Alice Findlay, RNIB Customer Voice Insight Co-ordinator shares the latest opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to get involved in with RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey.

Opportunities highlighted this week included:

A few weeks ago we all went to the polls and every time we have an election we ask you to tell us about your voter experience, good or bad. The information you provide will be used to track what it is like for blind or partially sighted voters to cast their ballots.  Your experiences form the basis for our “Turned Out” reports, which we share with the UK Government and the Electoral Commission to keep the pressure up for improvements in the accessibility of voting.  

This evidence is hugely important if we are to bring about change. Our past reports have contributed to improved Electoral Commission guidance and an increase in the provision of audio solutions in some polling stations but there’s a long way to go if all blind and partially sighted voters are to feel confident voting independently and in secret, whether in the polling station or by postal vote.

If you’d like to share your experience with us, you can complete our short survey. The survey will ask about your experience of voting (or why you didn’t vote) in the 2024 UK General Election.

If you’d like to complete the survey, please send an email to [email protected] and you will be sent the link to the survey. 

Researchers at UCFB, Bournemouth University and Ulster University are exploring visually impaired peoples’ experiences of watching live professional football in the UK. The study will investigate a wide range of topics including match-day routine, accessibility, sensory experience and fandom. 

The researchers will be carrying out online semi-structured interviews in which you will be invited to share your experiences. 

For more information and to take part, please email Dr Connor Penfold via [email protected]

Have you ever experienced problems whilst travelling by air with a guide or assistance dog? The European Guide Dog Association and Assistance Dogs International are gathering evidence of the problems experienced by guide and assistance dog users when travelling by air. These examples will be collated and forwarded to the European Civil Aviation Conference to inform them and influence their guidelines.

If you have an experience you’d be willing to share you can fill out a very quick survey and help make air travel better for everyone with a guide or assistance dog. 

If you would like to complete the survey, please send an email to [email protected] and we’ll send you the link to the survey. 

To find out more about these and other Connect Voices opportunities along with how you can get involved with RNIB Connect Voices do visit - https://www.rnib.org.uk/connect-community/connect-voices-network/connect-voices-current-opportunities

(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)