RNIB Connect

Leaving a gift in your will is a powerful way to make sure the causes you care about continue to thrive for years to come. Hywel Davies has been finding out how straightforward the process is and how even a small gift can make a lasting difference.

For more information on the National Free Wills Network, you can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 99 99. [email protected]

Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white and black background ‘RNIB’ written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio’ is written in black in a smaller font.

Writing a will can sound daunting, but the process is often much simpler than expected. Hywel Davies has been finding out how the National Free Wills Network can help to get your affairs in order.

For more information on the National Free Wills Network, you can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 99 99. [email protected]

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Barry Snell chats to RNIB’s Legacy Management Lead, Daniel Pepper to find out about the importance of creating a will and leaving a will & about some of the more unusual gifts people have left to RNIB over the years.

For more information on the National Free Wills Network, you can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 99 99. [email protected]

Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white and black background ‘RNIB’ written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio’ is written in black in a smaller font. 

For this week’s CEO update on RNIB Connect Radio as Chief Executive Simon Antrobus is on annual leave RNIB’s Interim Chief Operations Officer Debbie Miller sits in for Simon to look at some of the big stories coming from the UK sight loss charity.

Debbie began by talking about the Synapptic Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses that are now available in the RNIB online shop which Debbie also has on order too. Then to some great topics and themes that came out of the recent BBC Access All interview with TV Producer, Presenter and best-selling Author Richard Osman, who has Nystagmus. Toby and Debbie discussed how he manages to get about with the condition and some of those problem solving skills that we all have as visually impaired people, which would be of great value as we move into a world relying more on AI, plus topics that also chimed with Debbie as a visually impaired person that alined with all the work that the RNIB does to make a more inclusive world for people living with sight loss.

If you, or someone you know, would like information on the support and services available from RNIB, go to www.rnib.org.uk.

You can call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or ask your Amazon smart speaker to call RNIB's Helpline.
#RNIBConnect

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How can we have better disabled characters in film?

Psychology Researcher and DARK (Disability Action Research Kollective) founder Richard Amm has created a tool for writers to improve disability representation.

He tells Amelia about 'People Or Props'

Read Richard's dissertation for free here - Development of the People or Props Tool: Integrating Prejudice Reduction Psychology Insights to Improve Representations of Disability on Screen – ScienceOpen

Learn more about DARK on their website - The Disability Action Research Kollective (DARK) - Disabled Leaders Network

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Guide Dog owner Jason Beal who lives in South East London has freed up the pavements of discarded unauthorised Lime bikes for him, his wife Jessica and other visually impaired people.  

When the discarded Lime bikes were blocking the pavements Jason and his Guide Dog Cain would have to nervously step into the busy London streets to get past the bikes. Following on from raising the issue with their local MP Liam Conlon who took up the matter with Bromley Council and Lime who have now apologised to Jason and Jessica as well as changing their app to stop the hiring of Lime bikes in the borough.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Jason to find out more about what life was like for him and his Guide Dog Cain having to navigate around the discarded bikes and on occasions stepping in to the busy London streets to get past the bikes and what life is like now since the Lime bike ban was put in place in their area. 

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Each week, on RNIB Connect Radio we sit down with Simon Antrobus, CEO of RNIB, to look at some of the big stories coming from the UK sight loss charity.

This week Simon looks back on his first six months or so as RNIB CEO, noting a few highlights both internally and externally as well as a few RNIB projects that he is looking forward to seeing develop over the next six months that will help to improve the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

If you, or someone you know, would like information on the support and services available from RNIB, go to www.rnib.org.uk.

You can call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or ask your Amazon smart speaker to call RNIB's Helpline.

#RNIBConnect

Image a headshot photograph of Simon Antrobus smiling for the camera. He is a white man with neat, short brown hair, dressed in a white shirt and charcoal suit jacket.

In Mere Mortals, San Francisco Ballet takes on the story of Pandora’s Box through the contemporary lens of artificial intelligence.

Composer and electronic musician Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) performs his original score live with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as 40 dancers perform.

Amelia spoke to Audio Describer Emma-Jane Mchenry to learn more.

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Now for a roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter.

Audio described shows and events included:

Audio Descriptions - Milestones Living History Museum, Basingstoke, Hampshire,

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London -

Love’s Labours Lost, Sunday 6 September, 1pm, touch tour 11am,,

Much Ado About Nothing, Tuesday 8 September, 2pm, touch tour 12noon,

AS you Like It, Thursday 10 September, 2pm, touch tour 12noon,

A Tale of Two Cities, Saturday 19 September, 7.30pm, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury,

The Choir of Man, Thursday 24 September, 7.30pm, touch tour 5.30pm, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford,

Wicked 20 – “Pink” Performance, Saturday 26 September, 2.30pm, Apollo Victoria Theatre, London.

To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as well as details on how to sign up to the regular VocalEyes What’s On email newsletter do visit -

https://vocaleyes.co.uk

Join RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey for a tour of one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments, Stonehenge in Wiltshire.

English Heritage guides, Stonehenge Deputy Operations Manager Scarlott Rolfe and site Supervisor and Historian Liz Purves give Toby an insight into the history of this world heritage site.

During the tour with Scarlot and Liz, Toby found out how the site had developed and evolved over the years through exploring some of the tactile models of Stonehenge that can be found in the visitor centre exhibition, touching the replica stones gave him a real sense of the size and texture of the stones, stepping into one of the replica neolithic houses opening up a window into the lives of the people who constructed Stonehenge and going around the monument itself he learnt more about the Heel Stone, the Station Stones and the Albury Holes too. 

Throughout the tour you will also hear extracts from the recorded audio described guide for Stonehenge that can be pre-downloaded to your smartphone before your visit.

To find out more about Stonehenge and the recorded audio described guide do visit - https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge

Image shows Toby and guide dog Boston with the Sarsen stone circle of Stonehenge behind and a clear blue sky overhead.