A Guide to using Passenger Assistance for the First Time
Growing up as a blind teenager, I had no idea how I would ever learn to travel independently. The thought of navigating huge stations and busy crowds terrified me. Then I discovered something called Passenger Assistance, and everything changed. A Quick History of Accessibility This year, the British railway is celebrating 200 years of passenger service. For a long time, the needs of disabled people were ignored. It wasn’t until the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 that rail operators started taking their responsibilities seriously. Even today, there is still a lot of progress to make (only 56% [...]
Anti-Bullying Week – The Art of Being Seen
VICTA Changemakers Anti-Bullying Week 2025 The Art of Being Seen by Millie-Jayne As a blind artist myself, I wanted to write a story that captures how it feels to be seen for who you are, not just what people notice first. “The Art of Being Seen” is about finding courage through creativity and how using your voice, your art, or your story can become its own Power for Good. Sometimes the most powerful change begins quietly, with someone brave enough to share how they see the world in their own way. Story Rowan was used [...]
Anti-Bullying Week – The Rainbow Cane Short Story
VICTA Changemakers Anti-Bullying Week 2025 The Rainbow Cane by Millie-Jayne This story was written for Anti-Bullying Week and inspired by this year’s theme, Power for Good. It reminds us that being different isn’t something to hide, it's something to celebrate. For children, kindness often begins with curiosity and grows into understanding. The Rainbow Cane is a gentle story about a blind girl who learns that her difference can brighten the world around her one ribbon, one smile, one kind action at a time. Story Lila’s cane was white, just like every other one. It helped [...]
Use your Power for Good this Anti-Bullying Week 2025
It’s Anti-Bullying Week! As a proud member of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, VICTA is delighted to be celebrating this very important week, from Monday 10th to Friday 14th November. Join in with us on the VICTA Student Portal to learn more and encourage others to use their Power for Good. Power for Good This Anti-Bullying Week, young people are being empowered to use their Power for Good to safely speak up and raise awareness when they see bullying, face to face or online. How have you used your Power for Good? Comment on this post or email students@victa.org.uk letting [...]
Visiting attractions with a vision impairment
Hi everyone, my name is James. I’m 21 years old and I’m from Nottingham. I am registered partially sighted and have a genetic condition called Ocular Albinism which affects my iris, retina and optic nerve. In short, my eyes don’t have enough colour and my brain doesn’t get signals from my eyes fast enough. It also includes nystagmus which means my eyes move from side to side which I can’t control. I want to share what it’s like to visit attractions as someone who is visually impaired and what I do to navigate them, as well as showcasing [...]
YOU CAN’T LOOK BUT YOU CAN TOUCH
Below, Changemaker Amy shares her research into accessibility in museums and galleries across the UK, and how she conducted her own exhibition to combat some of these issues. For my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), I organised an exhibition on making museums and galleries more accessible for people with a visual impairment (VI). I put on an accessible artefacts exhibition at The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) showcasing historic artefacts from different periods. People would enter the exhibition wearing blindfolds and would then be able to touch the artefact rather than look at them. Beside [...]
Fashion and design with a vision impairment
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month Evelyne loves sewing and garment creation @evelyne_.rose_. Today she tells us how she makes her passion more accessible with the right tools and tips. Evelyne shows us the adjustments she uses to make her creative process accessible, including how she uses her sewing machine to make her own clothes. Follow Evelyne on TikTok: @evelyne_.rose_ Meet the Changemakers Our team of 2025/26 introduce themselves >
Talking to a blind person – just start the conversation!
How important are the words we use? In 2025, we live in a society where words are scrutinised more closely than ever before. It has become more important to use the right terms, especially when referring to a specific group of people, such as those with a vision impairment (VI). As someone who has been blind since birth, I am often faced with people wanting to ask questions and communicate, but who may be prevented from doing so due to a fear of saying the wrong thing. I can’t count the number of times people have [...]
My Experience of Sailing as a Blind Person
When you hear the word sailor, what kind of person comes to mind? When I first heard about a sailing week organised by the Sailing Vision Trust for visually impaired people last year, I imagined sailing as a physically demanding, highly visual, and inaccessible sport. I thought about the challenges: moving around the boat, steering it, and navigating safely. It felt impossible for someone blind like me. But I still wanted to give it a go, and I soon discovered how wrong my first impression was. Taking the first step into the unknown I first came [...]
Are Meta Glasses worth it?
Hey Meta - these glasses have changed everything As a gadget girlie, I love anything AI-driven. So when I recently found out about Meta glasses, I knew I had to try them. What I didn't realise was just how much they were about to change my life. They have transformed my independence, allowing me to do things I never thought I would be able to do without sighted assistance. And so I figured I would share my experiences in this post for Blindness Awareness Month. What are Meta Smart Glasses? Created by Meta (the same company that owns [...]
