300 episodes

News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted

In Touch BBC Radio 4

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 4 Ratings

News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted

    26/03/2024

    26/03/2024

    News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted

    • 18 min
    The State of Vision Rehabilitation Services

    The State of Vision Rehabilitation Services

    Vision Rehabilitation is an essential service to newly blind or partially sighted people, and those whose sight has changed. It is a service that is provided by local councils and can help with things like technology, daily mobility and independent living skills. But new Freedom of Information data from the RNIB has highlighted that many local councils aren't providing this vital service in a timely manner. Resulting in thousands of blind and partially sighted people without the help that they are entitled to by law. We hear from you about how the delays are impacting daily life and independence.
    The RNIB's David Aldwinkle provides details of the findings. Andy Fisher is a vision rehabilitation specialist and has worked within the public and private sectors and Simon Labbett is the Chair of the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network and an active rehabilitation officer in a local council - they both help us assess the issues and the potential solutions.
    Presenter: Peter White
    Producer: Beth Hemmings
    Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
    Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

    • 18 min
    The Impacts of an Inactive Government - Northern Ireland

    The Impacts of an Inactive Government - Northern Ireland

    The Northern Ireland Assembly, the country's devolved legislature, have recently reformed after years of political stalemate. In Touch investigates the issues that arose during the Assembly's years of inactivity and that will have potential long-term impacts for visually impaired people. Some of the changes to the UK's benefit system uniquely impacts people in Northern Ireland because it has meant that many are no longer automatically entitled to free eye tests. This is something that many fear could lead to early signs of conditions that can cause blindness, being missed. And we investigate the impacts to transport services; particularly community transport, as many visually impaired people across Northern Ireland heavily rely on it to continue to live full and independent lives.
    Presenter: Peter White
    Producer: Beth Hemmings
    Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
    Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

    • 18 min
    RNIB Tech for Life Fair - Belfast

    RNIB Tech for Life Fair - Belfast

    Northern Ireland recently hosted its first major assistive technology conference. The conference was hosted by the RNIB at the Europa Hotel in Belfast and it was home for the day to all the big players in the assistive technology arena. In Touch went along to find out what the latest tech has to offer and the kinds of things visually impaired people were interested in.
    Presenter: Peter White
    Producer: Beth Hemmings
    Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
    Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

    • 18 min
    Voting Requirements; Smart Energy; Visual Snow

    Voting Requirements; Smart Energy; Visual Snow

    2024 promises to be hugely significant for political change around the world, with more than eighty countries planning to head to the polls. The UK being one of them. This year will see not only a general election, but local elections and others. Niki Nixon is from The Electoral Commission, and she provides details of what visually impaired people need to consider before voting, especially regarding photographic ID.
    We examine your experiences with energy companies and AIHDs and we answer a listeners question: what is Visual Snow Syndrome? Dr Sui Wong, consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, helps us answer the question.
    Presenter: Peter White
    Producer: Beth Hemmings
    Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
    Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

    • 18 min
    Blind Baseball and Morris Dancing

    Blind Baseball and Morris Dancing

    Tonight's edition challenges any idea that there are limits to the ways in which visually impaired people can have fun!
    Shiraz Cohan is the founder of the UK Blind Baseball Association. He joins us with Lancashire Lions team mate Shoaib Nazir and Ray Clements from the Liverpool blind Trojans. They tell us how the sport has been adapted to make it accessible to blind and visually impaired people and what is being done to grow the number of UK teams.
    The UK Blind Baseball Association can be contacted by email at ukblindbaseball@gmail.com
    So X sighted is the catchy name of what's thought to be the UK's only group of blind morris dancers. We speak to their Squire, Shirley Sheridan along with dancer Arnold Penney and band member Jean Fray. They share the story of how they got started, how they learned their craft and what it means to them.
    So X sighted can be contacted by email at soxmorris@gmail.com
    Presenter: Peter White
    Producer: Fern Lulham
    Production Coordinators: Liz Poole and Emma Smith
    Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch"; and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one of a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

    • 18 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
4 Ratings

4 Ratings

ListenerUS ,

Well done

Well done program. Interesting information and good interviews.

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

The Viall Files
Nick Viall
MeSsy with Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Wishbone Production
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
This American Life
This American Life
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Vox Media Podcast Network
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan | Cumulus Podcast Network

You Might Also Like

RNIB Tech Talk
RNIB Connect Radio
All in the Mind
BBC Radio 4
Last Word
BBC Radio 4
The Kitchen Cabinet
BBC Radio 4
File on 4
BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
BBC Radio 4

More by BBC

Global News Podcast
BBC World Service
In Our Time
BBC Radio 4
You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
6 Minute English
BBC Radio
Newshour
BBC World Service
Homeschool History
BBC Radio 4