Reece is a Scottish creator behind The World According to Reece, which includes a YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website sharing the highs, lows, twists and turns, and occasional funny moments of navigating life while completely blind and diagnosed with autism.
Through his content, he shares his personal experiences, discusses accessibility, and helps others understand the challenges that people with disabilities encounter in everyday life.
For years, Reece wanted to create videos to share those stories. However, producing them independently was difficult.
"I'd wanted to do it for some time—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 the way he shares his experiences.
Creating whenever he has something to share
Before HeyGen, creating a video required assistance.
Reece needed someone to position the camera, check the framing and ensure everything was recording correctly. His screen reader could also be picked up in recordings, and editing the footage posed additional accessibility challenges.
He wanted to create videos whenever he had something to share, without having to arrange filming assistance each time.
Eventually, Reece sought help from ChatGPT.
"I told ChatGPT, 'Okay, I'm blind, and I really want to get started with my video content. Are there any services I can use? Perhaps I could type in a script, and it would create a video for me,'" Reece said.
ChatGPT directed him to HeyGen.
Reece created a personal avatar of himself and began converting written scripts into videos without having to film 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 through AI
Creating his avatar was only one part of the challenge. Reece also needed a way to navigate the tools used to create his videos.
Because he relies on a screen reader, Reece has learnt 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 use ChatGPT to help navigate the production process.
"I've been able to ask ChatGPT to handle much of the navigation for me, so that 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 is happening on screen, and any expressions or movements.
Earlier, reviewing those visual details might have required assistance.
While ChatGPT and HeyGen have significantly reduced his dependence on others, Reece still occasionally requires visual assistance, particularly when reviewing certain elements of a completed video. However, compared with traditional filming and editing, he requires considerably less help, enabling 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 technical aspects of video production.
Helping others understand his experience
Through The World According to Reece, Reece shares what everyday life is like for someone who is completely blind and has been diagnosed with autism, while discussing broader issues affecting people with disabilities.
His aim is to help others understand perspectives they may not otherwise encounter.
He is beginning to receive more comments on his videos and hopes to reach an even wider audience.
However, the impact extends beyond simply growing a channel.
Reece wants his content to show that blindness need not prevent someone from pursuing creative interests.
"You don't need to be able to see to become a creator or do the things you want 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 greater possibilities for what he can create.
Achieving independence and creative freedom
For Reece, HeyGen has made something he had wanted to do for years easier to achieve.
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 needs to arrange filming assistance whenever he wishes 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 organisations using HeyGen.
He has 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 being developed, it marks an exciting next step towards 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 could not before, Reece had a simple answer.
“It is quite empowering to know that I have been able to create something, that I own it, and that I will hopefully be able to build on it over time,” Reece said.
For Reece, the greatest benefit is not producing more videos or creating them faster. It is having greater independence to tell his story, share his perspective, and build something of his own.
