Celebrating blindness awareness month on the radio
VICTA Changemaker Adam James presents the evening show on Cheshire’s Mix56 Monday – Wednesday 6-8. "I love radio and have been presenting for over 7 years presenting over 700 shows across three different stations. If I could change one thing in the world it would be designing cities for everyone – not just wheelchair ramps, but clear signage, better lighting, and spaces that are navigable for people with visual impairments too." To celebrate Blindness Awareness Month and help spread the word about how VICTA support children and young people, Adam invited Catherine and Emily from the [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Meta Glasses – are they 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 [...]
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 [...]
Great toys for vision impaired children this National Play Day
Did you know that the first Wednesday of every August is National Play Day? To mark the occasion, blind writer Charlotte Bateman shares her memories of play as a child, and her top toy picks especially suited for children with sight loss. One of my happiest memories from childhood is spending endless hours just playing. I was born in 2001, before tablets and smartphones took over. Back then, it was all about toys. And as a blind child, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Everything was tactile. I spent hours building Lego houses, [...]
Top tips for making money and securing employment as a vision impaired person
Charlotte shares side hustles to try this summer holidays When I was a teen, many of my sighted peers at school were getting weekend jobs: stacking shelves, working as baristas, waiting tables. But as someone with no useful vision, none of those jobs were accessible. I ended up receiving Universal Credit which provided me with a small monthly income. It meant I could spend money on things like new clothes or eating out. Having said that, the whole application process was pretty laborious, and now that I look back, I wish I’d thought about other [...]
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 [...]
