Rnib Conversations

With spring in the air, summer round the corner and an early start to the hay fever season for this week’s check in with Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick from New Life Pharmacy in Glasgow, Connect Radio’s Toby Davey asked Elizabeth to explain what actually is hay fever and what can we do to cope with it over the spring and summer if we suffer from hay fever. Elizabeth began by telling Toby what hay fever actually is, the different types of pollen that cause it and why hay fever is so prevalent at the moment. Elizabeth also explained what, if any, are the dangers to our health from having hay fever, outlining what treatments might be out there to manage hay fever, how we can maybe avoid getting hay fever and whether there are any links between Covid and hay fever. To get in touch with Elizabeth Roddick email  Elizabeth.r@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 a

Now for a round up 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 weekly email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: Pretty Woman - Saturday 9 April, 2.30pm, Savoy Theatre, London  Wicked - Wednesday 13 April, 7.30pm, touch tour 5.50pm, Apollo Victoria, London Black Love - Thursday 14 April, 7.30pm, Kilne Theatre, London,  Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Thursday 21 April, 7.30pm, Playhouse Theatre, London   Northern ballet: The Great Gatsby - Saturday 23 April, 2.30pm, InSight Talk 12.30pm Northern Ballet’s Merlin in cinemas with audio description from Sunday 24 April. To find out more about these and other up-coming audio-described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to the VocalEyes weekly email newsletter do visit the VocalEyes we

Let's chat accessible tech today.  And it looks like eSight, an electronic eyewear device for the visually impaired people is now available on the UK market.  Joining our Paulina Kuchorew to tell us a bit more about the device and how it works is Charles Lim, Chief Technology Officer for eSight. Find out more about eSight here: New Home gb - eSight (esighteyewear.com) Image shows a young boy using eSight whilst playing with LEGO bricks.  

 eSight is a versatile, all-in-one electronic eyewear device that can help someone with a visual impairment regain some of their day-to-day independence back. The  device is now available on the UK market and joining our Paulina Kuchorew to tell us a little bit more about how it actually feels to use eSight, is user Gary. Find out more about eSight here: New Home gb - eSight (esighteyewear.com) Image shows Gary wearing eSight outside and smiling brightly. 

Supported Employment Services are a way of helping people find their way into voluntary and paid work opportunities. Hywel's been finding out how one organisation in Wales has been helping people find the right outcome.   If you live in Wales and would like to discuss opportunities for supported employment in your area, you can call Elite Employment Services on 01443 226664 or visit their website, www.elitesea.co.uk

Now for a round up 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 weekly email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: The Merchant of Venice - Sunday 27 March, 1pm, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London The Human Voice - Friday 1 April, 8.30pm, the Harold Pinter Theatre, London  Abigail’s Party - Saturday 2 April, 2.30pm, Watford Palace Theatre,  The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Thursday 7 April, 2.30pm, Norwich Theatre Royal Body Vessel Clay - Online Audio-Described Exhibition Tour, Monday 11 April, 6pm, Two Temple Place, London To find out more about these and other up-coming audio-described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to the VocalEyes weekly email newsletter do visit the VocalEyes website -  ht

Now in their seventh year, the 'Womenspire' Awards celebrate the achievements of women in Wales.  Now they're looking for nominations for this year's awards. You can make a nomination for the awards on the Chwarae Teg website, www.chwaraeteg.com - until Tuesday April 5th and the Womenspire Awards winners will be revealed later this year. 

Experiencing sports can be hard, especially if you are visually impaired and reliant on someone else to describe the action to you. But thanks to Action Audio, there's a new and exciting way of describing sport, and it's all about describing the action in real time through 3D sound imaging.  Our Paulina Kuchorew spoke with Gerard Mason from Action Audio to hear more. Find out more about Action Audio here: Action Audio - Making sports broadcasts accessible to people living with blindness or low vision (action-audio.com)  Image shows a digital image of a tennis court with a tennis ball about to hit one of the court lines. 

Are you ready for a truly unforgettable multi-sensory experience that will allow you to walk straight into a Van Gogh painting?  From immersing yourself in the starry night, being surrounded by the famous sunflowers, to taking a break in Van Gogh's little bedroom, Van Gogh Alive exhibition will let you do that and more. And as the exhibition opens in Edinburgh, our Paulina Kuchorew spoke with audio describer Jonathan Nash and Dan Flynn Head of Marketing at Van Gogh Alive, to find out more. The experience will be open in Edinburgh from 17th of March till 17th of July 2022 and takes place in a purpose-built venue in Festival Square. The AD tours will take place in Edinburgh on the 22nd and 24th of May. For more information visit: Van Gogh Alive, Edinburgh - Van Gogh Alive UK Image shows visitors going through the Van Gogh Alive exhibition. A vast gallery with multiple giant screens showing the famous Van Gogh sunflowers. The image is also cast down onto the floor. 

With Covid-19 restrictions now being eased around the UK for this week’s check in with Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick from New Life Pharmacy in Glasgow, Connect Radio’s Toby Davey asked Elizabeth how we should all keep safe going forward with the easing of Covid 19 restrictions as the Coronavirus virus still out there. Elizabeth began by giving her advice as a Pharmacist on how we should all keep safe in the future as we go forward with Coronavirus still out there. Elizabeth also talked about the UK Government ‘Living with Covid Plan’ and the general rules around Covid-19 as Elizabeth sees it going forward.   Whether we will get to a stage where Covid-19 ends up similar to how we see and treat flu. What affect will the easing of restrictions have on how Elizabeth and her colleagues work in the Pharmacy going forward? Elizabeth ended by asking Toby how he feels as a visually impaired person being out and about with all the easing of restrictions and Toby recalls a recent trip to London on the train which

At RNIB Connect Radio we're speaking to blind and partially sighted people about their 'Sight Loss Stories'. Yosra Elhamamy lives in London, she was born with a visual impairment. Now 28, she's trying to juggle employment, voluntary work, and the continuing fight for change.

Now for a round up 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 weekly email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: About Us Guildhall Square, Londonderry, from Tuesday 15 March to Monday 21 March, 7.30pm - 9.00pm Y Maes, Caernarfon, Wednesday 30 March to Tuesday 5 April,  8.45pm Wales Beethoven Exhibition   Wednesday 16 March, 6pm, British Library, London Opera North: Rigoletto Saturday 19 March, 7pm, Theatre Royal Nottingham Saturday 26 March, 7pm, Theatre Royal Newcastle Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm, Playhouse Theatre, London We Will Rock You Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm, Milton Keynes Theatre To find out more about these and other up-coming audio-described arts events as well as details about how to sign up to the VocalEyes

In a series of interviews here on RNIB Connect Radio we are talking with a range of blind and partially sighted people to find out what life is really like living with sight loss, how they have coped throughout their life with the level of sight they have and the advice they would give to other people who might be starting to lose their sight or finding it difficult to cope with the level of sight they might have or have had during their life.  Connect Radio’s Toby Davey spoke with Christine (Chris) MacMillan a lady in her early 70s who was born with Nystagmus and also post cataract surgery now has some residual problems with her vision too.  Chris began by telling Toby how she was diagnosed with Nystagmus going to a school for visually impaired children, how she feels that her sight loss has just been something that has always been with her, something that she has learnt to cope with and accept. Chris’ husband Mike is also visually impaired although both of their eye conditions are very different and i

As more of us consider travelling this year for some much needed holidays in a warmer climate. You might want to experience some art and culture whilst you are away. So today, we're going to take a look at 'Double Meaning', a tactile tour program available at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. RNIB Connect Radio's Paulina Kuchorew spoke with Valeria Bottalico, who curated the project since its inception in 2015, to find out more about the tour and the adjoining workshops lead by a visually impaired artist. Find out more here: Museum in Venice with path for visually impaired people | Peggy Guggenheim Collection (guggenheim-venice.it) 'Double Meaning' was created in collaboration with the Ciechi Institute of Milan, the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and with the patronage of ICOM Italia (International Council of Museums). The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s programs for visitors who are blind or have low vision are supported by Ornellaia. Image shows a little girl tracing her

With hearing so much these days about coughs, whether they are covid related or say just a cold or flu cough. For this week’s regular check in with Pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick from New Life Pharmacy in Glasgow  Connect Radio’s Toby Davey finds out from Elizabeth why we cough, what happens in our body when we cough and what are the differences  between the types of coughs that we may have. Elizabeth began by explaining to Toby what is actually happening in our body when we cough, What the different types of coughs are and their signs. Elizabeth outlined the difference between a Covid related cough and say one that you get with a cold or flu. What, if any, are the danger signs that we should be looking out for around a cough that we might have. Finally Elizabeth ended by giving her advice as a pharmacist on what we should do if we start to have a cough. To get in touch with Elizabeth Roddick email  Elizabeth.r@newlifepharmacy.co.uk or for more information visit https://newlifepharmacy.co.uk. Image

Making movies can seem like a complicated process, but with digital cameras and the help of a good teacher, blind and low-vision students in Germany had a chance to create some movie magic. To tell us a little bit more about their movie, our Paulina Kuchorew was joined by filmmaker and academic who ran the filmmaking workshops, Dago Schelin, and one of the participants, Moritz Drum. Watch the short film, along with audio description in German here: https://dagoschelin.com/  Image shows a hand holding up a strip of film reel. Above 'Visual impairment for beginners advanced users'. Bellow: 'A film by Matilda Book, Sarah Samadi, Moritz Drum, Sasha Parsch & Dago Schelin. 

A new collaborative project is asking for blind and partially sighted people to get involved and help answer a very important question,  'How much does your heart weigh?'  Intrasonus UK and Sandrine Monin are inviting Blind and Visually Impaired people with an interest in Dance, Music and Storytelling to take part in the Research and Development of ‘Feathers’, a new show inspired by the Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Harmony Ma’at and our relationship with darkness, light and our hearts. Our Paulina Kuchorew spoke with Roberto David Rusconi from Intrasonus UK and choreographer Sandrine Monin to find out more. For more information and to get in touch visit: IntrasonusUK | Music Dance Theatre | London Image shows an outline of a faceless head with a red strip of fabric wrapped around its eyes. 

Now for a round up 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 weekly email newsletter. Audio described shows and events included: Moulin Rouge! The Musical - Saturday 5 March, 2.30pm, touch tour 1pm, Piccadilly Theatre, London Disney’s The Lion King - Tuesday 8 March, 7.30pm, touch tour 5.30pm,  Lyceum Theatre, London Wednesday 9 March, 7.30pm, touch tour TBC, Bristol Hippodrome School of Rock - Wednesday 16 March, 2.30pm, touch tour TBC, Norwich Theatre Royal Northern Ballet’s Casanova - Saturday 19 March, 2.30pm, insight talk at 12.30pm, Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, Saturday 26 March, 2pm, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre  Six the Musical - Sunday 20 March, 4pm, Vaudeville Theatre, London To find out more about these and other up-coming audio-described arts

 For years Julia Lefelar was searching for a diagnosis to explain sudden periods extreme exhaustion, nausea, vision loss, and even trouble with walking.  But it wasn't until fairly recently that she found her answer, and now, after having founded The MOG Project, she hopes to raise awareness of the still relatively unknown condition. She shared her story with our Paulina Kuchorew. Find out more about The MOG Project here: Home - The MOG Project Image shows The MOG Project logo. A read heart outline with words 'Strength MOG Courage Hope Flexibility Adaptability Determination Resilience' curving around the heart. A bright turquoise hummingbird is placed in the middle taking a sip of nectar from a vivid red flower.  

Billy Baxter, you know him as an ex-soldier, supporter of Blind Veterans, daredevil, the man to break the land speed record for a solo blind rider on his motorbike and now, you can also know him for being UK's only blind town crier! Billy spoke with our Paulina Kuchorew about his appointment as Llandudno's town crier, being mistaken for a pirate, and how his booming voice helps him stand out in a crowd.  Follow Billy's adventures here: (1) Billy Baxter, Llandudno's Official Town Crier | Facebook Image shows Billy in his official town crier outfit.