March 10, 2026

Usher Syndrome Helpline, Eye Matter

18 minutes

In Touch hears about a helpline that has been specifically set up for people with Usher Syndrome. Usher Syndrome is a dual disability that causes combined deafness and blindness. The helpline is provided and operated by Deafblind UK, Nikki Morris is their CEO and she describes why there was a need for a specific helpline for the group of people living with this condition.

Continuing this week's theme of services for visually impaired people, In Touch speaks with Suzie Simons who is the founder and Coordinator of Eye Matter. They are a charity based in London who provide national services online, such as grief counselling, book clubs and training opportunities, along with many in-person events and holidays throughout the year.

Presenter: Peter White

Producer: Beth Hemmings

Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees

Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

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