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 [...]
Whispers in the Dark – by Ruqayyah Ullah
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month #WorldSightDay A poem by Ruqayyah Ullah Whispers in the Dark When I was little, whispers told me things. They told me the sky wasn’t just “blue” — it made you think of bubble gum ice cream. They told me the park was full of secret colours: the bench was supposed to be black but the colour had faded from age, use and weather it was now more grey like a stormy sky, the puddles were shiny like pennies, and the dog was wagging its tail, it sounded like wind. [...]
A blind person at work: tough some days, easier than most think
Hear from Changemaker Robin on his experience as a VI person navigating the workplace Let’s start with the elephant in the room: what’s work really like when you’re visually impaired? A VIP, if you will. And no, it’s not the first time that joke’s been made. You’ll hear it again, probably at least once a week for the rest of your life. Landing the job is its own battle, but that’s for another article. This one’s about what comes next. The celebrations are over, the offer’s signed, and now it’s time to see what this whole [...]
Showdown! The blind sport taking para-sport by storm
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month Millie-Jayne is passionate about raising awareness about vision impairments through her social media channels @the.way.i.see.it. Today she takes the chance to talk about another great passion, the blind sport, showdown. Millie interviews GB Showdown player Jerri who has just returned from the Under 25s Showdown World Championships in Prague, have a listen and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Follow Millie-Jayne on TikTok: @the.way.i.see.it Find out more about the Sheffield Strikers on TikTok: @sheffield_strikers_sd And on the web: srsb.org.uk/SRSB-Showdown Read more about showdown [...]
Blindness Awareness Month 2025 – A VICTA Changemakers Takeover
Celebrating Blindness Awareness Month 2025 with the VICTA Changemakers! The VICTA Changemakers are taking over the Student Portal throughout Blindness Awareness Month, bringing you the topics that matter to them - to spread awareness of what it's like living with a sight impairment, the reality, struggles and the triumphs. Whether you have a vision impairment yourself or are looking to learn more about living with sight loss, our team are here to share their stories to connect and inspire. With topics from accessible sewing, to sports and employability, there is something for everyone. Make sure you [...]
The world of radio – connection & community for blind & partially sighted people
By Scarlett Humphrey Everyone is familiar with the radio - it’s often on in the car, used as a background noise, or turned on to listen to specific shows. With so much choice now available to listen to and watch on so many streaming platforms though, the world of radio can easily be thought of as slipping away. But for many it still stands strong, bringing with it a sense of connection and community. I class myself in this bracket, an avid listener and radio enthusiast… and so do many other blind and partially sighted people. But [...]
Shadow of Light – International Music Competition
By Ellie Wallwork Hi everyone, as some of you might already know, along with being a Changemaker, I am also a visually impaired actor. Below is a wonderful project which I feel so privileged to be involved in! Shadow of Light is an upcoming international feature film, in which I will be playing the lead role of Georgia. If you're a composer for acoustic guitar, you have the chance to be part of it too by submitting your own original piece of work to be featured in the film. You can find out more about [...]
Experiencing nature as a blind person
By Grace Hill Across June The Wildlife Trusts have been getting people involved and engaged in nature for 30 Days Wild. Grace shares her thoughts on exploring nature with sight loss. Hello, I'm Grace and I'm a VICTA Changemaker, and today I'm going to offer some insight into my experience of nature as a blind person. So we often talk about how nature can help our mental health, how going out in nature can help us clear our heads and connect with the world around us. And that is completely true, but there are downsides... [...]
