In Touch

In May the High Court ruled that the use of Tactile Voting Devices was unlawful. Blind and VI people are regularly confronted with polling staff who do not seem to realise the rules, so ahead of the General Election we discuss what you're entitled to with Ailsa Irvine from the Electoral Commission. We also hear from Rachael Andrews who brought the case on the basis that her vote as a blind person was not secret and independent.

Lucy Edwards is no stranger to In Touch, she's a You Tuber, a reporter and now - Radio One's first blind DJ. She tells us about making a piece of radio history as experienced music DJ Jill Barkley gives her a few tips about navigating the wheels of steel without sight.

And as a ban on Russian athletes competing in world sport is renewed, Mani Djazmi guides us through the world of drugs in disabled sport - and the thorny question of whether unscrupulous coaches can sometimes make blind sportsmen and women unwittingly cheat.

Presented by Peter White

In response to the RNIB announcing the sale of its three care homes and three colleges, In Touch has been contacted by an employee who says staff weren’t warned their workplace was being sold.

23-year-old Josh Mcentee lost his sight three years ago in an horrific car accident. He found he was still able to do martial art Jiu jitsu – and is setting up classes for sighted and visually impaired people. He tells us why Jiu Jitsu works for him.

What’s in the party manifestos for visually impaired people – and how accessible are they?

Presenter: Peter White

The RNIB is proposing to sell its remaining schools, colleges and residential care homes after taking the decision to close The Pears School in 2018. Peter White asks new CEO Matt Stringer how this fits in with its strategy for the future.

Presenter: Peter White

Do visually impaired children have more disrupted sleep than sighted children? University College London is looking for children to take part in sleep research.

And we fulfill one listener’s request to learn about how visually-impaired people met their significant others.

Presenter: Peter White

The new Apple Plus SciFi series See is about a world in which everyone is blind. Until twins are born sighted and become a reason for tribes to go in to battle.

Blindness consultant Joe Strechay tells Peter White how you teach sighted actors to portray blindness.

Advent For Change, a not-for-profit enterprise, has developed a braille advent calendar. She explains why it doesn’t contain chocolate.

Presenter: Peter White

Earlier this year a high court judge decided that the rule which sets out the requirements for a tactile voting device to be available at every polling station is itself unlawful, because it does not allow blind or partially sighted people to vote "without the need for assistance". And this isn't the only concern about our right to a secret and accessible vote. So what changes can we expect before and during polling on the 12th of December? The Electoral Commission has already set out its proposals for improving matters and Ailsa Irvine the commission's Director of electoral administration and guidance, explains what this means for the upcoming election.

Visually-impaired students are struggling to get textbooks in electronic formats they can access. We ask where the fault lies: with the textbook publishers or with the platforms from which the books are downloaded. Or, is it a bit of both?

Presenter: Peter White

Keith Jones is a lawyer and works from home. He wanted to volunteer for the charity Hospice of the Valleys. He went for an interview and was accepted. However, a risk assessment was carried out on the location, and it was deemed unsuitable for him to work there. Keith says it’s discrimination but can he sue?

A Southampton woman has been given £3m compensation for the delays in her eye treatment leaving her severely visually impaired. University of Southampton NHS Trust has reviewed the waiting times for NHS Trusts and say delays are a national problem. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists agrees and says 230 more training places are required. The Department of Health and Social Care responded by pointing out the £33.9bn it says it plans to inject into the NHS by 2024.

Michael Cassidy, vice-president of the Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists, reflects on 100 years of blind physiotherapists.

Presenter: Peter White

In 2018 Ofcom set out guidelines for TV providers to make their electronic programme guides (EPGs) accessible. It outlined there should be text-to-speech information as well as magnified text. Programmes that are audio-described should also be easy to find. Digital UK which provides the Freeview platform is undertaking a consultation on which channel their accessible EPG should appear.

WeWalk is a smart cane which fits on to a regular cane and provides information about obstacles as well as giving users access to digital maps via a smartphone. Our reporter Lucy Edwards tries one out.

Presenter: Peter White

On the 10th of October, the Scottish parliament passed a bill which, in part, bans parking on pavements. It is the first nationwide ban in the UK.

What is it like listening to the streets at night if you’re homeless? Hugh Huddy immersed himself in amongst rough sleepers in Cardiff, and recorded what they hear all night. He tells Peter White, what the experience taught him.

Presenter: Peter White

Burger King had to apologise after a staff member refused to read a brownie’s ingredients list to a blind woman with a nut allergy. So how should visually impaired people go about finding safe meals when eating certain foods has serious consequences?

UK Hospitality safety advisor Dr Lisa Ackerley, and Philippa Lomas, a blind mum of two children with severe food allergies, share their thoughts.

Descent Into Darkness by Simon Mahoney tells his sight loss story and is, he hopes, a companion guide for those going through similar.

He explains why he thinks getting registered sight impaired is important, how he deals with unwanted help, and introduces the term gratitude burn-out.

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