and Starbucks, alongside global speaking engagements at venues like the United Nations Headquarters and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Books and Major Projects

Beyond digital video, Burke has published works aimed at sharing her story in accessible formats. In 2019, she released her debut audio-only memoir, It's Not What It Looks Like, exclusively on Audible. She followed this with her print and digital book release, Unseen: How I Lost My Vision but Found My Voice, sharing vulnerable accounts of navigating a sighted world. Recognizing her pioneering work in digital media and activism, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and received a Helen Keller Achievement Award.