After our holiday break for 2 weeks in August, we are now back with our regular monthly insights. We hope, if you managed to get away over the summer, you had good fun too 😊
 
As you may be aware, the VI Inclusive Employment Project, which we were commissioned to manage and run by TAVIP (Technology Association of Visually Impaired People), finished in July 2021. We have also now completed our report regarding the outcomes of and recommendations for this project, based on both feedback from the participants and our own reflections. We therefore thought we would share some of these with you in this month’s insight.
 
Our project was Phase 2 of TAVIP’s Inclusive Employment Project and back in October 2020, Dave and I (Vicky) along with Gary of Gary Eady Computer Training were commissioned to begin this phase by developing a pilot training programme for members of the VI community to support ‘work-ready’ people in their quest to secure and retain employment. In February 2021, it was agreed that the 3 of us were also best positioned to run the training itself and May the 4th (yes Star Wars Day) saw us start the training delivery with 9 participants.
 
So, what have we learnt?
 
Well, we have learnt that Dave, Gary and I can manage to work closely together over 10 months and still be speaking at the end – result number 1!!
 
We have also learnt that there are advantages to running the course over Zoom – something that only occurred due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, it enabled us to open the course to people from anywhere in the UK and also alleviated the stress and cost for people attending the training days. As one participant said:
 
“It is a lot more convenient to sign in 5 minutes before the session and not travel to a certain place. This also allows for participants attending from different parts of the country. I do not see any benefit of sitting at a desk with a laptop in a physical space, vs how the sessions were ran on Zoom”.
 
Having trainers with both personal experience and knowledge of vision impairment has yet again been a huge positive with participants commenting:
 
“There was an understanding of the frustrations and emotions which can accompany the road to employment and in the workplace”.
 
“Unless you have been through the experience of applying for a job when you are visually impaired or supported somebody who is visually impaired, you do not have the knowledge of what it is like and what it feels like.”
 
And of course, our signature relaxed and informal yet professional delivery style made for a positive participant experience – enabling people to not only benefit from our knowledge but also ask us questions, discuss things as a group and learn from each other’s experiences. This again was highlighted by the feedback we received:
 
“So far I have found the course very enjoyable and informative. I particularly like the informal, chatty style of the course. Participants are actively encouraged to ask questions and bring their own experiences to the sessions. I like the peer support aspect of the sessions, and hearing the experiences of others gives you a sense that you’re not alone”.
 
What were the successes?
We feel the project as a whole led to a hugely successful course and one we are proud to have been a part of. Although job outcomes were not an expectation of the course, 4 people from the course have taken up a paid job and one has started as a volunteer facilitator for a large VI charity. We are aware that 2 others continue to apply for job roles which we have assisted with.
 
We were also really pleased that by the end of the course 100% of participants were more aware of the support that is available to them and 92% of participants reported having developed greater employment skills from attending the course.
 
As in all of our training, it remains really important to us that participants both enjoy and benefit from our courses and for that reason, we finish this insight with how each participant summarised the course in 3 words (mostly):
 
·      Inspiring, informative, innovative
·      Challenging, fun, informative
·      Informative, fun, knowledge-filling, very enjoyable
·      Gap-filling, inspiring, educational
·      Informative, motivating, helpful, friendly
·      Interactive, motivating, supportive
·      Gave me: Focus, clarity, honesty
 
We’ll take that every time 😊
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

So after swerving Coronavirus for 16 or so months, I catch the virus from my son who we assume caught it from school. We’re fortunate and grateful to have had relatively mild symptoms, knowing that it could have been so much worse.
 
I’m Dave, the blind guy who writes some of these random blog posts and I thought I would share my experience of Coronavirus as I’ve not read about this anywhere else previously (although I’m sure someone has written about it at some point over the past 16 months). I’ll keep it brief and to the point! 😊
 
Last week/weekend I had the fever like symptoms, hot then cold and then hot again. This lasted a couple of days and my energy levels dropped for a few days but nothing too serious. However, I did get, and continue to have, anosmia, the loss of smell and taste.
 
“So what” you say… well, think about this from a blind person’s perspective…
 
I use my hearing, touch, smell and taste more due to not having sight. So I can still talk and chat with people and I can listen to the TV/radio and do all those kinds of things and that’s all great, in fact no different. However, when it comes to my favourite past time, eating and drinking, then boy has it made a difference!!
 
Obviously I can still eat and drink, but it doesn’t mean anything anymore. I can’t see what I’m eating, I can’t smell what I’m eating and I can’t taste what I’m eating; everything has become so boring. I have been appreciating the different textures of food that I might have previously taken for granted, but I am so missing the taste of food.
 
I do most of the cooking in our house but at the moment I’ve no idea what things are tasting like as I can’t try them as I cook. However, the bigger problem is not being able to smell the food whilst I’m cooking. I didn’t realise quite how much I relied on my smell to identify food and also whether anything has gone a bit whiffy and shouldn’t be used (not that food hangs around long enough in this house to really worry about this). On a serious note though, this has made a big difference to me; how would I know whether the milk was on the turn, whether my slice of ham had passed its best or whether my egg had gone off when I cracked it in to my sponge mix (has anyone ever smelled one of those – boy do they hum!)?
 
It stretches beyond the kitchen; I can’t smell myself or my clothes… do I smell (any more than usual 😊) or do my clothes smell? I now have to rely on other people telling me this which is really frustrating.
 
The upside is that I can’t smell my kids bedrooms or if someone has just vacated the bathroom; those smells I don’t mind missing out on! 😊
 
I had never thought about Anosmia before but I’m putting it down as one of my personal Coronavirus hates! I still have Anosmia and understand that it can linger around for a while after all the other symptoms of Coronavirus have gone but I’m hoping mine goes soon! ☹
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

Disclosing your disability (telling your prospective employer about it) and whether or when to do this when you are applying for a job is a very personal decision and one that we discuss on our pre-employment training courses.
 
Should all be good with the world, it would obviously make sense to tell an employer in advance about your disability so that any reasonable adjustments can be made. However, due to the concern (and, sadly, in many cases, previous experiences of discrimination) lots of disabled people are reluctant to do this.
 
Below Dave and I (Vicky) have shared our and other people’s thoughts regarding this.
 
In the most recent pre-employment training session that we facilitated, opinions regarding disclosing were very varied and this reflects what we have found on previous training courses. Differences of opinion about when in the application process to disclose were:

• Disclosing from the outset on either their CV or application form
• Disclosing if it is a question on the application form
• Not disclosing at the application stage but would prior to an interview to ensure any reasonable adjustments can be made.
• Waiting to disclose until offered the job.

 
Some of the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing are detailed below:

Advantages of Disclosing 

• Enables you to be positive about your disability

Pre-empts assumptions that might be made and enables you to detail how you manage within work. An opportunity to show the skills and strategies that you have adopted as a result of having a disability that might enhance your workplace skills.

• Being honest

A concern that if you don’t disclose your disability, an employer might think you are hiding other things too.

• Proves you have nothing to hide

Afterall, having a disability is not a secret or something to be embarrassed about.

• Disability Confident scheme

Registered organisations have a guaranteed interview scheme if you have disclosed your disability/impairment and meet the essential criteria for the job role.

• Supportive Employer

Disclosing before the job interview, gives an indication of whether an employer will be supportive. Otherwise there might be a risk that, if they didn’t want to employ someone with a disability or impairment, they might find a way to not offer them the job, or, offer them the job but not be supportive/provide reasonable adjustments meaning that the job is much harder to manage, leading to stress or not being able to do the job properly, which may in turn lead the employer to dismiss them anyway.

• Gives the opportunity to explain what you need

Sometimes an employer’s lack of knowledge might lead them to make assumptions, therefore it gives the opportunity for you to explain up front about how you would do the job.

• Lived experience

Some job roles specifically seek people with a lived experience of a disability or impairment enabling you to support others more effectively.
 
Disadvantages of disclosing

• Discrimination

Concern that disclosing your disability might give people the opportunity to discriminate from the outset and not offer you an interview even if you meet the criteria for the job.

• Assumptions

Concern that by disclosing, some employers might make assumptions about what you can do and assume, wrongly, that you can’t do the job.

• Why should I?

If you have all the skills for the job and know it’s a role you can do, then you may feel there is no reason to disclose.

• Disability Confident

Although this scheme should be a positive, is it being used purely to show the organisation in a better light and therefore isn’t actually used correctly.
 
Although we believe things are changing for the better, it is understandable that people feel disclosing their disability is a bit of a gamble as it is hard to know in advance what an employer’s reaction will be. If you choose to disclose your disability, we would always advise the following:

• Present your disability in a positive way – so ensure you explain what you can do rather than what you can’t
• Mention any specific skills that you have developed as a result of having your disability – this might include tenacity, greater awareness of others, organisation skills
• If you require reasonable adjustments, you are clear about what these are and can explain them well to a prospective employer.

 
Dave: I have, certainly since my sight had deteriorated to a point where I needed support to attend an interview, have always declared my disability. Many of my previous jobs and the examples I give in my application forms mention my sight loss so it would be difficult to hide it anyway. However, as Vicky has mentioned above, I always promote what I can do and not what I can’t do to ensure (hopefully) that potential employers can see that I would be able to do the job.
 
If you have any thoughts on this or would like to share what you do regarding disclosing your disability, then either post a comment or drop us an email as we would love to hear your thoughts.
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

We’re really pleased that last week we started running our VI Inclusive Employment Training course. Doing the training on zoom is a new venture for us, but a week and a half in and all is going well with great participation from the group and a real sense of peer support developing.
 
One of the topics we discussed last week is Condition Management and how thinking about this might help people to feel more confident in considering employment. It is only one factor that we discuss on our training but we felt it might be useful to share in an insight, using this to also consider some examples of the impact of vision impairment on day to day working life and things that might help. We hope sharing these might help other people with vision impairments but also provide an insight for managers and colleagues.

• Condition Management

Condition Management is a broad term used to capture how to positively change your lifestyle in order to best manage your disability or health condition.
 
It encourages you to think about how your disability affects your daily routine and supports you with implementing strategies that will enable you to best manage your disability or health condition to maximise your lifestyle and potential future employment – looking at what you can do rather than what you can’t do.
 
Having an understanding of your disability or impairment and how it affects you personally is key to helping you manage it, will help you seek appropriate and sustainable employment and enable you to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you might require at work.
 
Condition Management might include:

• Thinking about healthy living
• Managing your medication
• Finding ways to manage anxiety or stress
• Recognising the need for time management techniques

 
Condition Management is relevant for any disability, health condition or impairment but on our training course, we used it to consider managing the impacts that vision impairment can have when considering employment.
 
Some of the topics we discussed were:

• Getting to and from work

One of the challenges is getting to and from work particularly if you have no vision or find getting around in particular light levels difficult (nights or bright sun). A solution is to have good mobility skills, so being able to use a long cane or guide dog successfully and safely will enable this but particular training on the routes to and from the work place will also be of help. In some cases, travel to work through an Access to Work grant might be a solution.

• Work Environment

A challenge might be low level lighting in the workplace or a desk facing a bright window. Being aware of how this affects your condition will enable you to speak to your colleagues or manager regarding reasonable adjustment and whether moving a desk to a more appropriate position would help.

• Forward Planning

As we know, when you have a vision impairment it is hard to be spontaneous. It is therefore really important to be thinking ahead and planning to ensure that you are prepared for future events. This could be a simple as preparing your packed lunch or getting clothes out ready the night before. We discussed this extending to thinking about what you might need in a meeting, including potentially informing the presenter about any requirements you have in relation to accessing materials. Another good tip for this example would be to get to the meeting early so that you can choose the best place in the room to suit your needs (not facing a window to prevent glare for example).

• Accessories

Having a vision impairment means that you may need to use or wear accessories that other people may not need. For example, if you are using a screen reader all day, then you are likely to need to wear headphones or earphones. Ensuring that these are comfortable and fit for purpose is really important. Dave chooses to wear sunglasses all day so likes these to be smart looking but also comfortable and lightweight as well as for their practical use!

• Fatigue

Listening to screen readers, concentrating on getting around, etc are known causes of fatigue for vision impaired people. Ensuring you are doing what you can to minimise these impacts might help, as already mentioned, using a long cane (white stick) effectively, having comfortable earphones etc. In addition, having a good sleep pattern and minimising any unnecessary stress or concentration can be really key. Although it is important to have a good work-life balance, it may be that some planning needs to occur to ensure that you do not have too many social events in one week making you over tired for work, particularly if you have a very busy work week ahead.
 
We hope these points have helped you to think about how you might manage your own condition and/or enabled you to better understand the impacts of vision impairment within a work situation.
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

This month we thought it would make a change to focus on the benefits and concessions a vision impaired person is entitled to.
 
Registration/Certification
Depending on your level of sight loss, there are 2 levels of registration:
·      Sight Impaired (SI), formerly known as being registered partially sighted
·      Severely Sight Impaired (SSI), formerly known as being registered blind.
 
Find out more about the registration (certification) criteria at: https://www.rnib.org.uk/eye-health/registering-your-sight-loss/criteria-certification
 
Severely Sight Impaired
For people who are registered Severely Sight Impaired (SSI), the following benefits are available to you:
 
Blind Person’s Allowance (BPA)
Blind Person’s Allowance is an additional allowance you can claim before you pay income tax on your earnings.
 
The BPA is added to your personal tax allowance (identified using a different tax code) meaning that you can earn more before you start paying income tax on your earnings.
 
For residents in England and Wales, you can claim Blind Person’s Allowance if both of the following apply:

• you’re registered with your local council as blind or severely sight impaired
• you have a certificate that says you’re blind or severely sight impaired (or a similar document from your doctor)

 
For residents in Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can claim Blind Person’s Allowance if both of the following apply:

• you cannot do work for which eyesight is essential
  
• you have a certificate that says you’re blind or severely sight impaired (or a similar document from your doctor)

 
The BPA allowance for the 2021 – 2022 financial year (06 April 2021 – 05 April 2022) is £2,520 (rates may differ for residents in Scotland
 
If you and your spouse or civil partner are both eligible, you’ll each get a BPA allowance. In addition, you can transfer your Blind Person’s Allowance to your spouse or civil partner if you do not pay tax or earn enough to use all of your allowance.
 
If you are eligible but are not yet claiming your BPA, then contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and ask to claim BPA.
 
The contact details for HMRC are:
 
Telephone: 0300 200 3301
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm (except bank holidays)
Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Sunday, Closed
 
You can also find out more about BPA on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/blind-persons-allowance
 
TV Licence Reduction
If you are registered Severely Sight Impaired (SSI) and can provide the appropriate evidence, you are eligible to apply for a 50% concession on a colour TV Licence.
 
The full price of a colour TV Licence is £159 (increasing from £157.50 last year) so the price with the 50% concession would be £79.50. Concessions are also available on black and white TV licences.
 
To apply for a concessionary licence, you’ll need to have one of the following types of evidence:

• CVI (Certificate of Visual Impairment)
• BD8 Certificate
• A certificate or other document issued by, or on behalf of, a Local Authority showing that you are blind (severely sight impaired)
• A copy of a certificate from your Ophthalmologist stating that you are blind (severely sight impaired)

 
Even if there are sighted people who live with you and use the TV, you can still apply for a blind person’s concession. The licence has to be in the name of the blind person to apply.
 
For further information or to apply, just visit: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/blindseverely-sight-impaired-aud5#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20blind%20(severely,impaired)%20you%20are%20not%20eligible.
 
Blue Badge Scheme
The Blue Badge Scheme is a national scheme that helps you park closer to your destination if you’re disabled. Depending on your local council, you can park on single or double yellow lines and usually there are concessions for parking in council run car parks.
 
There are different rules for using your Blue Badge depending on where you are; check the local County/borough rules before you use your badge in an area you don’t know.
 
You don’t have to be the driver of a vehicle to apply for a Blue Badge.
 
You’re automatically eligible for a Blue Badge if you are registered Severely Sight Impaired (SSI)/Blind.
 
Your local Council will issue your Blue Badge, you can find out who this is and find there contact details on the GOV.UK website - https://www.gov.uk/blue-badge-scheme-information-council
 
Severely Sight Impaired or Sight Impaired
In addition to the above benefits/concessions, if you are registered Severely Sight Impaired (SSI) or Sight Impaired (SI), you may also be entitled to some or all of the following:
 
Free Eye Examinations - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/
 
Rail Concessions (when travelling with a companion) - https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/44965.aspx 
Disabled Persons Railcard – https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/prde83090a04000400aa38c2e2bbd524.aspx 
Disabled Persons Bus Pass - https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-disabled-bus-pass 
Free Directory Enquiries - https://www.rnib.org.uk/information-everyday-living-benefits-and-concessions-concessions/free-directory-enquiries-195 
Cinema Pass for Carers - https://www.ceacard.co.uk/ 
Free postage via Articles for the Blind - https://www.royalmail.com/sending/articles-blind 
Personal Independence Payments (PIP) - https://www.gov.uk/pip 
Motability Scheme - https://www.motability.co.uk/ 

Other Benefit Components
Finally, if you are in receipt of a government benefit such as Universal Credit(UC), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), etc. you may be entitled to additional elements or components to supplement your benefits. To find out more or get support, please contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 1239999.

​We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

Would you like to fine-tune your employment skills?
If you:

• have a vision impairment
• use a screen reader
• are aged 18 & over and looking for work
• and want to fine-tune your employment skills

 
then we might have just the course for you.
 
As you may have read in one of our previous insights, we, as VIDA Training, along with Gary of Gary Eady Computer Training, have been commissioned by TAVIP (Technology Association of Visually Impaired People) to manage phase 2 of their Inclusive Employment Project; developing a training programme to support people with vision impairments into employment.
 
Following a successful start to this project, we are proud to announce that we will now, in addition to managing the project, be delivering a pilot training course for TAVIP.
 
This course will support 8 vision impaired participants over a 12 week period starting on the 4th May 2021. 
 
The course will cover all aspects of employment from breaking down the barriers to preparing for interviews. We’ll also be exploring and sharing tips on how to be more efficient and productive in the work place when using mainstream software with your screen reader.
 
The pilot course will be delivered using Zoom and, due to it being held remotely, anyone from around the UK can apply.
 
If you are interested and want to know more or know of someone who you think might be interested, then please visit our Employment Services page where you can find out more information about the course and how to apply.
 
Equally, if you work somewhere that supports vision impaired people and would be happy to promote this course to them or via your social media channels, then please email us and we’ll happily send you over some promotional copy.

We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

“It’s snowing” was the excited words that came out of my (Dave’s) daughter’s mouth on Sunday 24 January when, around 09:45, we had our first proper snowfall for several years.
 
It was laying quickly so as a family, we put on our boots, wrapped up warm and took ourselves for a walk in the snowfall. I used my cane in the freshly laid snow, leaving zigzag lines and footprints (as shown in the video) which made it look like an alien had been walking up the path! At this time, it wasn’t very deep so I could have navigated around safely but within just a few more minutes my cane wasn’t as affective as the snow got thicker.
 
Rather than repeating myself, I refer you back to an Insight we published about snow back in 2018 - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow - http://vidatraining.weebly.com/blog/41-let-it-snow-let-it-snow-let-it-snow) where I talk about the impact of snow for blind and vision impaired people.
 
I’m glad that 3 years on I got my wish for it to snow at the weekend 😊. It snowed for around 3 hours and we had a couple of inches in that time. It was the proper snow that you could make snowballs with, so an opportunity for my wife and kids to build a small snowman in the front garden. It was fun being out with them, being an easy target for snowballs, enjoying the soft feel of snow on my face and the silence and stillness that snow always brings.
 
And why is it that everyone that you pass in the streets likes to say hello and have a quick chat when it’s snowing? Is it because we’re all sharing the same special moment and it lifts everyone’s spirits?
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

As we mentioned in our November blog (VIDA Insight No. 118. Employment and Technology – Your Views), Dave and I (Vicky), along with Gary Eady from Gary Eady Computer Training, are leading on phase 2 of TAVIP’s Inclusive Employment Project. In order to find out what current employment and technology experiences people with vision impairments have, we sent out a few questions via this insight, emails and social media and were pleased to receive over 30 responses. We thought we would use this blog to share some of these findings.
 
The questions we asked were:
 
1.    If you are currently working, what is your role and which software packages do you use?
2.    Have you received specific IT Training? If so, what was this for and who provided it? Was it helpful?
3.    Who or where do you turn to for additional support regarding technology?
4.    Who or where do you turn to for additional support relating to work issues?
 
It was positive to discover that people worked in a wide variety of roles, with some examples being Psychotherapist, Careers Adviser, Director of IT, Customer Service Assistant and Chief Executive of a charity. 
 
Our survey informed us that the predominent software packages used both at work and at home were the Microsoft Office suite (particularly Word, Excel and Outlook), Google Chrome web browser and Zoom video conferencing software. In addition, many people told us that they have to use bespoke in house IT packages and databases. A couple of people used braille transcription software.
 
The majority of the people who responded to our survey used a Windows PC or laptop with a small number of people using a Mac.
 
Everyone that answered our questions used assistive technology software including:

• Screen reader - vast majority using JAWS, with a small number using NVDA or SuperNova
• Screen magnification - limited users of Zoom Text, Magic and Windows Magnifier.

A few people also mentioned that they use IOS Voiceover software on their iPhones.
 
Whilst some people had received previous training to use assistive technology people hadn’t received specific training to use in-house software in conjunction with this, mainly because their own in-house IT teams were not users of or aware of access technology and therefore were unable to assist.
 
However, people stated that they use a wide range of sources for IT support, including:

• Facebook groups
• Sight and Sound
• Apple Vis
• Aira
• You Tube
• Software in-built help menus
• Local sight loss organisations
• Friends or family/peer support.

 
A recurring theme from our responses (and also mentioned in TAVIP’s previous survey) was that people had to be quite self-motivated and self-reliant when it came to managing to work, as well as developing a good rapport with colleagues and their managers. We thought we would share some of these quotes with you as they highlight people’s determination and perseverance.
 
“I have found most of these [in-house systems] to be quite accessible with the screen reader, because they will perform very similar functions in so it's just a case of finding the right button to perform the right action.”
 
“taught myself whilst on the job”
 
“if I do need something, I research it myself”
 
“Unfortunately, there was no one I could turn to to ask about technology I had to learn it all myself”
 
“I've done lots of research on my own”
 
“When I'm looking for a role, one of the important parts of the interviewing process for me involves actually meeting the person I'll be reporting to so I can get a sense of whether or not it's a good fit in this regard.”
 
“I am fortunate to have developed a bunch of friendships with some wise folks who are blind, and we often seek support from one another when deciding how to handle a situation if it's access related”.
 
Whilst the above showcases in a positive way the resourcefulness and resilience of these working individuals, it does put a lot of additional responsibility onto the person with the vision impairment, adding to their workload which other work colleagues don’t have within their working remit. This would not be so necessary if there was a greater understanding of assistive technology and if all systems were built with accessibility in mind.
 
We will therefore use one quote to end which we feel sums this up quite nicely:
“In summary, employee or job seeker targeted interventions are super important, but we don't have nearly enough interventions targeting employers, IT folks, policy-makers, etc.”
 
Although this phase of the TAVIP project is for us to design a pre-employment course for people with vision impairments to ensure they have the skills, resilience and support networks both when finding work and once employed, it is also hoped in the near future to run a symposium event for employers, highlighting the existing skill sets and capabilities of people with vision impairments (including resourcefulness and determination) but also improving employers’ general awareness and understanding of vision impairments in relation to recruitment and employment.
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

Firstly, happy UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
 
This year’s theme is ‘Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World’.
 
So what better day to announce that Dave and I (Vicky) as VIDA Training, along with a colleague, Gary Eady of Gary Eady Computer Training, are proud to be leading Phase 2 of TAVIP’s (Technology Association of Visually Impaired People) Inclusive Employment Project, developing a training and mentoring programme to support people with vision impairments into employment.
 
With the alarming statistic that three quarters of blind people of working age are unemployed, we are very aware that things need to change.
 
This phase of the project is focussing on the development of a training and mentoring programme specifically for people with vision impairments and provide them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to be better placed to secure employment. Last year TAVIP, formerly British Computer Association of the Blind (BCAB), carried out phase one of the project that consisted of a survey that was circulated to vision impaired people as an exercise to establish what their experiences were with finding work, retaining work and what support was missing.
 
Building on the results from phase one of the project and to ensure we build this training and mentoring programme to be as effective as possible for blind and partially sighted people, we would like to find out what the current employment and technology experiences are of people with vision impairments.
 
We would therefore really appreciate it if you would answer the following questions either by adding a comment to this post or, if you prefer, by emailing us at training@vidatraining.co.uk
 
1.    If you are currently working, what is your role and which software packages do you use? For example, I am an Administrator who uses JAWS in conjunction with Microsoft word and excel.
2.    Have you received specific IT Training? If so, what was this for and who provided it? Was it helpful?
3.    Who or where do you turn to for additional support regarding technology?
4.    Who or where do you turn to for additional support relating to work issues?
 
Going forwards, we recognise that this is a two way street and that employers need to also be involved in this process if things are going to change. For example, one of the main problems raised by people answering TAVIP’s initial survey was about the lack of accessibility of in-house technologies.
 
To help employer’s begin to understand and appreciate the problems that people with vision impairments (and other disabilities) face, and to make a start on being more open and inclusive around disabilities, we thought we would share some great resources and webinars. These are:
 
Microlink have produced a free guide, providing links to a range of resources and tools to test the accessibility of your websites and mobile platforms for disabled people. Find out more on the Microlink website. 
 
There are also a range of webinars available to employers, all designed to provide practical help and support on a range of key disability employment topics - https://doitprofiler.com/disabilityconfident-webinars
 
The gov.uk website also has information about how your organisation can be more inclusive by being part of the Disability’ Confident Employment Scheme - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign
 
And obviously, we at VIDA Training can also provide Awareness Training and Consultancy services to any organisations and businesses.
 
What is clear is that to achieve the aim of ‘a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable world’ we really do all need to work together. 
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…

Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? We provide professional, bespoke Vision Impairment and Disability Training, Consultancy and Employment Services. Please contact us for further information.

Are you fed up of having to navigate around vehicles that have parked inconsiderably or inappropriately on the pavement?
Do you have a vision impairment, need to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter or have young children and push a buggy or push chair?
 
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘Yes’, then we urge you to read on…
 
I, Dave, am blind and earlier this week I walked in to a scaffolding pole that was sticking out of the back of a scaffolding truck parked blocking the pavement in my local area.
 
This is only one example of the pavement parking problems I have faced but there have been many others and they are likely to be more if things don’t change.
 
Therefore we are asking for your support to make a change and make the pavements a safer place for the people using them. Please help by responding to this consultation being run by Transport for London and supported by Guide Dogs (deadline 22nd November) -
https://e-activist.com/page/68363/action/1?ea.tthe racking.id=email
 
Further information about this consultation…
The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation on managing pavement parking. This is a fantastic opportunity to share your views and experiences about pavement parking and influence the government to make important changes. 
 
The DfT are researching ways to address pavement parking problems and, as part of this, are already working to simplify the process for local authorities to stop people from doing it.
 
DfT are suggesting 3 options to address the problem of pavement parking, although are not limited to these.
 
Option 1
 
This involves making the process for local authorities to stop people parking on the pavement in certain areas simpler, but nothing else.
 
Option 2
 
In addition to option 1, this option would allow councils to issue Penalty Charge Notices against drivers who cause an 'unnecessary obstruction of the pavement'.
 
Option 3 (this is Guide Dogs preferred option)
 
In addition to option 1 DfT would introduce an England-wide law to stop pavement parking. Unlike option 2 which allows local authorities to enforce individual instances of pavement parking, this would create a standard where pavement parking is not allowed anywhere in England unless the council has specifically set a local exemption. These exemptions would be allowed where there are issues like narrow streets to ensure traffic flow, and would be shown by use of traffic signs and bay markings.
 
All of the options are further explained in the consultation document which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking/pavement-parking-options-for-change#options
 
Guide Dogs have been lobbying the government for many years about pavement parking. You can read more about the Guide Dog campaigns at: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/campaigning/our-current-campaigns/streets-ahead
 
Thanks in advance for your support.

We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

2020 has been a very strange year for sure; what would we have thought if we knew when we celebrated in the new decade that we would be fast approaching a worldwide pandemic with pretty much every country in the world going in to full lockdown to try and stem the spread of Coronavirus?
 
Our previous Insights have covered our various thoughts over the past few months and how social distancing in particular has had a massive impact on vision impaired people, including me, Dave, since lockdown back in March.
 
There have been several changes to the rules and restrictions as the government try and balance kick starting the economy and getting people back to work and children back to school, with keeping the hospital admissions to a minimum. Currently, here in Surrey, although cases are on the rise, we’re still under the covid restrictions for England which follows the ‘Rule of Six’.
 
So, is it that bad? Personally, although the continued social distancing still presents problems with independence, especially when trying to visit shops or access services due to not being able to socially distance from other people and follow 1 way systems, etc, there have been some benefits for vision impaired people and the wider disabled community.
 
I went out with some friends for the first time since lockdown. Six of us met at a pub before moving on to the local Indian restaurant. We all followed the rules, wearing face coverings in communal areas and checked in with the NHS app (this wasn’t that easy due to needing to align the QR code in the window in the app) at both venues, and had a fun evening catching up with each other.
 
So what are the positives I can hear you shout… how can there be any???
 
Well there are, in fact a few… so let me tell you …
 
Extra Space – the extra space between tables meant that it was much easier getting around in both the pub and the restaurant. I’m not saying it was easy but it was much easier than it usually is when there are lots of tables and people to navigate.
 
Easier to talk – with music playing at a low volume in the pub and no music in the restaurant, it made chatting so much easier. I have always found that background noise makes hearing people difficult so it was so nice being able to speak to my friends without us having to shout; I couldn’t even hear other people’s conversations on other tables and it felt like we were in the restaurant on our own.
 
Table service – The best thing that I found was the table service. I don’t think I’m a lazy person but being served and paying at the table in the pub removed all the hassle of getting to and from the bar and carrying drinks back to the table. The restaurant has always been table service but there are some restaurants where you have to serve yourself or are ‘buffet’ style which is difficult when you can’t see… why can’t we have table service all the time!
 
Yes we had to be out by 10pm which was an early night for us usually but it wasn’t that bad… in fact, I would be really happy if some of these measures were to stay in place even after the coronavirus times.
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

Following on from our recent post ‘Travelling on public transport – the new way!’, as some people start to commute again to work, we thought it might be a good time to highlight these two social media posts written before lockdown, you know, back in the days when the trains were packed! Although it seems hard to imagine it now, I’m sure we will return to this at some point (there have certainly been some advantages to lockdown)!!
 
Prior to lockdown, a tweet was published by Amit Patel, regarding how he felt when no-one moved in order for him to sit down on a busy commuter train. Amit is blind and travels with a guide dog Kiki. The tweet, written as if by Kiki and on a wet, rainy day stated ‘Dad had to stand with his back against the doors whilst trying not to slip & I was sliding all over the place as the floor was wet. Have some humanity people!’ The post was met by many expressing their sympathy for Amit and calling the behaviour by his fellow commuters appalling.
 
Dave and I (Vicky) discussed this and were surprised that no-one stood for them as this isn’t what we have experienced. In the past when travelling with Dave and other blind people, inevitably one or more people offer their seats. However, when I thought about this, they often offer their seat via me ‘Do you need a seat?’ ‘Are you alright there?’ (both said to me but looking at Dave) or ‘Would he like to sit down?’ (but giving eye contact to me). I always then refer this question to Dave or the vision impaired person I’m travelling with. Why do people ask me? I’m not sure that it’s the same as the infamous ‘Does he take sugar in his tea?’ (although we’ve plenty of examples of the equivalent of these). I think it’s more likely that on a busy train, they can catch my eye to ask me whereas they can’t necessarily do that with the person with a vision impairment and, on a packed train, wouldn’t necessarily be able to reach the blind person to let them know they were directing the question at them. We did wonder if, in this instance, people couldn’t attract Amit’s attention, or just simply didn’t know how to. Sometimes, people send the message via others, for the person nearest the blind person to touch them to ask, but this takes quite a lot of joint effort and so sometimes breaks down en route. We also wondered how obvious it was that Amit was blind – on a busy train, could those sitting down see Kiki at all?
 
There is the unlikely scenario that those around him all also needed their seats and there simply wasn’t enough room on the busy train to accommodate everyone. And then there is of course, the other, less appealing option that maybe they were all just in a world of their own and not considering the needs of others around them.
Sadly, a tweet from RNIB would seem to reflect this as statistics from the department of transport showed that 1 in 4 disabled people say negative attitudes from other passengers prevent them from using public transport.
 
However, having read and discussed Amit’s tweet, Dave and I then read this post by Holly Scott-Gardner which was in response to Amit’s original tweet. This put another perspective on it all - https://www.facebook.com/holly.scottgardner/posts/2578515379103900
Holly (who is blind herself) writes
“I get it. Standing on a busy train when you have a dog with you can be difficult. But we have a responsibility as adults to speak up and ask for what we need, rather than expecting everyone around us to know automatically. We also have to recognise that when a resource, like seats on a train, is limited we may not be the only ones who need to use it.
We can't blame the public for every single thing, whilst also expecting them to treat us like adults. At what point do we start taking personal responsibility?
I'm sure the guy in this article is a perfectly nice person, but when you run to the papers, or shout on Twitter, every time you don't get a seat on the train you start to lose credibility. The sad thing is he actually has a lot of support.
Hear me out. It's great that people support him and want the best for him. But a lot of people are there for the outrage. They want to yell about how disgusting it is that a blind person is having to stand on the train because in their mind, of course a blind person should be sitting down. But when disabled people are working hard to change things like accessibility of the built environment suddenly those defenders of blind people go silent. Why? Because by demanding equal access, rather than "special treatment", we're forcing them to confront their views on disability.
 
It's an interesting take isn’t it.
 
Again Dave and I discussed this. Dave rarely accepts a seat when its offered to him as he prefers to stand. He knows where he is then in relation to the door, making it easier for getting off the train. When he did have Errol, his large guide dog, he found it easier to stand with him than try and wedge him into the seated area. But he also chooses, wherever possible, not to travel in busy commuter periods.
 
I still think that it’s polite to offer a seat to anyone who you think might need it more than you (and that’s regardless of whether you are in a seat labelled for as a priority seat). So that might be someone older than you, pregnant, parent carrying a small child, someone with a disability or impairment or just someone who looks like their day’s gone worse than yours!  And I have witnessed this happening loads on trains.
 
However, in the same breath, we all need to respect that it may not be obvious who needs a seat and who doesn’t. And that we may offer a seat to someone who could be offended by that offer.
 
My view there is that we can only do our best. As a non-disabled woman who’s just turned 50, with greying hair, I’ve decided not to be offended if someone offers me a seat – there will come a day when I am very grateful for it 😊 (smiley face).
 
The Everyone’s journey campaign, lead by the Department of Transport is asking people to be mindful of their fellow passengers, and make transport more inclusive.
Website: https://everyonesjourney.campaign.gov.uk/
Twitter: @transportgovuk, #ItsEveryonesJourney
 
What do you all think?
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

114.  Lockdown Sort Out? The Disability Equipment Service may be able to help
 
If, like us during lockdown, you’ve used the opportunity to have a good sort out of lofts, garages and sheds, you may now have some items that you are looking to rehome…and we may be able to help 😊
 
As well as being partners in VIDA Training, and also having other jobs too, we (Dave and Vicky) are also partners in the Disability Equipment Service, a national website for the buying and selling of new and used disability equipment.
 
How it Works…
The website is free to use and allows people to list items that they have either for sale, for a donation and sometimes even for free. And then those that need items can search the website and hopefully find what they need for a reasonable price. If they can’t find what they need, they can also put a ‘wanted’ listing on the website.
 
Donating items…
No time to put the item onto our website? We do also accept some donated items of disability equipment. Sadly, we can’t accept everything but please do contact us to see if we can help.
 
Once donated, we then sell these items on at a competitive price. This helps us to cover the running costs of the website (and also covers a little bit of our time although believe me we put in a lot more than we take out 😊.)
 
Charity support…
In addition, for each item that is donated and then sold by us, we put aside 25% of any profit and donate this to an assistance dog charity, currently Support Dogs. This charity provide, train and support assistance dog partnerships for people with autism, epilepsy and physical disabilities. We have already supported our first partnership between Judith and her assistance dog Fudge and are raising funds again to support a second partnership.
 
Prior to raising funds for Support Dogs, we spent nearly 4 years raising funds to support Guide Dogs. This was a natural fit as Dave used to have a wonderful guide dog called Errol until he sadly died in service in 2017. We were proud to have named and sponsored 2 guide dog puppies through their first year of training, the first called Des after our service, and the second called Errol, in memory of Dave’s guide dog.
Details about all of these dogs are available on our Facebook page.
 
Please help us…
As well as using the website itself or donating equipment direct to us, please help us share what we do by liking and sharing this Insight, by following us on Facebook (/disabilityequipmentservice) and Twitter (@DESwebsite), telling friends and family about it and promoting the service where possible. We also have postcards and posters we can send out and can provide articles for local magazines and publications.
 
Finally, there are some features and upgrades that the website now requires to keep up with the latest browsers and mobile devices. Sadly we just can’t afford to do these without some additional help. We have therefore started a ‘Go Fund Me’ campaign where you can donate to help us with these updates as well as help to ensure that the website remains free to use for everyone going forward.
 
Contacts…
If you would like to list equipment/find out more - please visit www.disabilityequipmentservice.co.uk
Or, if you want to contact us about donating equipment or for postcards/posters – please email team@disabilityequipmentservice.co.uk
Or, if you would like to support our fundraising, visit GoFundMe - https://gf.me/u/yqgf3w
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

Whilst a lot of people (us included) continue to work remotely, there will be others who need to start returning to work or travelling for other reasons. Whilst we are all still asked not to travel on public transport unless essential, for obvious reasons, a lot of people with vision impairments are unable to drive and are therefore more dependent on public transport than others. There’s a lot of info out there regarding safe travel (which can appear conflicting), so I (Vicky) thought I’d bring some of this information together, as well as us adding some of our own opinions.
 
Social distancing:
Although the 2 metre rule is still in place, this can be reduced to 1 metre plus in situations where 2 metres isn’t possible. If you are sighted, please remember that someone with a vision impairment may not be able to gauge distance and so you may need to move out of their way.
 
On trains and buses, it is advised that people travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them, where seating arrangements allow. Again, this might be difficult for a person with a vision impairment to gauge, and so speaking to that person and letting them know where there is a suitable space might be helpful.
 
Wearing masks:
The government guidelines are that masks or face coverings are compulsory on public transport. You should also wear a face covering in other enclosed spaces where it is difficult to maintain social distancing. For example, at stations, interchanges, ports and airports and in taxis and private hire vehicles. A taxi driver or private hire vehicle operator may be entitled to refuse to accept you if you do not wear a face covering.
However, there are exceptions to mask wearing for the following reasons:

• not being able to put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
• if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress
• if you are travelling with or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
• to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to yourself or others
• to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and you do not have a face covering with you
• to eat or drink, but only if you need to
• to take medication
• if a police officer or other official requests you remove your face covering

 
So our message is, if you see someone not wearing a mask they may have their reasons and these may not be obvious to you. Please be considerate with regard to this. If you are concerned for your health, then maintain your 2 metre distance where possible.
 
Guiding:
The rail companies and transport for London have been working on this and have advised their staff that ‘a layer of material may now be used as a barrier between the guide and the customer’. A recent podcast by Kaz, (who is blind), stated that staff have all been provided with plastic ‘sleeves’ that they can use for their ‘guiding arm’, although it seemed to be personal preference as to whether staff used them or not. If you need physical guiding or your route involves an escalator or lift on the London Underground then a taxi will be booked to take you to the next accessible point on your journey.
 
In our last insight (112.  Social distancing and shopping, Part 2: Being aware as a sighted person), I discussed that, as a sighted person, I would be prepared to guide a person, if we both agreed it was necessary. However, it is worth bearing in mind that other ways of assisting may be more practical, such as verbally explaining directions to someone or walking with them and talking through where you are going rather than physically guiding. When doing this, remember to avoid pointing and using such terms as ‘it’s just over there’.
 
#WorldUpsideDown Campaign:
A useful summary of how you might help as a sighted person has been put together by RNIB in their #WorldUpsideDown campaign. There is a video on Twitter (@RNIB) and also an online quiz to help others learn more https://rnib.in/WorldUpsideDownQuiz. Their campaign message is ‘Be aware, be kind and offer help if you can’.
 
I think our message would be simpler – be considerate, and don’t be too quick to judge. These are difficult times for everyone but will have had more of an impact on some people than others. As we all try and return gradually to life as it was before, we need to be aware that this will be harder for some than for others.
 
Other articles used for this Insight:
GOV.UK – Safer travel guidance for passengers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers
 
BBC news ‘The new way to travel if you're disabled and use access’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-52927781
 
The ramblings of Kaz -
My first train journey since lockdown - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yNDRhNjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

Following on from yesterday’s post (Social distancing and shopping, part 1: What does this mean for someone with a vision impairment?), we thought it might be helpful to write from a sighted person’s perspective and include ways that you might still be able to assist someone with a vision impairment.
 
Vicky: So how does all of this affect those of us with sight? Since lockdown started, my life has altered a fair bit. I am now completely working from home which has its challenges but I have also become involved with several community initiatives supporting people locally. One of these roles has included food shopping regularly for people in my local area who are elderly, shielding or just need support. So, whereas before I would do a bulk food shop online once a month (topped up with regular trips to our amazing local greengrocer often on my way to work), I now find myself shopping twice a week, once in our local Tesco superstore and then once in our local village. Since lockdown, everywhere has altered to some respect. I have to say I’m really impressed with our local Tesco’s – they have marked 2 metre queuing points outside, have hand sanitiser as you enter and a clearly marked one way system on the floor. Even my local greengrocer has risen to the challenge, with them only allowing 2 people in the shop at once (more queuing outside, thank goodness for the amazing weather we’ve had) and hand sanitiser on the wall as you enter.
 
All of these new ways of doing things are a necessity but it takes some getting used to (it still seems strange having to constantly give people a wide berth when out walking) and has raised people’s anxiety levels too. And that’s when you can see.
 
As Dave quite rightly states, lots of shops have signs explaining their specific rules but obviously all of these are visual. And finding the hand sanitiser without sight, even if you knew it was there, would be a challenge. Often people with VI need to pick things up to take a closer look – another ‘no, no’ in this new world of ours!! When I took the photo of the hand sanitiser in the greengrocers and explained what I was writing about, they said they would obviously help someone if they needed it and more local shops have also offered delivery services. There are also lots of local initiatives using volunteers similar to the one I have joined (details of these should be available via your local council), but as Dave said in a previous blog, none of this is the same as shopping yourself.
 
So as a sighted person what can we do?
 
If you are out and about (in shops or elsewhere) and notice a person with an obvious vision impairment (someone using a white cane or guide dog for example), please be the one to observe social distancing. If you are near the person, a cheery hello, would be good and, if necessary, you can let them know verbally that you’re moving out of their way, just as you might visually indicate this to a sighted person.
 
If you do think someone needs support, then the best way to do this is not much different to before. First of all, take time to observe the person rather than rushing in. If out, often the vision impaired person will know where they are going and, even though it may seem that they are walking in to buildings, this might be their strategy for knowing where they are, using building lines as navigational landmarks. If this is the case, then as a sighted person, be the one to move out of the way and maintain social distancing. If the person does genuinely appear to be lost or disorientated, then by all means, double check. This is harder to do whilst maintaining social distance as we would usually recommend a ‘hello’ and maybe a gentle touch to the shoulder, to enable the person to realise you are talking to them, so for now a hello will have to do, but try and make it obvious you are addressing them. If the person does need support, it may be a conversation about exactly where they are will be all that is required, or you may need to verbally re-direct them. If physical guiding is the only way, then you will both need to discuss this and ascertain what you are both comfortable with. If in a shop, again, you may be able to verbally assist them to ensure they can get what they need.
 
However, as before, the main point is to ask the person if they need any help rather than grabbing them and moving them where you think they need to go, or grabbing items for them that you think they want. In this case, maybe social distancing does have its advantages 😊
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

With lots more shops opening today and lockdown starting to unlock, where does this leave people who live with a vision impairment?
 
This is a topic that has been rumbling on across various social media platforms throughout lockdown and we have shared some of these on our Facebook and Twitter pages. It is now generating a bit more pace as lockdown eases and the concerns about social distancing rise amongst many including people living with a vision impairment.
 
Dave: As we’ve covered in our past couple of VIDA Insights, things haven’t changed a great deal for me other than having to work remotely and not getting out on my own mainly due to my fears of not being able to ensure a safe distance from other people. I don’t tend to use public transport that much as I prefer to walk where I can and, when not working remotely, have Vicky as a driver, but for people who rely on using public transport for getting to and from work or to do some essential shopping, it’s a different story.
 
Using public transport is a regular challenge at the best of times for people with a vision impairment but trying to navigate bus stops, train stations, ticket offices, etc. all whilst maintaining social distancing is almost impossible. Vision impaired people can usually request assistance on the rail network through National Rail’s ‘Passenger Assist’ scheme but currently they are asking that assistance is only booked for essential travel. Transport for London (TFL) have put their assistance for blind and partially sighted travellers on hold due to social distancing and staff safety which is understandable but will no doubt impact on travellers that rely on this excellent service.
 
Such issues are discussed in the article ‘Will it be worth it? The re-opening barriers facing visually impaired people’ that was recently published on ArtsProfessional.co.uk. Key extracts from the article read:
A “major barrier is getting to a cultural venue in the first place, given that public transport is effectively a no-go for most people with a visual impairment at the moment. Social distancing is too often compromised, and as the rules on this soften, local streets are becoming increasingly crowded. These concerns have a basis in hard statistics. Using measurements from Ordnance Survey, Esri UK has mapped and analysed pavement widths in Great Britain: only 30% are at least 3 metres wide, 36% are between 2 and 3 metres and 34% are less than 2 metres wide.”
 
The article also said:
“Practical support has been made even more necessary since the start of the pandemic, with a proliferation of visual signage about social distancing (distance markers, capacity restrictions and other changes to normal practices) and temporary changes to routes both on the streets and indoors. For those with some sight, and those able to move around independently, a venue should make any temporary signs or floor markings large, clear, and high contrast. Floor markings should also be tactile for cane users as well.”
 
But if you have no vision or not enough to see signage; what then? I read a Facebook post this week from my local shopping centre, @redhillbelfry,  regarding the changes they’ve put in place for when the shopping centre opens fully today (Monday 15 June). It read:
“For those of you who have not visited the Centre recently, please be assured that we have taken lots of steps to keep all our shoppers safe within the Centre. We ask that social distancing is maintained, you keep to the left throughout the Centre, wear a face covering, wash hands regularly (sanitiser stations available) and of course stay home if you have any symptoms.” The post also included the photo of the escalators as used above.
 
Again, I understand the need for social distancing and keeping 2m apart from other people but that is really difficult when you can’t see. I also suspect that the rules aren’t consistent in every shop so trying to do the right thing will end in tears! It just means that, for the foreseeable future, it will be safer for me to stay at home.
 
It’s not just me and my views; these are replicated across the country and likely the world. It is summarised nicely in an article and video published on BBC.co.uk of Louis Moorhouse, an 18 year old guy from Bradford. Louis explains the problems he is experiencing with his guide dog and what sighted people can do to help.
 
Ultimately, all whilst social distancing is required, getting around or accessing services is going to be really difficult for people with a vision impairment or who have a disability that requires an element of support from someone else. I suspect that, like me, that they will remain at home much more, only venturing out when it is really necessary and just hope that other people understand the problems that we face.
 
Part 2 of this blog will be out tomorrow – giving Vicky’s thoughts as a  sighted person and including ways that you might still be able to assist someone with a vision impairment.
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

So we’re in week 8 of lockdown and our Prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced on Sunday (10th May) that we can now take unlimited exercise each day, sunbathe in the park and meet 1 person from another household providing that we can maintain social distancing. Some industries are now allowed to re-open providing that it is safe for their employees but those that can continue to work from home should do so.
 
But what has it been like for people with a vision impairment during these times?
 
So lockdown itself and staying at home is actually quite normal for lots of blind and partially sighted people.
 
For me, Dave, I have a part time job that I do alongside running VIDA Training and the Disability Equipment Service with Vicky and this work gets me out of my house for part of the week, but on other days I work from home anyway. When I’m not working, I might walk in to town, pop to the local shop or meet up with friends for a beer but, on the whole, I would spend lots of time at home so lockdown hasn’t been too bad for me.
 
With regards to work, I have been lucky enough that I can continue to do my work from home with Vicky supporting me remotely, so although a change that’s taken some adjustments on both sides, we have been able to continue working.
 
However, the thing that’s had the biggest impact has been staying safe when going out and trying to maintain a social distance.
 
Even answering the door has become tricky. In the past I would have just opened the door and, if needed, explained to the person in front of me that I can’t see (that’s the phrase that I find works quickest in getting the message across), then taken the parcel, signed the PDA, etc. However, now, when the doorbell rings, I open the door to, if I’m lucky, a delivery driver stood at the bottom of the path shouting instructions on where the parcel has been left. If I’m unlucky, the driver is already driving off and I’m left feeling around until I find the parcel (although to be fair that did also happen sometimes before lockdown too!!). I’m guessing that this will be the same when we have drones dropping parcels off in the middle of the lawn! 😊 (smiley face)
 
Maintaining a 2 metre gap from other people is really tricky when you can’t see; you should try it. I find queuing difficult at the best of times but when everyone is supposed to stay 2 metres apart and no-one wants to touch you or you to touch them then it creates a massive problem. I’m fortunate that I’m married to Kelly who is sighted so she has been able to get out to the shops. However, for many people who live on their own, this option just isn’t available.
 
With supermarket online delivery slots getting booked weeks in advance and people with a vision impairment not classified as ‘vulnerable’ (so not on the supermarket’s priority customer list), food shopping became a real issue for people with vision impairments. Campaigning by the sight loss charities did help highlight this problem but getting through to the supermarkets on the phone to be recognised as a priority for online bookings was taking days. Some blind people were also refused support at supermarkets. Volunteer groups were available in some locations to help, and for others neighbours/friends or family stepped in, but this isn’t available for everyone and certainly isn’t the same as choosing your own shopping so takes away an element of independence.
 
And then there’s going out in general. Again, we’ve walked together as a family and therefore I’ve been guided around people to maintain social distancing – perfect. This has also meant I’ve been guided around objects too and therefore haven’t has to use my sense of touch that I often rely on heavily and which is also a big ‘no’ at the moment. However, if I had been living alone, this would have been another story and I quite possibly wouldn’t have ventured out at all. And again, it has also meant that I don’t currently go out on my own as I would have done before, again taking away another level of independence.
 
So, in conclusion, the actual lockdown and staying at home hasn’t been such a problem for me. It’s the social distancing measures that have had the biggest impact on my life as a person living with a vision impairment and I expect many other blind people will feel the same.  Oh, and for me, not being able to get my hair cut!!!! ((although that one probably applies to many people, vision impaired or sighted 😊 (smiley face)).
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information. 

With the UK in lockdown and all of us being asked to ‘Stay at Home’ other than for essential reasons (to buy food, visit a GP, collect medicine and, at the time of writing this, for daily exercise), what better time to catch up on some podcasts.
 
With our focus on vision impairment and disability, I (Dave) have selected a few podcasts that I subscribe too that I think you might find interesting. Obviously, they’re not all going to be to everyone’s taste (and are slightly skewed towards vision impairment as I am blind myself) but there should be something that is of interest to you.
 
So, in no particular order, have a search and listen to the following podcasts; they’re available on most podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, BBC Sounds, AudioBoom, Spotify and Stitcher to name but a few.

• Double Tap Canada

Double Tap Canada is the show where blind people talk tech! If you’re blind or partially sighted and have an interest in technology, this is the show for you. Everyone is welcome no matter how old you are or how much or how little experience you have with technology. Each week the team will help you better understand how technology can help your everyday life, even if you have little or no sight.

• Mosen At Large

Jonathan Mosen MNZM is a Chief Executive, advocate, entrepreneur, technology expert and broadcaster. Direct from his studio in Wellington New Zealand, Jonathan talks about anything that takes his fancy, from technology to music to politics to disability issues and much more. And listeners love to talk back. It's a captivating listen in which you can be informed, entertained, amused, in strong agreement and strong frustration all in one episode.

• Life After Blindness

Tim Schwartz presents a blog and podcast dedicated to the exploration of an enabled life with blindness.

• RNIB Tech Talk

Tech Talk is a podcast and radio show for blind and partially sighted people who are interested in accessible technology. Find out about the latest from specialist equipment to off the shelf solutions.

• Dot to Dot

A daily 5min Echo demo from Alexa. These short top tips and skills for the Amazon Echo are for everyone who’s simply dotty about Alexa.

• Blind Bargains Audio

The biggest names, the latest news, and leading insights from the field. Weekly Podcasts, interviews, technology demonstrations, and commentary from industry experts.

• BBC Ouch

The place where the real disability talk happens. Interviews, life hacks and things you don't say out loud. With Simon Minty, Kate Monaghan and the Ouch team.

• AppleVIS

AppleVis offers a wide range of podcasts covering topics of interest to blind and low-vision users of Apple Devices. Featured topics include walk-throughs and demonstrations of apps, tips on using iOS and Mac OS X, and accessory reviews.
 
If there are other vision impairment or disability related podcasts that you like and we’ve not mentioned, then please let us know; we’re always keen to learn about podcasts that we’ve not heard about or know of.
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

Everyday words are easy to remember and spell, right? But when you’re asked to spell a slightly unusual word, a word that you always struggle with or a word that you’ve not had to spell for a while such as definitely, deteriorated or physiotherapist, do you find it easier to write it down? I would expect most of you reading this would say ‘Yes’.
 
I, Dave, have been meaning to write this Insight for a while now but to be honest, just haven’t got round to it. However, I have recently upgraded my screen reading software, Jaws, to the latest version which has lots of new features including announcing and playing sounds when I’ve spelled words incorrectly. Since this upgrade, I’ve realised that I make more spelling errors than I thought or I’m noticing them more now that Jaws is announcing them as I type!
 
I used to be a reasonable speller but as my sight has deteriorated I’m definitely finding spelling harder or I’m having to concentrate a lot more on spelling words that I might have quickly written down to visually check the spelling. Do you know what I mean? Writing down a word would just look right or wrong.  – I guess this is how we learn as a child? I now picture the word in my head and then spell it character by character as I type it. It is easy though to misspell a word or spell a word phonetically. This subject was also covered on a podcast that I regularly listen to called RNIB Tech Talk. The host, Steven Scott, is vision impaired and he spoke about how his spelling has deteriorated since losing his vision (RNIB Tech Talk link - https://audioboom.com/posts/7020255-amazon-apple-and-accessible-technology).
 
It is really common for people that have very little or no sight to spell words phonetically. This is usually because they’ve never seen the word and therefore have had to learn to spell that word by memorising it. Like most people, if you don’t use it you lose it.
 
I usually trip up on people’s names, especially if they’re not spelt in the usual way or have different ways of spelling them. For example, Martin/Martyn, Lee/Leigh, Shaun/Sean, Vikki/Vicky and there is always the names that aren’t spelt the way they are pronounced like Siobhan, Phoebe and Yvonne to name just a few.
 
It’s not all so bad though as we live in an era where the computer autocorrects mistakes as we type and, as I mentioned earlier, even my screen reader, Jaws, will announce when a word is misspelt! This is all fine when you’re in a word processor like Microsoft Word but isn’t as helpful when you’re in a programme that doesn’t autocorrect like Facebook! 
 
There is also the complication of knowing if you’re using the correct homophone and how you would know without spelling each word character by character. This is particularly the case when using dictation to input text. Dictation has come a long way but it still gets the grammar wrong occasionally so I, as a blind person, have to understand when to use the correct spelling – your/you’re, where/wear, by/buy, wait/weight, etc. Problems with dictation come up lots on social media posts and forums but there is no real solution to the problem other than to dictate clearly and, if it’s really important, to double check your entry.
 
I did do a quick Google on this subject to see if there had been any study carried out but drew a blank on this. However, I did find another blog called Spelling Inside Out: Developing visual memory. This wasn’t vision impairment related but was interesting nevertheless as it covered how we learn to spell and how children nowadays aren’t using their visual memory as well as they used to probably due to computers and technology. (Link to the blog ‘Spelling Inside Out: Developing Visual Memory’ - https://sis4teachers.org/2018/08/5123/).
 
Vicky: This is an interesting one, and I think Dave’s quite right in that spelling is quite visual, or at least getting spellings correct is quite visual. By that I mean that not only might we write words down to see if they ‘look right’ when we want to check how to spell them but also we see words regularly when we read them and therefore have a regular reminder of how they are spelt. When we’re working together Dave will quite often ask me how to spell a word. My spelling’s usually ok (apart from sociable – what a weird word that is, I always want to spell it out loud as socialable), so usually I can just answer but on the odd occasion when I need to write it down to double check, he tells me I’m cheating, not entirely fair as he’s asked me how to spell it – 😊 (smiley face)!!
 
However, it’s not always the case that seeing a word makes it easier to spell. My daughter’s dyslexic and we were told to encourage her to read more as a young child to enhance her spelling, (again the reason being that the more you see different words the more likely you are to have a visual memory of them) but that’s not an easy task if reading is hard in the first place and also if you mistake some letters for others!
So, although she can see the words, she still struggles to recreate them as to her they look different once she’s written them, or else she can’t see where they’re wrong. Having just read the article Dave mentions above, ‘Spelling Inside Out’, I have to confess that I personally think this would have just sent her head spinning as a child and I can’t imagine how it could have done anything other than confuse her but if it helps some kids then obviously that’s great.
 
And believe me Dave, you’re probably much more conscious about name spelling than most sighted people I know, and trust me with a name like Vicky, I know what I’m talking about (Vicki, Vikki, Vickie, Vickey to list but a few of the variations I’ve received, and that’s after I’ve spelt my name or they’ve seen it written down!).
 
What Dave has missed from this (unlike you Dave not to point out your positives 😊 (smiley face)) is that Dave is excellent at noticing typos. So, as he says, although he might not pick up on the where and wear type errors, he’ll certainly notice a typo which visually a lot of people will miss. This is because, visually, we will read what we expect to be there, but when listneing to Jaws, it will of course, read out exactly what’s written and therefore typos become more obvious. So he’ll have noticed (and hopefully not corrected when proof reading this!) that listening is spelt incorrectly in the last sentence.
 
What does all this mean? Well for us, if we’re producing documents, it means we make a pretty good tag team!!
 
Leave us a comment telling us how you manage. Do you write down words that you find tricky to spell? And if you’re vision impaired, what coping strategies do you have for spelling correctly?
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

I know, an interesting title to choose isn’t it. Its actually a modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III, set in an American high school when they are choosing senior election candidates.
 
I, Vicky went to see this recently with a good friend and colleague of mine who had seen it advertised via Disability Rights UK (https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/). It was playing (until recently) at the Donmar Warehouse (https://www.donmarwarehouse.com), a theatre just outside Covent Garden.  I think the description of the play on their website as ‘darkly comic’ is pretty accurate – the play was really funny in parts (although I think I missed some of the less common Shakespeare references), but also quite disturbing in others and definitely dark! The acting was truly superb, with Daniel Monks certainly portraying a dark and disturbed Richard to the full. In the play, Richard has hemiplegia, as does Daniel himself and the play explores how people perceive and behave towards Richard (and how Richard thinks they perceive him) maybe as a result of this.
 
Although the play was 1 hour and 45 minutes without a break, the time flew by, all credit to the intensity of the acting.
 
Prior to the performance we were lucky enough to have a touch tour organised in conjunction with VocalEyes (https://vocaleyes.co.uk/) a charity providing audio description to ensure plays are accessible for people with vision impairments (my friend has a vision impairment). We were able to wander around the set, getting a sense of the location of different items and also feel some of the costumes that the characters would later be wearing.
 
On this occasion the touch tour also included an opportunity to meet some of the main characters, who gave an introduction as to who they were, described their physical characteristics and also spoke in the accents they would use in the play so people could associate those voices with the characters when they came on stage. My friend and I chatted for a while to Ruth Madeley who plays Bucks in the show. Bucks is in a wheelchair as is Ruth herself. I recognised her from her role in the TV show ‘Years and Years’ and also ‘The Accident’. It was lovely to meet her and also hear about future projects she is involved in. She told us that when they were looking for actors for this play, the playwright had specified that hers and Richard’s parts must be played by disabled actors stating ‘They are out there, you just have to find them.’
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

I’m sure that this is a question that people mutter to themselves when they see me walking along in the rain. And just recently we’ve been having a lot of torrential downpours which I’ve been caught out in that have soaked me!
 
Back in November 2017 we wrote an Insight called “Rain… a sensory landscape…” (https://vidatraining.weebly.com/blog/34-rain-a-sensory-landscape) which touched on my experiences of rain. This insight covered all aspects of rain including the sounds it makes, the sensory landscape that it gives me and the reason why I don’t put my hood up. What it didn’t cover is why I don’t use an umbrella.
 
As a blind person, I rely heavily on my hearing to navigate and orientate myself. If I put a hood up then this muffles the sound and removes lots of the directional sounds that I rely on. For this reason, I prefer to hear and get wet than restrict my hearing and remain dry.
 
So the umbrella… Yes, using an umbrella would be a solution to my problem – hooray!
But no, I find using an umbrella just as difficult. Yes, it does mean that I can still use my hearing effectively but it causes other problems.
 
I use a white stick (or long cane to use its correct name) to navigate and get around safely. Obviously this takes up one hand and the other hand I like to have free so that I can use it to help identify objects if I need to or be able to protect my face if I walk through overgrown trees etc. If I had to hold an umbrella then I wouldn’t be able to do this. The other problem with using an umbrella when you can’t see is that you are forever getting it caught on trees or hedges, knocking it against walls, lamp posts or vehicles or worse still poking people with it. Ultimately they’re more of a hindrance and danger to others than a help.
 
However, I recently received a gift from my children that solves this problem… a hands-free umbrella! J Yes folks, this is an umbrella, as demonstrated in the video clip, that pops up and attaches to your head using an elastic headband – no hands!
 
Not only does it make me feel like Inspector Gadget and want to say ‘Go go gadget umbrella’ when I put it on, it makes me look a tiny bit sillier than I already do. Practically it solves one of my problems by not having to hold the umbrella but I still would have the same issues with brushing it against trees and branches or catching it on lamp posts and other objects.
 
Ultimately it was a fun present that I’ll use on our training or for embarrassing the children in the school playground but not something you’ll see me wearing sensibly when it’s raining. 
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

Dave: “If you could see for 1 minute, what would you look at?” This was a question posed to me late one evening by a friend when we were talking about my vision impairment. It took me a bit by surprise as I’ve never been asked this question before and I didn’t know how to answer it.
 
My answer at the time was “probably my family; seeing my wife again and also what my kids actually look like”. However, we then went on to discuss perhaps scenery; looking at the horizon again, etc.
 
I wanted to write an Insight about this question as it’s really got under my skin. I’ve thought about the question long and hard and I still can’t think of what exactly I would do or look at in that minute. I’ve also thought about what I would look at if I could choose how to use the minute; for example, what if I could have 6 x 10 seconds of clear vision or 12 x 5 second windows of clarity… and have these over a period of time.
 
Ultimately I would want to see my family; my wife, kids, parents and extended family. But would a minute be enough? Perhaps a few photos so that I could scan them quickly rather than seeing them in person as I’m sure this would cause delays or take up valuable time somehow. But what else? I would be interested to see what the graphics are like on new game consoles, what HD TV is like, try a virtual headset, see what cars actually look like and see my house in a way that I’ve not seen it before. To be able to see the leaves on trees again, blades of grass, ants on the pavement and birds in the sky… and what about watching a firework display, seeing the moon and stars in a dark sky or watching a sunrise or sunset over a horizon? What do my friends and work colleagues look like and how much has changed from what I remember from the past (road signs, new buildings, etc). There are so many things that, when I really think about it, I would want to see…
 
So I can think about the question and plan my minute of clarity but, unless there is some kind of breakthrough in medicine or technology that restores my vision, it’s never going to happen… and that’s a bit depressing! :-(

So, put yourself in my shoes (I’m a size 10) and think about the question. What would you do with that minute?
 
Vicky: Gosh, your shoes are way too big for me Dave (I’m only a size 4!). And, although my feet clearly fit inside them, its always hard to put yourself in anyone else’s shoes isn’t it. And I’m conscious that as a sighted person, do I have the right to answer this question? However, Dave and I have discussed this question and he’s asked me to comment.
 
So, what would I want to see if I hadn’t seen for a long time and only had a minute? I’ve thought long and hard about it. Funnily enough – seeing the latest tech (as Dave mentioned) never entered my head (it’s just not my thing) but I do love sunrises and sunsets, and also wondered if I would like to see the beach again at Polzeath in Cornwall – a place that I love and where we have spent many happy family holidays.

However, I have my visual memories of these (would I still if I hadn’t had sight for a long time?) so maybe I would rather not waste my minute on these. So then I wondered about things I hope to see at some point in the future and, if I lost my sight before I saw them, would I want to use my minute to see them? Things like the Grand Canyon, the pyramids, and Meteora – possibly not possible to see all these in one minute :-)
 
So back to the reality of just one minute, and I have to ask myself, is seeing these places really what is important to me?
 
So, I think what I would spend my minute doing is gazing at my loved ones and how they’d changed since I lost my sight – how my kids had grown up etc. and just drink that in for a full minute to try and capture it all in my memory.
 
My only concern about all of this is, would having just one minute be almost more painful when it was snatched away at the end?? And I don’t profess to know the answer to that one.
 
What about other people, what are your thoughts? 
 
Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

We, Dave and Vicky, took ourselves up to Sight Village South East last week, along with a friend, Gary who works at Sight for Surrey as their Assistive Technology Trainer.
 
Sight Village is the name given to the exhibitions that are organised and run by Queen Alexandra College. There are 5 ‘Sight Village’ exhibitions held throughout the year (South-West, Central, West Midlands, North-West and South-East) and are described as “The UK's leading exhibitions for blind and partially sighted people and for those experiencing sight problems”.
 
To be honest, Dave and I had discussed whether we would go again this year as we’ve been for the last few years, but we decided that we should – and we’re really glad we did.
 
Having fuelled up with breakfast en route, we made our way to High Street Kensington Tube. There were Sight Village volunteers at the tube ready to sight guide or support people to the venue itself, we declined their offer of assistance though as the 3 of us were managing okay. A guy called Steve also asked if he could just walk with us, which was fine, we joked about us all getting lost together and me not having another guiding arm available but Steve was ok just to follow us and as it’s only a brief distance we all got there ok.
 
Once we arrived, following the obligatory photo to prove our attendance, Dave, Gary and I went straight into the main hall. Many of the stands were familiar and focussed on CCTV and OCR technologies. We took the opportunity to head to the Sight and Sound Technology stand and, at Gary’s suggestion, managed to get our hands on and explore their MiniVision and SmartVision 2 mobile phones.
 
We then chatted to Barclays, mainly about the current issue Dave has regarding the recent App update not reading transaction dates on the statement correctly. As always they were keen to know about this and Dave gave them a demo of what’s wrong. They promised to pass it on to their Digital Access Manager the following day – let’s hope it gets corrected soon!
 
As the Amazon stand was quiet, we took the opportunity to have a quick listen to the new Amazon Echo Studio, a beefy smart speaker that will play streamed HD audio quality music. This sounded lovely but we were informed that presales were more than 700% greater than expected so, even though it goes on sale this month, they’ll not be available to purchase until at least February 2020, although currently showing on Amazon as retailing at £189.99 and available from 25th December 2019 – probably not one for this year’s Christmas list though.
 
We had a brief chat with Kevin at the Look UK stand and found out about the charity, the support and information they provide to young vision impaired people and their families and their peer mentoring service for vision impaired students aged between 11 and 29.
 
Gary was keen for us to have a look at the Synapptic TV Box. We had a demo of this from Ken at their stand. If you’re looking for a fully accessible way of watching live or catch up TV, catching up with box sets, keeping up with your emails or doing some online shopping, then this might be the ideal solution for you!
 
Our next stop was at the En-Vision America stand where we met and had a long and interesting chat with David. He demonstrated the audible prescription service called ScripTalk, a service that has been available across the USA and Canada for several years. En-Vision are keen to bring ScripTalk to the UK and David was at the exhibition trying to raise the awareness of the product and to engage with vision impaired people and get their views on the service. We all agreed that this is a great product and a service that should be available in the UK. Its definitely something that we’ll be shouting about, demonstrating on our training and raising awareness of over the coming months.
 
The traditional white cane has been around for years and companies have tried to bring it in to the 20th century by adding GPS and motion sensors but no-one has yet put lights in it… until now! Lighting up the exhibition halls was Dave from ‘Gizahand’ with their new illuminating long cane. This was a cool product that was designed to help a person using the long cane be more visible to other pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Basically the bottom quarter of the traditional folding cane has been replaced with a durable opaque section that is filled with LED lights. It’s powered by a USB power bank that fits in to the top of the handle and provides over 3 hours of light from a 2 hour charge. Although a fun idea, at £129.95 + delivery, it’s another item that won’t be finding its way on to Dave’s Christmas list this year!
 
During our rounds, we stopped off and had a long chat with Andrew from TravelEyes. It’s always great to catch up with him and we chatted loads about Amir Latif’s recent TV programme Travelling Blind and all the other things he’s now up to. Dave and Gary both entered their competition to win a trip to Burma (the offer was only available for VI people otherwise I (Vicky) would’ve been straight in there too!!). Going on one of their holidays is still something I’d love to do, but it’s just not feasible at the moment with family commitments etc.
 
We bumped into Stella from the Macular Society, a friend and previous work colleague of both Dave and Gary’s and as well as taking the opportunity to wish her a happy birthday, we also caught up with the work they are doing.
 
And finally we took the opportunity to sit in on the ATW Solutions seminar where we met and heard from Colin Fowler, the founder of ATW Solutions. He discussed how they can help with Access to Work (ATW) applications, propose reasonable adjustments within the workplace and provide recruitment services for employment support workers.
 
One thing we did all notice was that the exhibition was less busy this year and that there is definitely a lack of organisations with ‘daily living’ products now exhibiting. Let’s hope that this is a blip and that next year there will be more exhibitors with a wider range of products for us to have a look and feel of! J
 
That said we found out about some interesting products and services, enjoyed catching up with several people and will definitely be making the effort to attend again next year.
 
Direct links to products and organisations we visited:
 
QAC Sight Village - https://www.qac.ac.uk/exhibitions.htm
 
Sight and Sound Mobile Phones - http://www.sightandsound.co.uk/hardware/mobile-phones.html
 
Barclays Accessibility (Sight) - https://www.barclays.co.uk/accessibility/sight/
 
Amazon Echo Studio - https://www.amazon.co.uk/amazon-echo-studio-high-fidelity-smart-speaker-with-3d-audio-and-alexa/dp/B07NQCKJSH/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=amazon+studio&qid=1573214695&sr=8-1
 
Look-UK - https://www.look-uk.org/
 
Synapptic TV Box - http://www.synapptic.com/products-tvbox.aspx
 
En-Vision America (ScripTalk) – https://www.envisionamerica.com/products/scriptability/scriptalk/
 
Gizahand Illuminated long cane - http://www.gizahand.co.uk/illuminated-mobility-long-cane/
 
Traveleyes - https://www.traveleyes-international.com/
 
Macular Society - https://www.macularsociety.org/
 
ATW Solutions - https://www.atwsolutions.co.uk/
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
Interested to learn more about VIDA Training? Read about our Training and Consultancy packages, specialising in Vision Impairment and Disability Awareness, Communication and Team Building or contact us for further information.

Why are lamp-posts not soft and bendy? This is a question that I, Dave, seem to be asking myself on a regular basis at the moment.
 
Over the past few weeks I have come in to contact with a few metal posts whilst walking in to town. You know the type; they are the thick metal ones that usually are holding up road signs or a street lamp; the hard metal, non-forgiving ones.
 
My assumption is that they haven’t been breeding or the council haven’t spent more money erecting new ones and that they’ve always been there and that I’ve always managed to navigate around them, be that with Errol, my old guide dog, or with my white stick.
 
So, something has changed and, discussing this with Vicky, I can only conclude that I’m hitting these posts now due to my sight deteriorating to a point that I now don’t receive any indication that they’re there. Its weird because, if asked, I would have said that I haven’t been able to see them for ages, but whilst they haven’t been clear, we can only assume that I was getting some sense that they were there and therefore managing to avoid them whereas now I don’t even get that.
 
No doubt that there are many people reading this and wondering what my stick is for if it’s not to help identify these posts so that I don’t walk in to them and you would be right. The white stick is designed to be swept from left to right, going just beyond the width of my shoulders, and therefore should make contact with and alert me to objects that are in my path. I would then be able to identify the object and navigate safely around it. Well that’s the theory! In practise, even when sweeping the white stick correctly, it is easy to just miss an object as you sweep and, especially if it’s just off centre and not very big (like a lamp post), not  know about it until you hit it with your knee and/or shoulder or sometimes head.
 
A few weeks ago I bounced off the post in the photo. This is a particularly hefty post situated near a bridge on the busy A23, my route to Redhill town centre. I was walking home, had just gone under the bridge and, as I came out from under the bridge I was thinking about a car on the pavement that I had had to navigate on my way in. Right at that point, I was also overwhelmed with the noise from a train passing overhead, a large lorry passing on the road creating an echo under the bridge and also the noise of a crane or mechanical equipment operating nearby and then boom… the noise of a metal pole hitting my head!! I’ve no doubt that someone in a car or walking near me would have seen it and I wouldn’t blame them if they had a small chuckle at my expense but I can tell you that it hurt… it also bent my sunglasses and split the skin above my eyebrow!
 
So I have put this in the memory bank and haven’t hit this post since. I had also put hitting this down to the noise and nothing more. However, just this morning it happened again. It wasn’t the same post but it was on the same road!
 
I must admit, I don’t walk in to town as often now as when I had Errol and this is partly due to not having a need to but also a bit of ‘can’t be bothered’. I would consider myself to have good cane technique and be safe with using it, however, these couple of incidences have knocked my confidence and brings home how difficult getting out and about really is. I do find that I’m having to concentrate lots more when out on my own and that I get tense in the shoulders and I’m sure that this is partly due to not really knowing if I’m going to hit anything…
 
I wanted to share this with you all, not for sympathy, but to raise your awareness as to what it is really like for blind people using a white cane. Getting around with a white cane is slow, sometimes frustratingly so, and requires lots of concentration. I have a map of the town in my head that I recall all the time but this map isn’t just where roads are, but references key points/landmarks on a journey, pedestrian or safe road crossing points, particular areas where pavement parking is bad, etc. I also have to remember where particular shops or houses are or obstacles such as trim trail equipment in the school playground! It doesn’t stop there, I then remember where steps are, where doors are and whether they swing in or out and then what’s inside… where the reception or customer service desk is, what other hazards might be waiting, etc. This all requires a certain level of concentration and if this slips or I get distracted (this could be by a car parked on the pavement or a loud noise as in the example above, or one of those pesky A frames, anything really that I’m not expecting) then I could get injured or lost very quickly!
 
A good example of a hazard/obstruction can be read in a Facebook post that I wrote back in June when  I came across a builder’s van parked over a designated safe crossing point at the top of our road - https://www.facebook.com/705702186224015/posts/2160066160787603?s=725461053&sfns=cl
 
We’re always interested to know about other people’s experiences and thoughts. Please share these by commenting…
 
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