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 [...]
The Verses That Make Us: A Personal Journey Through Change
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month By Ellie Wallwork In mid September, I stood on a stage with a band arrayed behind me, four pages of braille paper clutched in my hand. I'm an actor but I felt the most acute stage fright of my life, voice caught in my throat and knees shaking as if I had run a marathon. I didn't think the words would come - until I started to speak. I hadn't thought of myself as a poet. I used to tap words out on a keyboard when I [...]
Success – A poem by Mahalia Creft
By Mahalia Creft Success The tedious wait for the payoff of hard work to finally fall through. Accessed only from a path of constant failure, winding round and round on itself. This path is long, with rocks and stones that jut from the earth, Digging their teeth into the soles of your feet. You stumble, then you fall onto the dirty, dusty floor, Hands above your head, legs sprawled out on the ground. You get up, even though the constant fear of rejection and failure hangs over you like a cloak, dragging you down, wanting you to settle [...]
I Can and I Will – A poem by Grace Hill
By Grace Hill I Can and I Will I can and I willClimb that hillI might be scaredBut I will get thereWith my courage and prideAnd a guide by my sideI can and I will. I can and I willClimb that hillI fear the heightBut I'll be alrightGripping onto my caneI will push through the rainBecause I can and I will. I can and I willClimb that hillI'm frightened to fallBut I can still have it allWe all can flyIf we spread our wings and tryI can and I will. About Grace... [...]
