Great toys for vision impaired children this National Play Day
Did you know that the first Wednesday of every August is National Play Day? To mark the occasion, blind writer Charlotte Bateman shares her memories of play as a child, and her top toy picks especially suited for children with sight loss. One of my happiest memories from childhood is spending endless hours just playing. I was born in 2001, before tablets and smartphones took over. Back then, it was all about toys. And as a blind child, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Everything was tactile. I spent hours building Lego houses, [...]
Inclusive Voices short story competition for vision impaired young people
Celebrating Audio, Braille, and Community To mark HiVis Fortnight 2025, Calibre Audio is proud to relaunch the Inclusive Voices short story competition – a celebration of creativity, accessibility, and diverse storytelling. Whether you love to write poetry or prose, they're inviting entries from people of all ages and abilities. Craft a story of up to 550 words that includes at least one of our themes: Audio, Braille, and Community. Who Can Enter? Everyone is welcome! Calibre encourages entries from: People with print disabilities, including current and potential Calibre members. Budding writers of all ages, with or without a [...]
Top tips for making money and securing employment as a vision impaired person
Charlotte shares side hustles to try this summer holidays When I was a teen, many of my sighted peers at school were getting weekend jobs: stacking shelves, working as baristas, waiting tables. But as someone with no useful vision, none of those jobs were accessible. I ended up receiving Universal Credit which provided me with a small monthly income. It meant I could spend money on things like new clothes or eating out. Having said that, the whole application process was pretty laborious, and now that I look back, I wish I’d thought about other [...]
Nine ways ChatGPT can help you live a smarter, more independent life
Top ChatGPT Hacks You Need To Know: Charlotte shares her thoughts on how ChatGPT can be especially helpful for VI users: I was very sceptical about ChatGPT. I assumed it would be unreliable and clunky and full of misinformation. But I can honestly say, I was wrong. It is so clever and it has made a huge difference in not only my job, but also my daily life as a blind person. Here, I discuss my top hacks for living a smoother, smarter and more independent life with ChatGPT. What is it? Developed by OpenAI, [...]
GSCE and A-Level Revision Tips
It's the final push before exams - here are our top ten revision tips! Revising for exams like GCSEs and A-Levels can be tough. But with the right tools and strategies, you can absolutely thrive. Whether you use Braille, screen readers or large print, here are our top revision tips for blind and VI students. 1. Make a revision plan In a document, write out a list of all the subjects you are taking. Divide each subject into topics. Put a star or symbol next to the topics you find most challenging. This will help you [...]
Celebrating our love of books together!
Let's celebrate all of our entries! We'd like to say a massive thank you to all the children who entered our World Book Day celebration! Here is the final line up of submissions where you’ve dressed up and told us about your favourite books. All of the children who took part this year received a a free Voxblock audiobook reader so you can continue to explore your love of literacy! Catherine from the VICTA team has also selected some of her favourite entries to receive a pair of POGS The Elephant headphones, we’ll be in touch soon if you [...]
Hear from some of our World Book Day Competition Entrants!
Here are some of our little bookworms' favourite stories! “My favourite book is The Rainbow Fish because it was not kind and then it was kind in the end.” - Gabriella “So my book review is about Harry Potter. What I like about it is Rubeus Hagrid because he is really kind to Harry and he helps Harry a lot in all of the seven books. If you’ve not read them they’re really good. And what I don’t like about it is Lord Voldemort because he’s [...]
Free Support for VI Prospective University Students
Are you a visually impaired student starting university this autumn or currently in your first year? The process of applying to university is stressful for everyone but can be even more difficult when you have a visual impairment. Arriving at university as a VI student can be daunting. With the support of the LOOK University Mentors, LOOK wants to help take some of the stress out of it. Through our University Mentoring programme, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, you will be paired with a VI young person who has already been through the application process [...]
The World’s First Period Detection Product for the Blind
What is FlowSense and how is it useful? As you approach your teens, you will start to notice changes in your body. You might get spots. Your voice might change. You might discover hair growing in new places, like down there or under your arms. Emotionally, you might also find your mood changes a lot and feelings become more intense. Whatever it is, the most important thing to remember is, you are not alone. These changes are all normal, and every one of your classmates, both male and female, will be experiencing them too. In today's [...]
VICTA Changemaker Ruqaiya’s Art Ehibition
Can you see me now? An Exhibition by Blind Artist Ruqaiya Asim. Ruqaiya is one of our fantastic VICTA Changemakers and is currently studying a BA in Fine Arts at University College London. She is also the winner of Cass Art Prize, People’s Choice Award 2024. A Tactile Journey Experience how I, as a blind person, navigate the world, break barriers, and challenge stereotypes. Let’s make the world more inclusive! On display between 1st – 29th March 2025. Opening event: Saturday, 1st March, from 11 am – 2 pm. Tea and coffee will be available. Opening hours: Monday [...]
