New opportunity – Blind In Business Pathways Service Events – Autumn 2024
Please see the information below from Blind In Business about their upcoming events for this autumn... Building Prospects Part 2 Building Prospects is a fun, peer led program of hour-long workshops, designed to empower blind and partially sighted young people between the ages of 13 and 18. We create a confidence building, supportive environment which helps participants explore pathways towards the career of their dreams. We will explore and equip participants with CV writing tips, how and where to job search, an interview master class and opportunity to practice mock interviews with leading employers in [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
The pros and cons of having a guide dog or cane
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month Ruqaiya qualified with Guide Dog Bertie in April 2023. She chats about some of the pros and cons of owning a Guide Dog, the things she hadn't thought about and the positive things Bertie brings to her life as a university student. Find out more by watching Ruqaiya's video below. Don't forget to give @VICTAUK a like and subscribe on YouTube to stay up-to-date with our latest videos. By Ruqaiya Asim You can also find me Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @ruqaiya.art
Things I learnt training for the London Marathon
VICTA Changemakers Blindness Awareness Month On the 21st of April, along with my guide runner, I set out to compete the 2024 TCS London Marathon. I had raised the money for charity (VICTA), done the training and now, it was time for the real thing. Weirdly I don’t remember much about the day itself. I remember the noise though. The cheering and shouting of thousands of families. There were kids banging tambourines in no apparent rhythm and timpani drummers playing in perfect synchronisation. There were out of tune recorder players and brass bands [...]
Celebrating World Laughter Day with blind comedian Jamie MacDonald
In 1995, a doctor called Madan Kataria from India made it his mission to help people de-stress through 'laughter clubs'. These quickly spread around the globe and resulted in the creation of World Laughter Day in 1998. It is now observed on the first Sunday of May. To celebrate the day, I spoke to Jamie MacDonald - a blind, Glaswegian comedian who lives with his wife in Sheffield. The 43-year-old began losing his sight at 16 due to a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. He has since gone on to complete degrees, try [...]
Be inspired. Park runs and marathons as a blind runner
Running or jogging is considered one of the best cardio exercises out there. Just 5-10 minutes a day can help to build strong bones and muscles, while lifting your mood and energy levels. For many, outdoor running can also decrease feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression. However, when you have a vision impairment, it's not as simple as just popping out for a quick morning jog on your own. So how can we enjoy the benefits of outdoor running while keeping safe? One answer to that question is guide running. The activity, which uses a ramble tag, enables [...]
Interview – Accessing STEM subjects as a VI student
For British Science Week, Charlotte Bateman spoke to a blind 16-year-old student (AJ) at the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), Herefordshire - about making STEM subjects more accessible to VI pupils. While she is currently studying A-Levels in English Literature, Psychology and German, AJ excelled at science during her GCSE education. Below she shares her tips for getting the most out of your lessons, and what to do if you are struggling with the syllabus. What was your experience of science at school? AJ: My experience was pretty mixed. A lot of the issues [...]
Be inspired. VI art student Millie-Jayne’s digital art
Image description: A high contrast digital image. The background image is an abstract photo that has been flooded with colour - bright pink and dark grey, a person is just visible in the centre of the image. In the top-right corner a white flower is overlaid over the other image with transparency allowing the background colours to show through. In the bottom-left there is a blue image overlaid of a tulip with bright yellow accents. Braille dots have been overlaid over the image reading: 'Better to be blind and see with your heart than have two [...]
