Tag: RNIB

UK’s leading sight loss charity, RNIB, appoints five new trustees

Stuart Mitchell

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has appointed five new trustees to its board. The new additions bring a wealth of experience and will play a crucial role in making major decisions that affect the charity and its subsidiaries. The five new trustees are: Director of External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, Andrew McCracken; finance expert Graham Colbert; Barry Hoffman – a former Chief People Officer at a FTSE company; Motability Foundation CEO, Nigel Fletcher and risk and finance expert Zayna Ali. Anna Tylor, RNIB’s Chair of…

Read More

Sighted guide support for Edinburgh Fringe

Stuart Mitchell

RNIB Scotland is launching their sighted guide service to support blind and partially sighted festival-goers in August. Edinburgh in August means crowded streets, shifting queues, and venues that pop up overnight. For blind and partially sighted attendees, that can be difficult and exhausting to navigate. Not everyone has someone available to help, so RNIB Scotland are partnering with Edinburgh Festival Fringe to launch a sighted-guide service ensuring nobody has to miss out on the fun. Last year, sighted guide volunteers supported comedian Jamie MacDonald in getting to his Fringe shows…

Read More

RNIB appoints actor Victoria Smurfit as new President as Dame Gail Ronson DBE steps down

Stuart Mitchell

RNIB has announced that actor, and star of Disney+ UK’s ‘Rivals,’ Victoria Smurfit has been appointed as the charity’s new President. Victoria takes on the role as Dame Gail Ronson DBE steps down after 14 years of dedicated service. As President, Victoria will help strengthen relationships with supporters and senior volunteers, thank and engage key partners, and champion RNIB’s campaigns and services. RNIB has recognised Dame Gail Ronson DBE’s contribution to the organisation by awarding her the title of Honorary President meaning she will continue to have a close connection…

Read More

New film depicts future travel for people with sight loss

Stuart Mitchell

RNIB and the Motability Foundation commissioned and have now premiered a new short film Nyla’s Story which aims to reimagine transport systems that truly work for blind and partially sighted people. The film aims to influence accessible transport thinking by sharing lived experience insights and learning from Future Journeys to encourage meaningful action by decision makers.  Last night (April 29), a drama film Nyla’s Story, made by Bowman and Poole, premiered at the British Library in London, which follows Nyla, a teenager with sight loss, on a journey in the future where transport is…

Read More

UK Government launches SEND reform consultation: What it means for children with vision impairment

Stuart Mitchell

The Department for Education has published proposals for wide-ranging reforms to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in England, alongside the launch of a national consultation. The plans, which have been subject to much speculation over the last year, aim to create a more inclusive system, improve consistency across the country, and ensure earlier access to support. RNIB is still analysing the proposals in full. However, below we consider what several key elements of the reforms could mean for an estimated 35,000 children and young people with vision impairment…

Read More