In Touch

Abbie Robinson is a champion paraclimber. She talks to us about her passion for the sport and how she wants more blind and visually impaired people to take up the sport so it can qualify as a Paralympic event. Simon Mahoney suddenly found he had to learn how to cook for himself when his wife recently died. He's now decided to put all that he has learnt into a new book. Simon talks to us about cook...

At the beginning of next year, when Britain leaves the European Union, rules will be different for taking dogs to EU countries. What will be the impact on guide dog owners? We speak to guide dog owner David Lucas and Chris Theobald from Guide Dogs. There has been a growth in on-line dating during lockdown. What are the issues for blind and visually impaired people? Has it been a good experience an...

Ten years ago the shooting of PC David Rathband by the fugitive killer Raoul Moat shocked the UK. Blinded in the attack, the police officer eventually took his own life. The manhunt unfolded in real time against the relatively new backdrop of social media. We talk to writer Christopher Hogg whose award-winning drama Rathband explores the resonances of a tragedy which mirrored the communication fai...

The government has begun a trial of rental e-scooter schemes and any local authority can apply. What are the concerns for blind and visually impaired people and can anything be done about it? We speak to David Davies from Pacts, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, a charity which advises parliament on road safety issues. The charity Scope has done some research on which stream...

The Charity Commission's report into the failings at the RNIB's care homes says it is 'one of the worst charity failures we have come across'. We hear from RNIB's Chief Executive and Head of Policy, Matt Stringer. He tells us what will happen to people in the residential homes and how they will repair their reputation for the future. Lord Blunkett talks to us about the challenges to visually impai...

As lockdown is relaxed, Peter gathers three people of different ages and walks of life to consider the impact of the last 12 weeks - and what the future holds. Elin Williams of Look UK is at the start of her working life. Emma Williams is part of the Independent Living Skills Team at New College Worcester, and Kevin Mulhern is a writer and producer of TV and radio. Together they sum up how lockdow...

Many visually impaired people are still struggling to do a regular shop but a new scheme may help. The RNIB has joined with other visual impairment charities and DEFRA to provide help to those who have not been able to access priority shopping slots online. We hear how sports students Kali Holder and George Williams have been continuing their sports studies while their college is closed. Lucy Proc...

Last year the High Court branded arrangements for voting for blind people "a parody of the electoral process". But the Scottish Parliament has approved a new pilot which will see blind and visually impaired people able to vote in secret in devolved elections. Previously many blind people have described being forced to take someone into the booth to vote for them because tactile voting devices have...

The face-to-face training of guide dogs came to an end with lockdown. And the crisis has led to questions about how dogs may be losing their skills in this period of relative inactivity. Guide Dogs Director of Operations Peter Osborne takes on questions about how much of the delays pre-dated Coronavirus and where the My Guide project fits into future plans. You can contact their helpline on 080078...

All parents are feeling the strain of educating their children at home. But for blind parents of sighted children, the dizzying array of apps and worksheets with varying degrees of accessibility can be a struggle. Father-of-two Nick Adamson is navigating the landscape well, and he's joined by Hetal Bapodra, who, with no sighted adult in the house, is finding things difficult. Sean Randall of Blind...

In this special programme we discuss what the rules on social distancing mean for the way blind and visually impaired people live their lives. For example, is it safe for a stranger to guide someone by the arm? What concerns are there around using public transport? We speak to Kirsten Hearn, a blind listener who raised the issue before lockdown. We hear how she is feeling now. We hear the experien...

Why Uber is being taken to court by a blind user who says he's had his journeys cancelled after he has told them he has a guide dog. During the outbreak of the Covid-19 what is happening to eye treatment? In the latest in our round-up of what's happening around the UK, we hear from Raymond Curran, Head of Ophthalmic Services for the Health and Social Care Board in Northern Ireland. Anglia Ruskin U...

Social distancing introduced many challenges for blind people, including shopping with fewer people guiding you, and little access to online shopping slots. A petition from blind organisations called for recognition that while blind people may not be more susceptible to Covid-19, more help is needed. We look at the latest pronouncements on vulnerable people and shopping from government. And we've...

Covid-19 has not stopped people needing eye appointments - and emergency help. But what you can expect across the UK when it comes to a sudden loss of sight or a serious problem differs. We speak to Sali Davis, Chief Executive of Optometry Wales about the surprising procedures which are available from high street optometrists - and why the picture near her is different to England. And we remember...

The effects of Age-related Macular Degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma don't change because of lockdown. And people with some conditions are worried that the cancellation of existing appointments to prevent the spread of Coronavirus could mean an irreversible loss of vision. President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Dr Michael Burdon is on hand to explain what you should expect when it c...

Peter White hears from sight loss charities struggling during the Coronavirus crisis. Will a financial aid package announced by the Chancellor work for them? We hear tips on using video conferencing when you're visually impaired. And remembering the blind marchers who, a century ago, headed for London demanding fair treatment. PRODUCER: Mike Young.

Keeping a safe two-metre distance during the Covid-19 lockdown presents a serious difficulty for people who are used to being guided when they shop. So a new petition by leading blind organisations is calling on the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to include the blind and visually impaired in its list of 1.5m vulnerable people who receive priority online shopping slots. We t...

Coronavirus lockdown measures pose many problems for blind and visually impaired people. Will services become more stretched as hospitals and social care come under more pressure? How do you navigate shops which are occasionally bare when it comes to essentials? We hear the concerns of listeners - as Cathy Yelf of The Macular Society has definite advice for people with the condition - to not skip...

In a special focusing on careers and the job market for blind and visually impaired people, we hear from young people first entering the world of work. Reporter Fern Lulham gives us her insights, and Jess Clements, workplace co-ordinator at Blind in Business, tells us about how attitudes to the workplace and the horizons of young blind people are changing. John Lynch from the Royal National Colleg...

As more information about measures to reduce the impact of coronavirus is revealed, what is their impact on the blind and visually impaired? Reliance on touch - and the impact of too much caution - could have serious implications according to listener Kirsten Hearn. And Director of Operations at Guide Dogs Peter Osborne tells us what his organisation is doing to mitigate the situation in a time of...

The view persists that blindness can lead to other senses being somehow more acute - but are they just better trained? The notion of "neuroplasticity" comes up in consideration of the work of our first guest, Professor Vera Morgan Head of the Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology Research Unit in the University of Western Australia. Her studies support the idea that the congenitally blind, or those who be...

Radio 4's All in the Mind programme is running a big survey on how we feel about touch. Peter White talks to the presenter Claudia Hammond about why they especially welcome contributions from blind listeners. We explore what to do when you find an app that isn't accessible. And interview the blind comedian David Eagle who has just been named best newcomer in the influential Chortle Awards.

The government has launched its plans to make the UK a world leader in accessible travel. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, tells us what the investment will achieve. We hear from Professor Paul Bishop from the University of Manchester about new developments that may help people with macular disease, which is the biggest cause of blindness in the UK. And, what would it be like to have your si...

Voretigene Neparvovec – is the first in a new generation of gene therapies which can be injected into the eyes of patients - and it's available on the NHS. It's a major development for people with the inherited retinal disorder Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), but as ever, we want to get to the real implications for blind people. Fresh from performing one of the newly-available procedures, Prof...

As the government consults on the use of e-scooters on roads, Christiane Möller of the German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) tells us about the impact the vehicles have had on blind people in her country. And Adam Solan, a teenager who has already struggled with abandoned bikes for hire in Oxford, gives us his perspective. And Valentine's Day is nearly here. But what are the...