RNIB Connect RNIB Connect Radio

Two new members have just joined Haggeye, RNIB Scotland's award-winning youth forum.

Amelia talked to Jemima and Luke about the group and what they’re looking forward to most.

Learn more about Haggeye on the RNIB Website https://www.rnib.org.uk/nations/scotland/youth-engagement-haggeye/
Follow @Haggeyefamily on Twitter and Facebook.

Image shows the Haggeye Logo of a cartoon haggis wearing a red tartan kilt and hat with black shoes on.

Thomas Pocklington Trust were involved in the recent Education Select Committee around Disabled Students Allowance. David Hogg speaks to TPT’s Lucy Merritt to find out more

The Department of Work and Pensions has launched a consultation into changed to Personal Independence Payment. David Hogg caught up with RNIB’s Rosin Jacklin to learn more about the consultation…

Clare Aldworth, RNIB Insight Community Manager shares the latest opportunities for blind and partially sighted people to get involved in with RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey.

Opportunities highlighted this week included:

Your experience of website accessibility 
Tilly is a student studying Media Production at De Montfort University. She is currently undertaking research on website accessibility. Tilly is particularly interested in the experiences of users who have a visual impairment, but she’s also exploring other impairments and disabilities. She has created a short research exercise and is looking for volunteers to take part. 

You will be asked to take a look at 2 different websites. You’ll then complete a quick 5 minute survey asking you various questions on how accessible you found them. Tilly hopes that her research will help future website designers in making their website more accessible for all. For more details and to receive a link to the research exercise do email involvement@rnib.org.uk


Opportunity for podcast fans
Catalina is a student doing some research to explore the challenges faced by blind and partially sighted users when browsing podcasts and identify ways to improve accessibility on mainstream podcasting apps. She would love to hear from anyone who listens to podcasts and has a vision impairment.

You will be taking part in a 1-hour Zoom interview (with your camera off if you want!) to share your insights. Catalina will ask you some open-ended questions on your overall experience with podcast platforms, thoughts on browsing for new podcasts, frustrations, things you like, things you wish were different etc...
Catalina can be flexible in terms of scheduling and of course because the interviews will be online you can participate from the comfort of your home. 
Participants will receive a £5 giftcard for either Amazon or a place of their choice.
if you are interested in getting involved do email involvement@rnib.org.uk for more details.

To find out more about these and other Connect Voices opportunities along with how you can get involved with RNIB Connect Voices do visit - https://www.rnib.org.uk/connect-community/connect-voices-network/connect-voices-current-opportunities


(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

I-SCREEN is a project being supported by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast which aims to revolutionise the care of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) by developing an artificial intelligence (AI) programme to identify and monitor the early stages of AMD through equipment found in High Street Opticians. 

Dr Ruth Hogg from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast who is leading the project joins RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey to explain more about I-SCREEN. 

Dr Ruth Hogg alongside researchers from Northern Ireland Clinical Research facility will begin by recruiting patients with intermediate AMD, who they will follow for two years in order to identify the earliest stage of transition to late AMD. 
 
This data will then be used to help refine AI models that could be used in the community by High Street optometrists.

The I-SCREEN project has been established through the collaboration of a multidisciplinary network of clinical retina experts, computer scientists, community-based optometrists, and business specialists experienced in clinical decision support systems for ophthalmology.

More about I-SCREEN can be found on the project’s website - https://i-screen.eu


(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)

If you use eye drops regularly then you’ll know just how hard it can be to administer them yourself. There’s a new product in the RNIB shop that could make taking care of your eye health much easier, it’s even had approval from the experts in Dragons Den, as Hywel Davies has been finding out.

You can find more information on the EziDrops applicator here: Ezidrops Eye Drop Applicator | RNIB