Sight loss charities join forces to launch online advice hub

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Guide Dogs, Visionary, VICTA, Fight for Sight and Vision UK are working together to provide blind and partially sighted people with easy to access high-quality information about sight loss. Working in partnership, the sight loss charities have shared their expertise to create the new website, www.sightadvicefaq.org.uk, which pulls together content from across the sector. The Sight Advice FAQ portal answers questions about living with sight loss, eye health or being newly diagnosed with a sight condition. The website is also designed to…

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RNIB appoints new Head of Social Change

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has announced the appointment to the newly created role of Head of Social Change. Sarah Lambert, former Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Volunteering at the National Autistic Society, started the role on 5 November 2018. While at the National Autistic Society, Sarah was central to securing the Autism Act 2009, the first disability specific legislation in the UK. More recently she led her team to successfully ensure the proper recording of autism diagnosis waiting times by NHS England, and to end…

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Charity film highlights dangers of shared space schemes and call for streets to be safe to cross

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has released a short film to highlight the problems of inaccessible streets. Fronted by blind and partially sighted campaigners, the #HowISee film takes place in problem areas in Leicester, Kingston and Edinburgh. Kingston-based Elise Crayton has Stargardt’s Disease which means she has lost her central vision. Changes to the area Elise lives in include a switch away from signal-controlled pedestrian crossings and the merging of footpaths and cycle paths into one level surface. Elise said: “The built environment has changed so much.…

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RNIB joins with broadcasters to get more people using audio description

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is supporting a high profile advertising campaign aimed at helping people to use audio description on their televisions. UK Broadcasters including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, UKTV, and Viacom are taking part in the campaign, with promotional adverts airing from 17 July – 9 September 2018. Audio description is a free service that can transform TV viewing for people who have difficulty seeing what’s happening on the screen. Like a narrator telling a story, an additional commentary describes body language, expressions and movements,…

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