ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - A show that gives visually impaired people a platform to share their stories is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

“Cooking Without Looking” was created by Ren’ee Rentmeester, a board member for the Albany Georgia chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. She wanted to give people who are visually impaired a way to educate, inform and entertain the public.

“Well, I’d like to do something with people who are blind, because I felt that this was a whole group that no one really knew anything about,” Rentmeester said. “So my background in TV, I put it together, thought it’d be wonderful to start a TV show because TV can be educational as well as entertaining.”

Rentmeester uses her television background to executive produce the show. Everyone involved is blind or visually impaired, including the hosts and the group that wrote the theme song.

The show helps challenge misconceptions about blind people, Rentmeester said.

“We break stereotypes, and that makes me feel great because I don’t like people judging people or being inhuman,” she said. “You know, not treating anyone in a humane way just because they don’t have sight.”

According to Rentmeester, “Cooking Without Looking” has reached 76 different countries and has taped shows with blind people in nine of those countries, providing a platform for the visually impaired across the world.

The best part of the show is helping others live their lives to the fullest, Rentmeester said.

“To make people feel proud of themselves and proud of what they can do,” she said. “You know, they’re blind, but that doesn’t stop anyone. They continue to work hard and live a good life. That’s I guess that’s my favorite part.”

Want to learn more? Click here: https://cookingwithoutlookingtv.wordpress.com/

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