Rnib Conversations

Let’s take a moment out of our days and re-connect with our physical and emotional self by doing a body scan. Body scan is a mindfulness meditation practice involving scanning your body for pain, tension, or anything out of the ordinary.  It can help us be more present in our lives by taking a moment to focus and consider each part of our bodies, their tensions and how we are feeling overall. Guiding us through a body scan is Amelia Hilton. Image shows a close up photo of a bright sunflower with a deep blue sky behind it. 

With many of us promising ourselves that we want to be more healthy in 2024 and exercising a bit more too, one way to get more healthy might be by walking a bit whether that might be just walking around the local park or off into the hills but have we ever thought about how best to look after our feet?  Well, for the first check in of 2024 with Glasgow based Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick it is all about looking after your feet.  Elizabeth began by telling our Toby Davey about why we should think about looking after our feet and outlining some of the main problems that we might get if we start to walk more than we would normally do.  Elizabeth then highlighted some of the common foot problems that you might need to go and see an expert about and then why it is important for people who are diabetic to be more careful about looking after their feet. Elizabeth ended by telling Toby about some of the ways that your local pharmacist can help with not only advice on how best to care for your feet but also some of

The Orpheus Centre is a specialist further education college which helps young disabled artists learn independence skills through the arts. Barry Snell spoke to it's founder Richard Stilgoe to find out more. Learn more about the Orpheus Centre {Image: RNIB Connect Radio logo, written in Black typeface, with a pink line separating the words RNIB and Connect radio}

ASK Italian has launched braille menus at its 66 restaurants across the UK.  To mark the launch ASK recently partnered with blind artist Clarke Reynolds to create an artwork for their Park Street restaurant in central London, which included a snowflake made from the braille alphabet that was part of the festive menu. He spoke to RNIB's Connect Radio's Barry Snell about the partnership, his desire to promote braille and the importance of inclusion. {Image; Clarke standing proudly beside his snowflake outside Ask Italian's Park Street restaurant in central London. He is wearing yellow dungarees and a maroon/wine coloured turtle neck jumper}

Now for a festive roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: The House with Chicken Legs - Thursday 21 December, 2.30pm, touch tour 1pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London The Gruffalo’s Child - Sunday 24 December, 11am, Garrick Theatre, London   Dick Whittington and His Cat - Wednesday 27 December, 5.30pm, King’s Lynn Corn Exchange Beauty and the Beast - Thursday 28 December, 7pm, Sunderland Empire Cinderella - Saturday 30 December, 2pm, touch tour 1pm, Watford Palace Theatre Hansel and Gretel - Tuesday 2 January, 2.30pm, touch tour 12.30pm, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to the regular Wh

In the lead up to Christmas and New Year for this week’s regular check in with Glasgow based Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick we thought it would be a good time to talk about our medications and how to be best prepared for the festive holidays. Elizabeth began by telling RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey about how some surgeries will allow patients to order their medications early in the lead up to the festive holidays.   Then to the availability of Pharmacy services and where to go to find out the location of your nearest Pharmacy which will be open during Christmas and the New Year.  Elizabeth ended by giving some advice on what to have to hand in your first aid kit at home just in case you need to use it over the festive holidays.  You can find advice about out of hours Pharmacies and Doctors Surgeries on the following pages of the NHS website - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/pharmacies/out-of-hours-medicines/ To get in touch with Elizabeth email info@elizabethroddick.com   or

Now, it's time for another sight loss story from an RNIB Customer as Hywel Davies chats to Natalie Holford. If you, or someone you know, would like information on the support and services available from RNIB, go to www.rnib.org.uk You can also call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or ask Alexa to call RNIB's Helpline.

Looking for a fun gift this holiday season?  Well, if your loved one is a gamer, they might enjoy this recommendation as Chad Bouton from The Unsyted Radio podcast reviews Mortal Kombat 1. Please keep in mind, this is an 18+ release.   Image shows official game cover art. 

 Looking for a fun gift this holiday season?  Well, if your loved one is a gamer, they might enjoy this recommendation from Chad Bouton at The Unsyted Radio Podcast. It's also a perfect one for the younger kiddos or those still young at heart. Image shows Stories of Blossom cover. A drawing of a girl with her eyes closed as her imagination runs wild. In the background she's steering a pirate ship through rocky waters, she floats in space in an astronaut suit, she runs through a grassy field, and finally, she's wearing a deerstalker hat and holding a magnifying glass.

Looking for a new desert to try this Festive season?  Well, Kim has a lovely recipe that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser… Ingredients:  250g of butter   20g of butter (to be used at the chocolate stage)   1 whole egg   2 yolks   100ml of whole milk    7g of fresh yeast   500g of plain flour    1 tablespoon of caster sugar   50g of icing sugar    The zest of half a lemon   1 pinch salt   150g of ground walnuts   400g of apricot jam   300g of dark chocolate   Method:  In a saucepan heat milk until lukewarm and dissolve 1 tablespoon of caster sugar and the yeast.    In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and the cubed 250g butter by hand until it resembles crumbs.   Add the whole egg, 2 egg yolks, the dissolved sugar and yeast mixture, pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Knead thoroughly. Add more flour if necessary.   Divide the dough into four balls, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.   Heat the oven to 180°C. Butter and flour a 40cm x 25cm baking tin.   On a floured surface, roll out one part of the dough to

Looking for a new recipe to try this Festive season?  Here’s one that will make your home smell absolutely delicious. Ingredients:  1.5kg of pork shoulder, deboned   2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt   2 teaspoons of barbecue seasoning powder   4 teaspoons of smoked paprika powder   1 teaspoon of ground cumin   1 teaspoon of mustard powder   1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder   1 tablespoon of black treacle   3 teaspoons of cider vinegar   100ml of cider   Method:   In a mixing bowl, create a marinade by mixing the black treacle, cider vinegar, smoked paprika, barbecue seasoning, cumin, mustard and chilli powder.      Make slashes in the top of the pork shoulder where the smooth layer of fat is. Make the slashes deep enough to cut through the layer of fat but not the actual meat itself.     Turn the shoulder over and rub the marinade primarily into the meat (not the fat).   Chill in the fridge for at least 24 hours to marinate.     After 24 hours, rub the coarse sea salt on to the fat of the pork, deep into the

Looking for a new recipe to try this Festive season? Here’s Kim Jaye with her recipe that’s perfect if you need that vegetarian or vegan-friendly dish. Ingredients:  Packet of filo pastry 120 grams plant based or vegan butters 4 TBSP plain flour 200 grams soya pieces or vegan quorn pieces (or can sub for other veg) Half a broccoli chopped 150 grams of mushrooms sliced Salt and pepper to taste 400 ml milk (soya milk or whichever you like) Plant based double cream Method: Place the broccoli in a heat proof dish into the microwave and cook for two minutes. Put to one side.   In a large saucepan, melt 20g of the butter on a low heat and cook the mushrooms for five minutes until softened. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.   In the now empty pan, add 50g of butter and melt on a low heat. Add the plain flour and cook, beating the mixture all the time until it is well combined.    Slowly add the milk, beating the mixture between pours to make it smooth.   Add the cream until the roux is smooth

For this week’s regular check in with Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick from New Life Pharmacy in Glasgow we are going to focus on stomach upsets, what causes an upset stomach and what should we do about it? Elizabeth began by explaining to RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey how stomach upsets happen and what we should do about them.   Then to what we should do if we had either eaten something or possibly the Norovirus had caused the upset stomach. With Elizabeth ending by giving some advice about reducing the risk of a stomach upset when traveling abroad and any serious signs that we should all be looking out for around upset stomachs.  You will find more information about the causes of upset stomachs on the following pages of the NHS website - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stomach-ache/ To get in touch with Elizabeth email admin@newlifepharmacy.co.uk  or for more information visit https://newlifepharmacy.co.uk Image: Picture showing Elizabeth standing in her pharmacy, dressed in her white pharmacist coat and

For the last time this year, it's time to connect with the natural world around us with nature guide Andy Shipley. As days shorten and darkness falls earlier and earlier, it is more likely that we will encounter these creatures of the twilight and night-time realms. This month, Andy tells us more about five of the most common owls to be found in the UK. Find the full Sensory Reflections Playlist here: Audioboom / Sensory Reflections With Andy Shipley on RNIB Connect Radio For more about Andy's work and to get in touch with him visit: Nature Connection And Sensory Immersion | Natural Inclusion (natural-inclusion.org) Image shows Andy standing outside in front of a tree. He's holding his white cane and is dressed for outdoor adventure in a grey hoodie, a cap, and a windproof jacket. Sound credit: 'Tawny Owl' via xeno-canto, 'Barn Owl Sounds' by ALEXANDER, 'Long-eared owl 2' by Joseph SARDIN, 'Short-eared Owl' by Karl-Birger Strann, 'Little Owl' via xeno-canto.

Now for a roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: Aladdin - Sunday 10 December, 1pm, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, Kent   A Christmas Carol - Wednesday 13 December, 7.30pm, touch tour 6.15pm, Alexandra Palace, London Peter Pan Goes Wrong - Friday 15 December, 7.30pm, Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London Ghosts - Saturday 16 December, 2pm, touch tour 12noon, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London Lights Up - The cult of Beauty, Saturday 16 December, from 10am, Wellcome Collection, London Elf The Musical - Tuesday 19 December, 2.30pm, Dominion Theatre, London To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to

Black Friday weekend is upon us, so if you’re looking for a new accessible phone device you might want to check out the RealSAM products. Paulina spoke to Louise Humphreys at RealThing AI to find out more. The offer runs till Thursday 30th of November, find out more on their website:  https://www.realsam.co.uk/ Image: RealSAM logo. Upon a white background a letter R made out of a pink lighting bolt shaped line at an angle, with a short blue line making up the left leg of the letter R.

With the release of recent research looking into the condition Parkinson’s Disease for this week’s check in with Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick from New Life Pharmacy in Glasgow Elizabeth began by outlining to our Toby Davey what Parkinson’s Disease actually is and how it affects people if they do have the condition.  Elizabeth then talked more about some areas of the research including how the findings had helped a person to walk and the use of electrical stimulation to help another person with the condition. To then how physiotherapy and other areas of support are able to help people with Parkinson’s disease and finally where people can go to find out more about the condition. There is a lot of useful information, advice and support on the Parkinson’s UK website - https://www.parkinsons.org.uk To get in touch with Elizabeth email admin@newlifepharmacy.co.uk  or for more information visit https://newlifepharmacy.co.uk. Image:  Picture showing Elizabeth standing in her pharmacy, dressed in her white pharm

Now for a roundup of accessible arts events as RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey catches up with Jess Beal from VocalEyes, the national audio description charity providing access to the arts for blind and partially sighted people to share some of the accessible events that are featured in their regular email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: L’Elisir d’Amore - Wednesday 22 November, 7pm, touch tour 6pm, Glyndebourne, Lewes Don Giovanni - Friday 24 November, 4pm, touch tour 3pm, Glyndebourne, Lewes  Backstairs Billy - Wednesday 29 November, 7.30pm, Duke of York’s Theatre, London Northern Ballet, The Nutcracker - Saturday 2 December, 2pm, touch tour 11.45am, Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House Cinderella - Thursday 7 December  , 7.30pm, touch tour 6pm and Saturday 16 December, 6pm, touch tour 4.30pm Brixton House, London Mates in Chelsea - Saturday 9 December, 2.30pm, touch tour 1pm, Royal Court Theatre, London To find out more about these and other up-coming described arts events as

A brand new way to learn Braille has been launched thanks to APH and California State University. Hubert has been finding out more about what it is, why it has been developed, and who it's aimed at.  Image: RNIB Connect Radio 20th Anniversary written in white against a dark green background. There is also a bold white line separating the words RNIB connect Radio from 20th Anniversary.

With more and more games including accessibility as part of their design, we have seen a raise in numbers of blind and partially sighted gaming enthusiasts. Today, our Paulina Kuchorew is chatting to Chad Bouton of The Unsyted Radio, who is an avid gamer and an accredited accessibility consultant for video games. More here: The Unsyted Radio • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters Image: RNIB Connect Radio 20th Anniversary written in white against a dark green background. There is also a bold white line separating the words RNIB connect Radio from 20th Anniversary.