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In Touch
By BBC Radio 4Society & Culture
In Touch episodes
- Acting CEO of Guide Dogs interview and the future of Pingo the guide dog
Peter White talks to the Acting Chief Executive of Guide Dogs Steve Vaid about his plans for its future, and asks whether waiting lists for dogs are too long and whether the organisation is spreading itself too thinly.
We also hear from Aleksandra Surla, who's moved to the UK from Slovenia, about her struggle to keep her guide dog Pingo with her.Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Cheryl Gabriel.19 min - Stem cell research and AMD
Professor Pete Coffey from UCL reacts to the recent US case, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, of three women who paid for stem cell treatment in a private clinic, in which cells from their own body fat were injected into their eyes and which left them all with virtually no vision. Prof Coffey explains the difference between the US and UK procedures. He also updates us on his own trials, seeking to treat Macular Degeneration.
The GDBA on people who decide to return their Guide Dogs.22 min - Job-seeking discrimination and accessible gyms
Ian Brooks is a very experienced computer programmer and was approached by a job agency about a position for which he was ideally qualified. All went well and the agency told Ian to expect a call from the prospective client.
However, after revealing that he had a guide dog, the interview offer was suddenly withdrawn, as the employers claimed they would not be able to accommodate a dog in the office.Lawyer Declan O'Dempsey explains the legal implications of a similar situation and says that in cases like this, under equality legislation, both the agency and their client would be deemed to be acting in a manner which would be deemed discriminatory, by not making reasonable adjustment for a disabled applicant.Tom Walker visits one of Pure Gyms premises and speaks to a blind woman who has been helped to use the equipment by a personal trainer.This is part of a new initiative by RNIB to train the trainers at Pure Gyms to make their places accessible to blind and visually-impaired people.One of the new features which has been introduced is a wrist-band worn by a vip, which they pass over the security pad to gain entry to the gym, rather than being required to key-in a code number, which had previously been the case.Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Cheryl Gabriel.20 min - Benefits for visually impaired children, New scheme for journalists with disabilities
James Harding, the BBC's Director of News, tells Peter White about a new one million pound fund, earmarked to train and recruit disabled journalists.
Derek Sinclair, from the organisation Contact-a-family explains child benefits. Charlotte talks about her visually-impaired daughter who has additional disabilities and tells Tom Walker that although she's well-connected into a parents' network she is still confused as to which benefits she is entitled.19 min - Blind man mistakenly tasered. Returning a Guide Dog
on February 23, Greater Manchester Police were called to Levenshulme by two witnesses who reported a man with a gun behaving in an agitated manner.
The attending firearms officers tasered the man and subsequently discovered he was blind and that what had been thought to be a gun was, in fact, his folding white cane. This follows a similar incident in 2012 when a blind man's white stick was mistaken for a samurai sword.
In last week's case, the police apologised, and the Professional Standards Branch of Greater Manchester Police, carried out an investigation. It found that the police had acted appropriately and the blind man has not, thus far, made a complaint.
We speak to Solicitor Advocate Sophie Khan who represented the case in 2012 on her concerns about the training undertaken by police when it comes to tasering vulnerable people.
Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, tells us that the training and policies in this area are constantly being reviewed.
Red Szell tells us why he's decided to part with his firs guide dog after nine months.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Lee Kumutat
Editor: Eleanor Garland.
19 min - Dr Tanvir Bush, Gough, Gary O'Donoghue on Tim Gebbels
Dr Tanvir Bush talks about a recent experience she had when she was involved in a hate-crime as a result of her blindness. She also talks about her new novel 'Cull' which is a satire exploring a world in which hate crimes are tolerated, resulting in what she calls the 'dehumanisation' of disabled people.
Tanvir is hoping to crowd-fund the publication of the book.Gough is an Australian comedian, writer, director who talks to Peter about his approach to film-making.He has formed his own production company and offers his work online.BBC Washington Correspondent Gary O'Donoghue talks about his friend, the actor Tim Gebbels who has died aged 49, following a short illness.
20 min - RNIB's acting head on the charity's future plans
RNIB's Acting CEO Sally Harvey talks to Peter White about the charity's plans for its future. Will it merge with the charity Guide Dogs and what impact will the RNIB's restructuring plans have on jobs - particularly those held by people who are blind?
We hear from an employee of the RNIB's dedicated Cliffden Hotel - currently for sale - and her crowdfunding initiative to raise more than a million pounds in order to buy it and maintain it as a specialist hotel for blind and partially-sighted guests.19 min - Leadership at GDBA and RNIB, Personal safety
Media commentator Kevin Mulhern gives his view on the leadership situation at RNIB and GDBA, the leading UK charities for blind and partially-sighted people. Both organisations currently have temporary Chief Executive Officers in place and Kevin speculates on the impact this could have on the confidence of blind people in the charities' ability to lead and lobby for them in the future
Tom Walker meet Les Lightfoot, who was the victim of a serious assault last year. Les talks about how he rebuilt his confidence with the help of Henshaws Society for Blind People and has written his own set of tips for other blind and visually-impaired people on how they can stay safe and protect themselves. These are available on the Henshaw's website.20 min - NHS England Information Standards; guide dog owner sues taxi driver
NHS England's Head of Public Policy Olivia Butterworth asks for listeners' experiences of obtaining information in an accessible format, following the recent introduction of the Accessible Information Standard. We hear from Mel Griffiths who was refused information in a format she could read, when her physiotherapist said they didn't have time to email it to her.
Student Charles Bloch was refused a taxi journey with his guide dog and the taxi driver was taken to court and fined for the offence.Charles said that he was disappointed that the situation arose for the driver to be sued, but that he felt he had to stand up for his rights as someone with a disability.Tom Walker reported about an initiative in Liverpool aimed specifically at training taxi drivers about how best to help blind and disabled passengers.Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Cheryl Gabriel.20 min - Employment statistics and a chance to feed into the green paper on Work, Health & Disability
Peter White is joined by RNIB's Geoff Fimister, disability employment advisor Caroline Stansfield and Professor Roy Sainsbury, to discuss the implications of the Government's green paper on Work, Health and Disability. Peter asks Geoff and Roy about the RNIB's statistic claiming that 1 in 4 blind people of working age are in employment.
Mike Lambert's latest column outlines his experience of the changing work place, where he feels there is now an emphasis on quantity rather than quality, which puts blind people at a disadvantage.
For more information contact the RNIB Campaign Hotline on 020 7391 2123.19 min
About In Touch
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News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted