In Touch Folgen

Prior to the current cost of living crisis, the Royal National Institute of Blind People found that one in five blind and partially sighted people had difficulty in making ends meet. People with sight loss already have extra living costs and are more reliant on benefits than others as a result of low employment rates. Recently, the government have introduced financial aid and have increased benefits, but the RNIB say that these measures don't go far enough. We hear the story of Alex Ramzan, who has been struggling with the cost of living crisis and we speak to David Aldwinkle, who is the Director of Insight and Customer Voice at the RNIB, about the problems they are hearing and their campaign.The cornea is a very delicate part of the eye. It is essentially the surface through which you see, so if it becomes scarred or damaged in any way, what you see can become increasingly impaired. The cornea can be replaced though, and the effects can be dramatic. But the supply of donated corneas has not kept up with demand. Currently, one in 10 people on the NHS Organ Donor Register have indicated that they do not wish to donate their corneas, making donations low and waiting times for replacements high. We hear about the causes behind this and the implications for people waiting from Kyle Bennett, who is the Assistant Director of Tissue & Eye Services at NHS Blood and Transplant. We also hear from Shelly Hague, who recently had her corneas replaced. She tells us about the impact this has had on her life.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Liz PooleWebsite image description: pictured is an extreme close up of a brown eye on a black background.

The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022, is a new piece of legislation that has amended the Equality Act 2010. It will place duties on taxi drivers and PHV drivers and operators, so that any disabled person has specific rights and protections to be transported and receive assistance without being charged extra. This will also ensure that visually impaired passengers will be assisted by drivers to help them identify or find the vehicle. The act was introduced by Jeremy Wright MP and he provides insight into how this act may impact you.Blanche Shackleton is from the charity Guide Dogs and she tells us about their new app, which will enable guide dog owners to report any access issues. This is inclusive of taxis, indoor establishments and other places. And we hear about a new kind of AI technology, that is currently in development, which could provide make-up wearers with assurance and confidence. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Fern Lulham Production Coordinator: William WolstenholmeWebsite image description: a visually impaired man is holding his smart phone up to his ear, presumably to hear the voice over function. He is wearing a white T-shirt, he has dark hair and beard and appears to be closing his eyes.

Two UK-based charities, Blind Veterans UK and Bravo Victor, were invited to Ukraine and met with the government there to see how they can help rebuild the country's visual impairment rehabilitation services and assist with research facilities to help deal with the ongoing emergency. Nick Caplin is the chief executive of Blind Veterans UK and he tells us about the outcome of the visit and their collective plans moving forward.Rally, serve, love. That's right, its tennis season! We hear about an initiative from New Zealand that is providing visually impaired tennis fans with more information about what is happening on court. It is called Action Audio and using spatial audio data, it allows people to hear what kind of serve was given, where the ball lands in relation to the court lines and more. Tim Devine is one of the founders of Action Audio and he talks us through how it works. We also speak to Ivan Rodriguez-Deb, who is currently Britain's No.1 in the B4 men's visually impaired singles category. He tells us about his career aspirations and about the kinds of adaptations he makes, given he has some residual sight. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: William Wolstenholme Website image description: An aerial shot of a blue paddle tennis court. The net runs down the centre of the image, with large shadow reflecting on the left side. Two tennis balls are located on the right side of the net.