In Touch

Passenger Assistance is a service rail users can book for help with things like navigating unfamiliar stations and catching connecting trains. When it goes right, it can be a service that boosts independence and travel confidence, but it can often go wrong. So now the Office of Rail and Road, who are the regulator for Britain's railways, are consulting on a new framework that aims to make the proc...

Whether you are a confident cook or complete novice, In Touch provides tips on how to navigate the kitchen with a visual impairment. We have gathered a panel of blind and partially sighted people with an interest in cooking and who have a range of experience, levels of vision and kitchen set ups, to provide their tips, tricks and work-arounds. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Product...

In Touch explores the barriers faced by visually impaired students when sitting their GCSE and A-Level exams, when obtaining both exam papers and revision materials in braille and large print formats. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Kim Agostino Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above...

Shopping doesn't come without potential challenges if you're blind or partially sighted: locating the items you want and, depending on your level of sight, being able to get up close enough to understand if what you’ve found is really what you were after. Well, John Lewis is the latest brand trying to help, developping a pilot guided shopping scheme within their flagship store in London. In Touch...

With ophthalmology being the busiest NHS outpatient specialty, with around 9.7 million appointments in England in 2024, the Royal College of Ophthalmology's new president, Mohamed Elalfy undoubtedly has a busy three years in the role ahead. Mohamed speaks with In Touch about his plans for the College and about issues of concern to eye health and care patients, including the issue of long waiting t...

The Department for Work and Pensions is in the process of hiring nearly 500 new members of staff to help clear the Access to Work backlog and tackle long delays. The Access to Work scheme can help disabled people gain and maintain employment by providing funding for things like support workers and assistive tech. A review of the scheme is currently underway which aims to reform the scheme as it is...

Ofcom has recently published a draft code requiring major streaming platforms to provide audio description for at least 10% of their content. This follows provisions in the Media Act 2024. In this episode - a first for In Touch - Peter White is joined by visually impaired guests, Nia Greer and Glen Turner to discuss the audio description of their chosen programmes. Our trio follow a broad approach...

The government has recently announced a reform of the provisions for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) pupils. It promises more resources for children in need of support. However, there are worries about how these reforms will work for blind and visually impaired children. Joining us for this episode is Dr Rachel Hewett from the Visual Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (V...

The UK's leading sight loss charity, RNIB, has a new CEO. Simon Antrobus took over the role at the beginning of the year, having spent the majority of his career within the charity sector, including the past ten years leading BBC Children in Need. In Touch speaks with him about the position of the charity's finances, their current recruitment situation, the organisation's priorities of the future...

In Touch hears about developments within the video games industry that pertain to accessibility. Including a white paper from the RNIB which is calling for regulation on standardizing accessibility within video games and a more collaborative approach to make more games accessible to visually impaired players. We also hear about a free platform called Able to Play, which allows visually impaired an...

Despite some encouraging developments, many blind and visually impaired people complain that they are still unable to secretly and independently cast their vote at elections. With UK elections fast approaching, this episode examines the current situation. Ian Hamilton reports on an initiative in Scotland, and also joining us are:- Rachael Andrews, whose action to bring a case to Court resulted in...

'Seeing With My Dog' is the latest work from visually impaired playwright Roderick Dungate. The play explores Rod's turmoil with losing his vision and the complexities of training with a guide dog. In Touch's reporter Bethan Langford attended one of the production's rehearsals and she provides her impressions of the experience. Rod also joins the programme, and describes the play's themes and abou...

Whether you have an interest in planting and growing flowers, plants or vegetables, In Touch provides tips on how to make the best out of gardening with a visual impairment. We have gathered a panel of blind and partially sighted gardeners, that have a range of experience, level of vision and horticultural set ups, to provide their tips, tricks and work arounds. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Be...

In Touch speaks with three visually impaired people about their current work and projects. Clarke Reynolds, aka Mr Dot, is an artist and a runner who is taking on the Brighton marathon with the help of Rayban Meta smart glasses and Be My Eyes. Jixie Dye is trying to inspire young readers with her latest children's book, The Welsh Witch and the Queen's Curse and Frazer Tibbitts is the 2026 winner o...

The UK's leading trade association for the UK banking and financial services sector, UK Finance has just launched a new set of guidelines pertaining to the accessibility of payment cards. They claim that 80% of the financial industry across the UK are actioning the recommendations, which include the standardisation of larger text sizes, and notches to identify different types of cards. Adam Scarro...

Jackie Brown of STRIVE Ability delivers technology training to visually impaired pupils across Northern Ireland. The training Jackie provides is supplementary to the tailored support pupils receive from Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVIs) and classroom assistants. In Touch tags along with Jackie to visit two pupils in two schools as she delivers training...

In Touch reflects in the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. Although the GB team did not return home flush with medals, ParalympicsGB are taking these games as a win in terms of some stand-out performances and future stars. In Touch digs into the visually impaired team's overall performance, how the sighted guiding works when plummeting down a mountain at speeds of 100mph and above and the ex...

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

Following last week's coverage of the SEND reforms (the government's major plans to improve the support pupils with special needs will get in schools in future), In Touch hears about another far less publicised report from charity Guide Dogs. It highlighted that seven out of ten visually impaired children and young people surveyed were missing out on essential mobility support and training of dail...

The government has unveiled its new SEND reform plans, with promises to ensure that every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, and to make every school truly inclusive. But with little specific mention of visual impairment within the policy proposals, In Touch digs into what they might mean for visually impaired pupils across England, with the help of a pane...

Sharon and Tony Stockman are a totally blind couple that booked a 19-day voyage with Cunard cruises. They submitted their access requirements way in advance, but it all didn't quite go to plan when they stepped on board. With the help of the Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder, In Touch assesses their case. Eilidh Morrison has launched a campaign that aims to help more visually impaire...

Councils across England are to be given more extensive powers to tackle pavement parking. The new powers are due to take effect later this year, alongside guidance on how the rules can be enforced in a proportionate way. The Local Government Association provide In Touch with details of what these new powers might look like across the country and when. A nation-wide ban was introduced in Scotland a...

Regular In Touch listeners will know that decisions to make organisational changes by management at The Macular Society have been met with strong opposition. The changes include a reduction in the number of regional managers, a move which some in the charity say will badly damage service provision. Indeed, feelings are running so high that a group called "Save Our Society, Save our Services" or SO...

The Disability Confident Scheme is a government programme that aims to help employers recruit and retain disabled people. Organisations can volunteer to sign up and move through three tiers that have varying levels of commitments. As part of a series of measures to try to help with the recruitment of disabled people, the government are planning to overhaul the scheme and make certain criteria more...

The NHS Online Hospital will aim to provide patients with the option of a hybrid care pathway, with the option of face-to-face appointments and digital connections with doctors and consultants. In Touch hears about the plans for the service, how it might contribute to bringing down long waiting lists and tacking the so-called postcode lottery of care across England. Blind Paralympic athlete, conte...