In Touch

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...

The BBC is pausing its plan to shut down the Red Button text service after protests from blind users. But can it be saved long term? How safe are blind children as they go online? And the opportunities on offer for blind 18-35 year olds to volunteer to work abroad. PRESENTER: Peter White PRODUCER: Mike Young

A call has gone out for more male blood donors. It turns out that male blood is crucial for the eye drops needed to control a rare eye condition. Sjogren's Syndrome is an auto-immune disease which can have several effects including aggravating already dry eyes. We'll hear from someone with Sjogren's Syndrome and an expert on the condition. And we meet Melissa Reid - a gold medal winning triathlete...

Peter White hears about the talking technology that is slowly being added to the UK's buses. When will more public transport get the equipment that tells you where you are and where you're headed? We hear about the app designed to help people with macular degeneration to continue to read text. Producer: Mike Young Presenter: Peter White

Peter White with a focus on smaller blind charities in the UK. We hear from Visionary, an umbrella organisation which represents more than a hundred of these charities. The Chief Executives of Sight Concern Worcestershire and Sight Service Gateshead tell us about the challenges they face. And we hear from the people who use the services on offer. PRODUCER: Mike Young.

Leading eye experts in the UK have signed an open letter in The Guardian calling for more funds for medical research. We'll hear from Professor Chris Hammond who is one of the signatories of that letter... And Fight For Sight's Dr Rubina Ahmed. And we meet Mike Tetley, the blind physiotherapist who's still working after more than 60 years.

This is the second episode in which a flautist, a singer, a composer and multi-instrumentalist swap stories about making it in their chosen profession. They discuss how they got into the industry, whether blindness gives them an advantage and share their tips for success Guests: Liz Hargest, Shaun Hayward, Andre Louis, Anne Wilkins. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

A flautist, a singer, a composer and multi-instrumentalist swap stories about making it in their chosen profession. They discuss how they got into the industry, whether blindness gives them an advantage and they also share tips for success. Guests: Liz Hargest, Shaun Hayward, Andre Louis, Anne Wilkins. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

Fern Lulham assumes the role of festive fashion correspondent and gives the low-down on what’s hot this chilly Christmas. Emma Williams, who teaches visually impaired students at New College Worcester techniques for daily living, talks Peter through the best way to approach the task of present wrapping. And just three of Lee Kumutat’s favourite In Touch treasures from the past eleven years. Presen...

In May the High Court ruled that the use of Tactile Voting Devices was unlawful. Blind and VI people are regularly confronted with polling staff who do not seem to realise the rules, so ahead of the General Election we discuss what you're entitled to with Ailsa Irvine from the Electoral Commission. We also hear from Rachael Andrews who brought the case on the basis that her vote as a blind person...

In response to the RNIB announcing the sale of its three care homes and three colleges, In Touch has been contacted by an employee who says staff weren’t warned their workplace was being sold. 23-year-old Josh Mcentee lost his sight three years ago in an horrific car accident. He found he was still able to do martial art Jiu jitsu – and is setting up classes for sighted and visually impaired peopl...

The RNIB is proposing to sell its remaining schools, colleges and residential care homes after taking the decision to close The Pears School in 2018. Peter White asks new CEO Matt Stringer how this fits in with its strategy for the future. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

Do visually impaired children have more disrupted sleep than sighted children? University College London is looking for children to take part in sleep research. And we fulfill one listener’s request to learn about how visually-impaired people met their significant others. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

The new Apple Plus SciFi series See is about a world in which everyone is blind. Until twins are born sighted and become a reason for tribes to go in to battle. Blindness consultant Joe Strechay tells Peter White how you teach sighted actors to portray blindness. Advent For Change, a not-for-profit enterprise, has developed a braille advent calendar. She explains why it doesn’t contain chocolate....

Earlier this year a high court judge decided that the rule which sets out the requirements for a tactile voting device to be available at every polling station is itself unlawful, because it does not allow blind or partially sighted people to vote "without the need for assistance". And this isn't the only concern about our right to a secret and accessible vote. So what changes can we expect before...

Keith Jones is a lawyer and works from home. He wanted to volunteer for the charity Hospice of the Valleys. He went for an interview and was accepted. However, a risk assessment was carried out on the location, and it was deemed unsuitable for him to work there. Keith says it’s discrimination but can he sue? Sean Delaney from the National Council of Volunteer Organisations outlines the law in this...

In 2018 Ofcom set out guidelines for TV providers to make their electronic programme guides (EPGs) accessible. It outlined there should be text-to-speech information as well as magnified text. Programmes that are audio-described should also be easy to find. Digital UK which provides the Freeview platform is undertaking a consultation on which channel their accessible EPG should appear. Liz Reynold...