Reece is a Scottish creator behind The World According to Reece, a YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website that shares the highs, lows, twists and turns, and sometimes funny moments of navigating life while completely blind and autistic.
Through his content, he shares his personal experiences, discusses accessibility, and helps others understand the challenges people with disabilities encounter in everyday life.
For years, Reece wanted to create videos to share those stories, but producing them independently was difficult.
"I'd wanted to do it for a while—to start a YouTube channel, build a website, and create Facebook Reels," Reece said. "If you can't see where you're filming, it's difficult."
With HeyGen, Reece can create videos using a digital version of himself, giving him greater independence in how he shares his experiences.
Creating whenever he has something to share
Before HeyGen, creating a video required help.
Reece needed someone to position the camera, check the framing, and make sure everything was recording correctly. His screen reader could also be picked up in recordings, and editing footage presented additional accessibility challenges.
He wanted to create videos whenever he had something to share, without having to arrange filming assistance each time.
Eventually, Reece turned to ChatGPT for help.
"I told ChatGPT, 'Okay, I'm blind, and I really want to get my video content off the ground. Are there services I can use? Maybe I could type in a script, and it would make a video for me,'" Reece said.
ChatGPT directed him to HeyGen.
Reece created a personal avatar of himself and began turning written scripts into videos without filming himself.
"I'm glad I came across it," he said, "because I probably wouldn't have started creating yet if I hadn't found it."
Making video creation more accessible with AI
Creating his avatar was only part of the challenge. Reece also needed a way to navigate the tools used to produce his videos.
Because he relies on a screen reader, Reece has learned that not every creative tool is designed with accessibility in mind. Unlabelled buttons can slow him down, and he sometimes works with a visual interpreter to help him understand a new interface.
Over time, his workflow has become more independent.
By combining ChatGPT with HeyGen, Reece can describe what he wants to create and have ChatGPT help guide him through the production process.
"I've been able to ask ChatGPT to handle much of the navigation for me so I can focus more on creating the videos," he said.
He can also ask ChatGPT to describe the finished video, including how his avatar looks, what's happening on screen, and any expressions or movements.
Previously, reviewing those visual details might have required assistance.
While ChatGPT and HeyGen have significantly reduced his reliance on others, Reece still occasionally needs visual assistance, particularly when checking certain elements of a finished video. However, compared with traditional filming and editing, he needs considerably less help, allowing him to manage much more of the creative process independently.
For Reece, this means focusing more of his energy on what he wants to communicate, rather than on the mechanics of video production.
Helping others understand his experience
Through The World According to Reece, Reece shares what everyday life is like for someone who’s totally blind and has an autism diagnosis, while discussing broader issues affecting people with disabilities.
His goal is to help others understand perspectives they might not otherwise encounter.
He's starting to receive more comments on his videos and hopes to reach an even broader audience.
But the impact goes beyond growing a channel.
Reece wants his content to show that blindness doesn't have to prevent someone from pursuing creative interests.
"You don't have to be able to see to become a creator or do the things that you want to be able to do," he said.
He's also exploring ways to make his videos more engaging, including sound effects and demonstrations of the technology he uses in everyday life.
As his tools become easier to use, he sees more possibilities for what he can create.
Gaining independence and creative freedom
For Reece, HeyGen has made something he'd wanted to do for years more attainable.
He can now write scripts, create videos featuring his avatar, review the results with AI assistance, and share his experiences with an audience. He no longer has to arrange for filming assistance whenever he wants to create something.
That independence is also inspiring Reece to think beyond his own channel. Alongside continuing to grow The World According to Reece, he's developing plans to offer video creation services to individuals and organizations using HeyGen.
He's already launched a dedicated video services page on his website, outlining the types of content he hopes to create for others, including promotional videos and explainer videos. While the service is still in development, it represents an exciting next step in turning his creative skills into new opportunities.
What began as a way to share his own experiences could eventually help others bring their stories and ideas to life through video.
When asked how it feels to create and share videos in a way he couldn't before, Reece had a simple answer.
“It's quite empowering to know that I've been able to create something, that I own it, and that I'll hopefully be able to build on it over time,” Reece said.
For Reece, the greatest benefit isn't producing more videos or creating them faster. It's having greater independence to tell his story, share his perspective, and build something of his own.
