What is non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder? It is a condition that impacts the natural body clock, thus affecting sleep, and can be triggered by a lack of or no light perception. Tina Snow got in touch after having suffered with this condition for most of her life and she struggled to get the treatment she needed. We have brought Tina together with a world expert in this condition to give information on how the condition works and how it can be treated effectively. We also hear from Tina's GP, who recently sought a individual prescription for melatonin (a natural hormone that regulates sleep) and we hear Kaukub Asia's experience, who also has issues with her circadian rhythm due to her visual impairment.

Presenter: Peter White

As the charity Guide Dogs looked into its own future, they have predicted some financial hardship due to rising costs. Similarly to many organisations within the charity sector, they are having to come up with ways of cutting costs in order to maintain current levels of service provision. Their staff have been told that redundancies are a possibility for many. Guide Dogs' CEO Andrew Lennox tells In Touch what is happening and why, in his view, such cuts are necessary.

With elections just around the corner, In Touch explores a new audio voting system: the McGonagle Reader. It will be available at a few local council areas for the 2024 local and general elections.

Presenter: Peter White

The Disabled Students' Allowance enables students to get help with specialist equipment and in-person support, but over the years we've heard about persistent complications and delays. The system is operated by the Student Loans Company and they have now introduced some new processes that aim to reduce the problems that students are facing. David Thompson manages the DSA on behalf of the Student Loans Company and he gives details of the new system and why the changes were necessary. We also hear from visually impaired students who have had issues in accessing the essential services they are entitled to through the DSA.

Developments within this area are ongoing; the Department for Education wants evidence regarding a specific element of the Disabled Students' Allowance that provides in-person support regarding things like sighted guides around university campuses and specialist teaching assistants for visual impairment. Lucy Merritt is the Education Policy Manager at the Thomas Pocklington Trust, an organisation that works closely with visually impaired students, and she provides background on what the Department for Education is looking at.

Presenter: Peter White

The communications regulator Ofcom has just made changes to its guidelines surrounding audio description provided by television and on-demand services. For the first time, there will be unique recommendations for on-demand providers. Helen Shaw is part of Ofcom's content policy team and tells In Touch about the amendments and how the Media Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, will impact access services more widely.

And what is creative audio description? Our reporter Fern Lulham finds out by visiting The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, where it can be found at every show in the production's run.

Presenter: Peter White

A new hotel in London, that belongs to a big-name franchise, initially declared on their website that service dogs are not welcome. Dave and Karen Cloherty were left in shock when they came to book a room for them and their guide dog for an annual appointment at Moorfield's Eye Hospital, given that the hotel in question is just a few minutes walk from the hospital. The hotel have since amended their website, but we hear about the case from the Clohertys and about the equality law that relates to services such as hotels, from disability rights lawyer Chris Fry.

The 1963 film The Great Escape is based on the famous prison break, where imprisoned allied soldiers escape from a Nazi camp during World War Two. Sangeeta Uppaladinni had an instant fascination with the film and the original story and so travelled to Poland with her guide dog, to mark the 80th anniversary of the original story.

Presenter: Peter White

In Touch discusses whether your blindness should be at the front and centre of your life. Perhaps an ambiguous question because it can depend on the environment you're in, the company that you share, whether you need help and many other factors. What is undoubtedly true though, is that it's not that easy to go completely under the radar with poor sight or none.

We tease this out with author Andrew Leland, who spent time researching visually impaired people and the way society interacts with us, Rachael Andrews, who is not afraid to campaign for herself, and other people at the same time, and stand-up comedian Jamie MacDonald, who uses his blindness as a tool to make other people laugh.

Presenter: Peter White

Valeda Light Therapy is a new treatment that has been developed for Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration. It works by delivering three wavelengths of light to stimulate the layer of cells in the back of the eye, to keep them healthy for longer. In the UK, there are currently no effective medical treatments available and so In Touch cautiously investigates its potential. The treatment has been available to patients since the beginning of the year at an independent hospital in Manchester, operated by the company Optegra. In Touch sits down with their Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Sajjad Mahmood and eavesdrops as the treatment is delivered to patients at the hospital.

Presenter: Peter White

Vision Rehabilitation is an essential service to newly blind or partially sighted people, and those whose sight has changed. It is a service that is provided by local councils and can help with things like technology, daily mobility and independent living skills. But new Freedom of Information data from the RNIB has highlighted that many local councils aren't providing this vital service in a timely manner. Resulting in thousands of blind and partially sighted people without the help that they are entitled to by law. We hear from you about how the delays are impacting daily life and independence.

The RNIB's David Aldwinkle provides details of the findings. Andy Fisher is a vision rehabilitation specialist and has worked within the public and private sectors and Simon Labbett is the Chair of the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network and an active rehabilitation officer in a local council - they both help us assess the issues and the potential solutions.

Presenter: Peter White

The Northern Ireland Assembly, the country's devolved legislature, have recently reformed after years of political stalemate. In Touch investigates the issues that arose during the Assembly's years of inactivity and that will have potential long-term impacts for visually impaired people. Some of the changes to the UK's benefit system uniquely impacts people in Northern Ireland because it has meant that many are no longer automatically entitled to free eye tests. This is something that many fear could lead to early signs of conditions that can cause blindness, being missed. And we investigate the impacts to transport services; particularly community transport, as many visually impaired people across Northern Ireland heavily rely on it to continue to live full and independent lives.

Presenter: Peter White

Northern Ireland recently hosted its first major assistive technology conference. The conference was hosted by the RNIB at the Europa Hotel in Belfast and it was home for the day to all the big players in the assistive technology arena. In Touch went along to find out what the latest tech has to offer and the kinds of things visually impaired people were interested in.

Presenter: Peter White