My Norway Adventure – Chasing the Northern Lights
By Rhiana Ralls Hi everybody, I’m Rhiana and I’m partially sighted, with a number of different causes and variables. I am 20 and live in South West Wales. I'd like to share an account of my recent adventure to Norway and the accessibility of the cruise for others travelling with a vision impairment. We arrived at Newcastle docks the night before our big adventure. The cruise ship Borealis was due to set sail the next morning. I spent that night resting after the 8-hour car journey. The accessible room was nice and the staff at [...]
Digital accessibility – Blackboard Ultra
Hello, my name is Mohammed Alomrani. I am a second year student, studying a degree in Digital Education at the University of the West of England. As a blind student using the Non Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) screen reader, I was invited by UWE's Digital Capability team to test the accessibility of Blackboard Ultra. This opportunity enabled me to challenge the social barriers faced by disabled students in digital learning environments. Some of these challenges included use of virtual learning environments and the inaccessibility of learning materials. The collaboration resulted in a comprehensive blog post titled "Blackboard Ultra and [...]
My braille journey
By Eliza Humphrey Hello, I am Eliza, a VICTA Changemaker and life-long braille user. I have been blind since birth and have always used braille to read and write. For me, it has allowed me to access so many different parts of my life, from schoolwork to music, enabling me to pursue my interests and enjoy activities with family and friends. With 2025 celebrating 200 years of braille, I would like to celebrate the tactile code and explain how I use it every day. What is braille and its different types Braille is a system [...]
I’m blind and this is why I love Ju-Jitsu
By Kieran Clarke The reason that I love Ju-Jitsu so much as a blind person is because it doesn't really have to be adapted for me. I can spar, compete, train and do everything that everyone else can do without any adaptation, unlike other sports. Ju-Jitsu primarily relies on contact and feel of your opponent, so this is great for someone like me that relies on these senses more than the average person. However, sometimes when I'm grappling, I do tend to accidently poke my opponents in the eyes. And I promise this is not from [...]
Join blind artist & VICTA Changemaker Ruqaiya’s on a tour of her exhibition
Join VICTA Changemaker and blind artist Ruqaiya Asim for a tour of her current exhibition 'Can You See Me Now?' The exhibition is all about spreading disability awareness and sharing Ruqaiya's experiences of how she navigates the world as a blind person. Ruqaiya talks you through the features she's put in place to make sure her art is accessible for you to experience if you have a vision impairment. You can still catch 'Can You See Me Now' in person until 29 March Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am – 5 pm. Location: [...]
Changemaker Tegan: Creating a Blind Community on TikTok
How I raise awareness on TikTok Hi, I’m Tegan and I’m 19 years old. I was born blind and have very limited vision; I’m a brailleist and a white cane user. Alongside studying at university, I am a passionate activist. I used to be a member of the Welsh Youth Parliament and am now a proud VICTA Changemaker! I started making TikTok videos because I wanted to show people that being blind doesn’t hold me back, and that I can still achieve all the things I want to despite the barriers I face. In [...]
Pieces of Hope: a Playlist Diary of my Self-Discovery Journey
My Playlist to Self-Discovery In 2022 I wrote a piece accompanied by a playlist of songs and lyrics that help me 'spill brain' and communicate when things are getting a little too much. Since then I have written another piece about how I have finally been able to achieve my goal of taking up a dance class. This has proven an inspiring time of self-discovery for me. Without knowing, one of my dance teachers consistently chooses music that has turned the dancefloor into a space for me to take pause and connect with the world around [...]
I couldn’t work for 8 weeks because my DWP disability payments were delayed
One of our Changemakers has a story to share... Yahoo News has just released an article all about our wonderful VICTA Changemaker Bilaal. The article addresses delays to the Access To Work scheme and how these are negatively impacting visually impaired employees. Bilaal's experience features to raise awareness on this issues and highlight how changes need to be put in place. To check out this important news piece and support our Changemaker Bilaal, click here.
Video game development project for the blind
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month Video games, as the name suggests, are not supportive for people without sight. The assumption that the player has sight means that there are certain aspects of any game that would stop a vision impaired person from playing, like ambiguous audio cues or precise timing. In order to create a game that works for visually impaired people, we have to try to solve these issues. The first question we (myself and Mohammed) had to discuss in development was “What kind of game would be accessible for people with [...]
Using transport when your are blind
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month Hi my name is Abu-bakr Ishtiaq, this article is all about transport and a bit about my experiences as someone who has a vision impairment. About me and my vision impairment I am registered blind - severely sight impaired with a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa RP with Laurence Moon Biedl syndrome and I also have tunnel vision. Despite my vision impairment, I get around independently on public transport, using platforms for trams, trains and buses. What helped me was being given the confidence while attending the residential college [...]
