04 June 2026
SeeAbility has broken a Guiness World Record as part of its mission to highlight the number of children and young people with learning disabilities and autism who are missing out on eye care.
The learning disability charity enlisted 800 people to create a live portrait installation at Potters Fields Park, next to Tower Bridge, on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 June.
The challenge was designed to highlight the number of children and young people in London’s special schools who are missing out on basic eye care and spectacles.
The Guiness World Record title is for the most participants featured on a live portrait installation in 48 hours. An official adjudicator from Guinness World Records was present to verify the win.
There were 800 polaroid portraits taken as part of the challenge – a portrait for every 1000 of the estimated 800,000 people of all ages with learning disabilities in the UK who SeeAbility believes are currently living with a sight problem.
Polaroid portraits were illustrated live on a five-by-three metre mural, painted by London-based artists Luke Embden and Alex the Doodler.
SeeAbility has noted that children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem than those without, but are less likely than their peers to access a High Street optometry practice or the hospital eye service.
The challenge was designed in order to raise awareness and funds for SeeAbility’s Special Schools Eye Care Service, which provides eye examinations and spectacles to children in special schools in the south of England. It was held as part of SeeAbility’s newly launched From moments missed to moments that matter campaign.
SeeAbility’s director of eye care, Lisa Donaldson, said: “We are so grateful to every single person who showed up to be a part of our mural, helping us raise awareness and vital funds.
“We estimate that there are 800,000 people with learning disabilities of all ages in the UK who are living with sight problems, and up to half are missing the support they need. It really shows the scale of the issue, that every face on the mural represents 1000 people with learning disabilities who are living with a sight problem in the UK.”
Alex the Doodler illustrating Terence into the Guinness World Records attempt mural
The first face to be added to the mural was that of 20-year-old Terence, who is autistic and non-verbal. Terence received spectacles from the SeeAbility team during a visit to his specialist college in March 2026.
During his eye examination, the Special Schools Eye Care team found that Terence had a prescription of minus 19 and could see no further than two inches in front of his face.
Terence’s glasses were fitted by SeeAbility’s senior dispensing optician and dispensing team lead, Martyn Howlett, who was also featured on the mural.
Terence’s mother, Chantal Panzu, said: “When SeeAbility fitted Terence’s glasses I was so happy, I was in tears of joy. It was incredible. The way they worked with him – the care was amazing; they were so gentle.”
She added: “This is life-changing for Terence. With his glasses he can see the world clearly. He is smiling all the time. You can see so much difference in him.”
Donaldson said: “Terence is just one of the hundreds of thousands of people with learning disabilities who could be missing out on the vital eye care that we take for granted.
Find out more about SeeAbility’s From moments missed to moments that matter campaign online.
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