Vision magazine June/July 2014 Issue 66 Welcome Welcome to your new and improved Vision magazine! We have updated the design of the print magazine and the covers of our braille and audio magazines, using the refreshed RNIB brand style. We have also introduced some new sections, including the “Information and services” guide, which you’ll find at the end of the magazine, to make it easier for you to get advice and support. I hope you will like the changes, please do let me know what you think – you’ll find contact details for your Vision magazine in the Information and services guide. Some of you may recognise our cover star for this edition as Mohammed Rashid who is one of our member representatives for the West Midlands. Elections are coming up and we want to encourage a wide range of people to stand – find out more about what the role involves and also how all members can now vote by telephone. For this edition, as part of the commemorations of the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, I interviewed Lord Michael Ashcroft. Owner of the largest collection of Victoria Cross medals in the world, Lord Ashcroft tells the inspiring story of Captain Buchanan, affectionately known as “the blind VC”. If you’re thinking about holiday activities, there’s an offer for members of £100 off a Traveleyes holiday in Jersey, a summer recipe and letters recommending cruise holidays, climbing and rowing. Clare Conley, Editor Vision magazine: winner of best charity/membership magazine MemCom Awards 2009 News I am here campaign launches on TV and radio Our new I am here campaign launched in April through TV, radio and online advertising and in the news. The campaign aims to: secure more support for people who have been told they’re losing their sight explain to people who are losing their sight how RNIB can help, and raise money to pay for our work. Sight loss advisers – also known as eye clinic liaison officers (ECLOs) – offer emotional support and practical advice to people who are losing their sight. Funding is precarious for existing sight loss adviser roles, as many of the services have no guaranteed funding after April 2015. Put posters up and sign our petition You can help by putting up I am here posters in your community and signing our petition calling for sight loss support in every eye clinic by 2019. Let us know what you think of the campaign and if you would like to order a poster, sign the petition or listen to the adverts, visit rnib.org.uk/iamhere or call 020 7391 2396. Help us drive bus action in July RNIB’s Stop for me, speak to me bus campaign will hold a UKwide fortnight of action in July from 17-31 July. The campaign aims to ensure that: 1. Bus drivers should always stop at a bus stop and not rely on someone to hail the bus. 2. Drivers should talk to passengers with sight loss so they can check they are on the right bus, receive directions to an empty seat and get off at the right stop. In July, we will write to bus companies who have not yet signed up to our “We’re on board” charter, which lays out 12 commitments to make services better for blind and partially sighted passengers. Mystery shop your bus service in July You can help by using your local bus service and then telling us what you thought of it in a short survey. We can then use your feedback in our campaigning work with bus companies and other stakeholders. Visit rnib.org.uk/bus or call the campaign hotline on 020 7391 2123. New law brings tough penalties for attacks on guide dogs Owners whose dogs attack guide dogs could face up to three years in prison under the new Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Law. Under this law, attacks on assistance dogs are now classed as an “aggravated offence”. It also contains measures to force owners to curb the behaviour of “out of control” dogs, which could also help prevent attacks on guide dogs. Guide Dog Chief Executive, Richard Leaman, said: “With an average of 10 guide dogs currently being attacked every month, we are now looking to the police to fully utilise their powers to deter these attacks and prevent them from happening in the first place.” NHS consults on accessible information NHS England will carry out a consultation on its accessible information standard this summer. The aim of the consultation is to come up with a system which sets out how NHS services should record and store your preferred format choices and accessible information needs. Give your views in the consultation Have you had problems getting the information you need in a format you can read about appointments, test results or anything else from NHS England? Or perhaps you’ve had a good experience which has made it easier for you to manage your health independently? It’s important to take part in the consultation to let NHS England know what a difference it makes to get your confidential health information in a format you can read. You can get involved and find out more about the consultation by visiting england.nhs.uk or email england.nhs.participation@nhs.net Or call the campaign hotline on 020 7391 2123 Mind’s Eye garden will inspire Redhill development RNIB had a sensory garden on display at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. It was inspired by a scheme to redevelop RNIB Community Living Services in Redhill in Surrey RNIB has teamed up with property developers, Countryside, to plan the scheme that will create an integrated community building homes designed for blind and partially sighted residents, alongside houses available for private sale. Aspects from the Mind’s Eye garden displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show will be used for a sensory trail and gardens at the Redhill development. Make a noise in your library in June! Make a Noise in Libraries fortnight (MANIL) 2014 will have a World War 1 theme to tie in with the national commemoration of 100 years since the start of the conflict. It will run from 2-15 June. MANIL aims to highlight how important it is for libraries to provide accessible information including books, newspapers and magazines. Many libraries will be running special World War 1 themed open days and drop-in events during MANIL fortnight to highlight the accessible books and historical resources they offer. How you can help We need more blind and partially sighted people to visit their local libraries during MANIL to get involved with events and tell staff how important it is for you to be able to access information and services. To find out more visit rnib.org.uk/manil or call Megan Gilks on 0161 429 1980. Obituary: author and RNIB supporter Sue Townsend Sue Townsend, author of the popular Adrian Mole series of books, has sadly passed away after having a stroke. Sue, who was 68, lost her sight in 2001 due to diabetic retinopathy and had various other health problems. She continued to write after losing her sight by dictating her books. Sue was a loyal supporter of RNIB for many years and was a strong advocate of the Talking Book Service. She said: “One day the RNIB Talking Book Service contacted me and lifted me out of the pit of misery and self-pity into which I'd fallen....it helped me to realise that it was possible to be well read without print books”. Eye health news: eye drops could replace AMD injections in future Simple- to-administer eye drops could replace monthly injections to treat millions of people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the future. A team of scientists at University College of London (UCL) has found a way to deliver eye drops containing AMD treatment, Avastin, to the back of the eye in trials carried out with animals. It was previously thought that Avastin and Lucentis, which is also used to treat AMD, have molecules that are too large to be effectively transported in an eye drop. The team have explained that in theory the technology could also be used for Lucentis in the future but the timescales for developing treatments are dependent on funding. More than 540,000 people in the UK have AMD and around 30,000 injections a year are given to treat it in the UK. Matthew Athey, Eye Health Information Manager at RNIB, welcomed the development. However he said: “Studies are still at an early stage and it could be years before the drops become available. The best treatment for wet AMD currently is monthly injections of anti-VEGF drugs like Lucentis.” Find out more Find out about the research at ucl.ac.uk/news For more information on eye health and eye conditions visit rnib.org.uk or contact the eye health information team via the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999. Lifestyle: The blind VC: a tale of courage Lord Ashcroft told Vision Editor, Clare Conley, about his collection of 183 Victoria Cross medals and the inspiring story of one particular soldier. As Britain marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, we bring you a special interview with Lord Ashcroft. A Tory peer, businessman, author, philanthropist and supporter of RNIB and Action for Blind People, Lord Ashcroft owns the world’s largest collection of Victoria Cross (VC) medals, now worth an estimated £30 million. Lord Ashcroft has championed the rights of those serving and leaving the Armed Forces - in 2012, he was appointed to the Privy Council and was made the Government’s Special Representative for Veterans’ Transition. He is also a military historian, blogger and author of seven books including “Victoria Cross Heroes”. What inspired you to start the collection of VCs? I was born in 1946, the year after the Second World War ended. When I was about 10, I asked my father to tell me what he did in the war. My father was wounded during the D-Day landings on 6 June1944. He described to me the feeling of fear, the metaphorical smell of fear and the physical smell of vomit as they went in landing crafts to the shores of France. The pinging of the machine guns on the side before the ramps went down and then running up the beaches - his colonel was killed by his side. My dad became my hero and after learning more about Normandy, I discovered the VC. The Victoria Cross or VC, which was founded by a royal warrant from Queen Victoria in 1856, is the most prestigious gallantry medal awarded by Britain and the Commonwealth for gallantry in the face of the enemy. It has been awarded more than 1,300 times during the last 160 years. After reading about someone who had bought a VC, I became interested in acquiring one of these tremendous pieces of history and bought my first VC at an auction in London in 1986. It had been awarded to Leading Seaman James Mageniss. I remember as I held the VC in one hand and read his citation, a particular frisson went through me that perhaps only a collector can understand. That was the beginning of a passion which has grown today into a collection that has 183 VCs. Where is the collection housed? My collection is housed with other medals - there are over 250 VCs and George Crosses - on display at the Imperial War Museum in London. The display has interactive touchscreens, video montages, animated graphics and sound clips to help bring to life the stories of the men who were awarded these honours. Who was “the blind VC”? Last year I acquired the seven gallantry and service medals that were awarded to Captain Angus Buchanan for his service during the First World War. Captain Buchanan, a doctor’s son from Coleford in Gloucestershire, was affectionately known as “the blind VC”. Buchanan was awarded a Military Cross (MC) for bravery at Helles (now part of modern-day Turkey) in January 1916 when he commanded V-Company in trenches east of the Gully Ravine. Then on 5 April, he took part in the action for which he would receive the VC when he courageously saved two wounded comrades from no man’s land. King George V pinned the VC and MC on to Buchanan’s uniform on 8 November 1917, at a ceremony which was attended by thousands of people. How did Captain Buchanan lose his sight? He was wounded a number of times while fighting the Turks in 1916, but he received the most serious injury on Valentine’s Day of 1917. This was when he lost his sight in both eyes as a result of being hit in the head with a sniper’s bullet. What happened to Captain Buchanan after the war? He went to St Dunstan’s (now Blind Veterans UK), the charity for ex-service personnel with sight loss, where he learnt braille and typewriting. Captain Buchanan then returned to Oxford University where he studied for a law degree and became a member of his college rowing eight. Textbooks weren’t available in braille at that time, so they all had to be read to him by tutors and fellow students. He qualified as a solicitor, setting up a practice with a partner in his home town. Sadly he died in 1944, just 49 years old. An obituary letter in The Times began with the words: “Few men have faced adversity with greater cheerfulness and patience than Angus Buchanan, known as ‘the blind VC’”. And it ended with the words: “For him, there was no such thing as an obstacle in his path”. You and your wife have kindly supported RNIB and Action for Blind People. Do you have any personal connection with sight loss? As a philanthropist I’m interested in causes that are close to my heart. I have a connection with sight loss on both sides of my family - my wife’s mother lost her sight towards the end of her life. While my own mother, who has macular degeneration, has formed a local group for others with sight loss to help each other through this very difficult period in their lives. Find out more: visit the Ashcroft Gallery You will be able to visit the Ashcroft Gallery when the Imperial War Museum, London, reopens in July, after being refurbished. Entry is free and you can request a free audio described guide from the information desk at the front of the museum. Visit iwm.org.uk/heroes or call 020 7416 5000. Find out about Lord Ashcroft’s medals online Visit lordashcroftmedals.com for information on the VCs and the stories of the people who were awarded them. Read Lord Ashcroft’s books A number of Lord Ashcroft’s books are available as RNIB Talking Books and in other formats. Search in the RNIB library catalogue on rnib.org.uk or call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999. Listen to the interview on the Vision podcast Listen to Lord Ashcroft speaking to Vision Editor, Clare Conley, on the free Vision podcast at rnib.org.uk/visionmagazine Your community: listen, learn and help other members Would you like to help other members and build your confidence and skills at the same time? Now’s your chance to take part in elections for member representatives. Member representatives play an important role in representing your views to RNIB. There are four representatives for each of the 12 member forum regions across the UK and they are elected for a three year term, by members in their region. The next round of elections for member representatives is coming up this autumn. We really want to encourage a wide range of members to stand. You don’t need experience of public speaking or sitting on committees – we’ll provide training to help with that – the main thing you need is to be a good listener and to want to help other people with sight loss. You will need to attend member forums in your region and to attend two national UK Forum meetings a year, which are usually held in Birmingham or London. In return, you get the chance to expand your skills, boost your confidence and have the sense of achievement of providing peer support for others with sight loss. A member representative’s view Mohammed Rashid is one of our member representatives for the West Midlands. He is 33 and has been registered blind since birth. “After being a member of RNIB for a few years, I was interested in becoming a member representative but was reluctant to try as I didn’t feel very confident about speaking in front of large groups of people. Also, I’m not someone who has sat on committees and done things like that in the past. Gradually as I went to member forums and saw what the other representatives did and spoke to them, I decided to give it a go and submitted my nomination and was lucky enough to be elected by members in my region around a year ago. I was a bit nervous of some of the responsibilities of the role at first, like speaking at forums and conducting teleconference meetings with members. However, I got support and training and found ways to do things. Before my first teleconference meeting, I gave myself a week to get my notes ready on my Braille reader and then did a rehearsal with some family members. This really helped me to grow my confidence and then I just did it and it was fine! Being a member representative has definitely helped me to build my confidence and learn new skills. I feel as though I could stand in front of the biggest crowd now and get my views over – I know I have a much stronger voice. I would advise anyone who is considering becoming a member representative, to please give it a try. All the support is there and when you’ve done it, you’ll be a completely different person. I would never have been what I am now if I hadn’t taken that leap and stood as a member representative. Find out more about becoming a member representative You’ll find details of how to apply to stand for election as a member representative in your member forum invitations. You’ll need to send a biography of no more than 400 words outlining some details about yourself and why you’d like to stand for election plus the name of a member in your region who is seconding your application, by 5pm on 25 July 2014 to elections@rnib.org.uk or call 020 2391 2207. If you’d like to request a copy of the full role description or to have an informal chat about what the role involves, please contact the membership team by emailing membership@rnib.org.uk or call 0303 1234 555. The membership team are also happy to contact members you already know, to help you secure a seconder for your nomination. Vote for your member representatives We also want to make it easier for all members to vote for your member representatives in the future. To enable this, we are making some important changes to the election process: From July, voting at member forums will be replaced by telephone and internet voting. Casting your vote will be easier than before, and more accessible to members who aren’t able to attend their regional forum meetings in person. We will also be moving to a different voting system – a single transferable vote system – where electors are able to rank candidates in order of preference. This means that every vote will count and will be representative of the views of all members taking part in the election. The new system will enable all members from across the UK to have a voice in choosing members to represent their views at a local and national level. Information about your candidates, and instructions on how to vote will be included in your forum invitations. Or contact the membership team for information. Exclusive offer for members: £100 off a Traveleyes Jersey break Traveleyes is pleased to offer members of RNIB an exclusive offer of £100 off their Jersey: Charming Island of Destiny holiday. The six day holiday will include a guided walking tour of St Helier, a trip to the historic World War II tunnels and an optional visit to a wine estate. The holiday usually costs £795, but members of RNIB can get it for just £695. This includes fights and transfers, three star accommodation, as well as breakfasts and evening meals. The holiday is from 3 to 8 August 2014. Traveleyes holidays are designed with blind and partially sighted in mind and there will be sighted people on the trip to support you on your holiday, providing descriptions about what is around you and guiding you where necessary. Contact Traveleyes To take advantage of this exclusive offer for members of RNIB, please contact Traveleyes on 08448 040 221 or find out more at traveleyes-international.com Your community: Meet Miriam Martin Miriam Martin, the new Chief Executive of Action for Blind People, outlined her key aims to Vision Editor, Clare Conley. Action for Blind People (Action) joined the RNIB group in 2009. Miriam Martin who has worked for Action for 20 years, has recently been appointed as its new Chief Executive. She takes over from Stephen Remington who led the charity for more than 20 years. Action has around 600 employees who provide services from 20 locations across England. What will your role as Chief Executive of Action involve? I will lead Action, which is a member of RNIB Group, delivering services in England for and on behalf of RNIB. Those services are almost identical to the services that are delivered in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales by RNIB (apart from the Vision Hotels, which are based in England). I’m also responsible for the line management of the RNIB country directors. This provides an opportunity for all of us across all four countries of the UK to work more closely together. What would you most like to achieve in this new role? There are three things that I want to focus on initially and I’m sure that the list will grow! The three things are: 1. I really want Action to work in absolute partnership with blind and partially sighted people. 2. I feel passionately that people who are newly diagnosed with sight loss have the support that they need at that time. So I’m absolutely delighted with the new strategic priority of “being there” and the aim to ensure that there is an ECLO there to support people at the point of diagnosis. 3. That the new group structure and strategy will enable us to work more collaboratively as a group of charities. What do you see as some of your career highlights? I’ve worked at Action for 20 years now - I started as a Deputy Manager in one of our care homes. It’s been a really interesting career for me because I’ve been able to not just see, but also be involved and lead, lots of the changes that Action has undergone over the last 20 years. I’ve been particularly involved in the development and evolution of our Action teams to develop them as “multi-service, multi-disciplinary” teams rather than “single service” teams. This means we can now help with a wide range of support at each centre as each one can offer employment advice and other services like advice on housing, welfare rights and access to local services, for example. Rather than previously a centre might have specialised in a couple of areas like IT and employment services. How did your role change after the association with RNIB? In 2009 we saw the transfer of RNIB’s regional services in England over to Action and Action transferred their fundraising team to RNIB. So literally overnight Action grew in size by about 50 per cent. We spent the first year working out how to shape and design our services to make them better for blind and partially sighted people. What do you see as the main benefit of the association between RNIB and Action? Making it easier for blind and partially sighted people to access the services they need. Before the association, we had a bizarre situation where both organisations would end up competing for contracts and we could be pushing the price down in a way that wouldn’t benefit either organisation or the individuals with sight loss who needed the service. The other thing - and this is probably going to sound even more ridiculous - is that both organisations used to compete for blind and partially sighted service users. This is quite bizarre when there is just so much work to be done From the outside perspective, wouldn’t it be easier for everybody to be called the same thing now? There are lots of people who may have that view. However, I think in practical terms, there are many benefits to different organisations being part of the group. Action has a long history and is well known for delivering “on the ground” services and working face-to-face with local people. This complements RNIB’s national reach in terms of campaigning, innovation and product development. I feel strongly that sight loss has such a devastating effect on people’s lives that we have a responsibility to make sure that the services and support that are needed are easy to access, simple to navigate through, and provide what people need when they need it. Get support and advice You can find out more about the services offered by Action in England and by RNIB across the UK, by calling the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999. Or visit actionforblindpeople.org.uk and rnib.org.uk Make a difference: A for access making streets safer for you Are you fed up with cars parked on pavements and street clutter that creates dangerous obstacles? Get involved with our new campaign to make streets more accessible. Many of you have told us that you have problems literally trying to walk down the street because of “street clutter” - obstacles like cars parked on pavements and advertising boards outside pubs, cafes and shops. Some of you have already mounted some very strong local campaigns about individual cases, with the support of the campaigns team. However, a forthcoming national review of local authority’s duties to provide an accessible built environment means that we now have the opportunity to tackle this problem with a national campaign. Our overall aim will be to ensure that blind and partially sighted people feel more confident and empowered to challenge inaccessible streets and areas and to make local authorities more aware of their responsibilities. Tackling the big six obstacles! There are six big re-offenders that come up time and again: pavement parking wheelie bins random street furniture like lamposts and benches advertising boards shaped like “A’s” on the pavement outside cafés, pubs and shops lack of safe crossing points shared spaces where vehicles and pedestrians “share” a flat space without a curb to mark the roads What is going to happen this year? The Department for Transport is going to review national guidance "A guide to inclusive mobility" that all local authorities should use around the built environment – this includes roads, crossings and pavements. The campaigns team will also conduct a Freedom of Information request to all 152 local authorities in England to find out more about their current policies on the built environment. This evidence and your survey response will be used to produce a campaign report and to shape a safer streets charter which we will ask all local authorities to sign up to. What is happening in Wales? There is a new Planning Bill in Wales and RNIB Cymru and the Welsh campaign supporters network will be working to influence the legislation to make sure it ensures that developers take the needs of people with sight loss into account. What can you do to help? 1. Share your experiences of street clutter and the built environment in RNIB’s survey at rnib.org.uk/campaigning or call the campaigns hotline on 020 7391 2123. 2. Keep an “obstacles diary” for a week, noting the problems you have encountered during your daily journeys. 3. If you have ever been injured by street obstacles or on unsafe crossings and would be happy to tell your story for a “case study” to be used in the campaign report, consultation response and/or in the media to help us publicise this issue, please also contact the campaigns team. Make a difference: help us defend social care for people with sight loss We still need your help for our campaign to make sure that blind and partially sighted people are not Cut Out Of Care. The Government is consulting on the regulations and guidance which underpins the Care Bill in England. However, RNIB is very concerned that proposed regulations and guidance for social care and the eligibility criteria for assessments will still fail many blind and partially sighted people and must be improved. What changes is RNIB calling for? 1. Essential rehabilitation services should be free. They should be available for as long as the person needs it and people also shouldn’t have to wait for months to receive support. 2. Care assessments must take into account the unique It is also crucial that blind and partially sighted people with care needs, have their needs fully recognised. We know that currently people are being failed, as the unique challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people are not properly identified in the eligibility criteria when assessing care needs. Get involved with our Cut Out of Care campaign We urgently need as many people as possible to respond to the Government’s consultation on the Care Bill in England. Please share your views and personal experiences on the unique challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people and how these need to be reflected in the questions and information gathered at a social care assessment. To find out more about the campaign and how to share your views, visit rnib.org.uk/campaigning or call the campaigns hotline on 020 7391 2123. What is the situation in Wales and Scotland? Health and social care systems in each of the UK countries have been devolved. This means that RNIB needs to take a different approach to campaigning in each country and sometimes at a local level, to tackle the issues involved. There is new legislation in Wales and Scotland, which also affects health and social care services. In Wales, new social service legislation is also being developed. The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill will shortly receive Royal Assent and become law. Key decisions around eligibility criteria and assessment processes will be made as part of the process of developing the regulations that will sit under the Bill. RNIB Cymru is working closely with Welsh Government and other organisations to try to influence these and ensure that the new system will adequately recognise the needs of people with sight loss. In Scotland, the Public Bodies Act gained royal assent on 1 April 2014. The Scottish Government says the Act is “a landmark health and social care reform for Scotland and is the most substantial reform to the country's National Health Services and social care services in a generation. It will mean changes to the law which requires Health Boards and Local Authorities to integrate their services resulting in more joined-up, seamless health and social care provision that will improve people's lives”. The new structures must be in place by April next year. RNIB Scotland is looking closely at how these can more effectively support the needs of people with sight loss. Already in Ayrshire, a joint sensory plan is being finalised to integrate health and social care provision in this field. Get involved with campaigning around the UK Help make every day better for people with sight loss where you live by getting involved with campaigning activities. It could be anything from writing a letter to meeting your MP or going along to an event. RNIB Cymru Email cymrucampaigns@rnib.org.uk Call 029 2982 8500. RNIB Scotland Email james.adams@rnib.org.uk Call 0131 652 3166 RNIB Northern Ireland Email campaignsni@rnib.org.uk Call 028 9032 9373 RNIB in England Email campaign@rnib.org.uk Call 020 7391 2123 Technology: find out what’s new from Nokia and Apple Robin Spinks, RNIB Digital Accessibility Consultancy Manager, is partially sighted. He reviews the Nokia Pocket Magnifier app and updates for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. What exactly is the Nokia Pocket Magnifier app? RNIB and Nokia recently signed a major strategic partnership and the first project of that partnership is the NPM app. NPM is an app for Windows Phone smartphones which allows you to get instant magnification for any purpose. It’s particularly useful for “spot reading”, for example a label or a price tag in a shop, a menu or a medication packet. It will only work for a low vision user at the moment as it doesn’t have any speech capability. Which phones can you use it on? The good news is that the NPM app works on all Windows phone handsets. These are priced from about £79, to over £600, so there is lots of choice for handsets at different price points with different features. Where do you get the app? Like any smartphone platform, the only place you can download the app from is from the Windows phone app store. So on your device, simply go to “app store” and if you put into the search “Nokia Pocket Magnifier” it’ll take you straight to the download. The good news is that the app is the best price of all prices – it’s absolutely free! How do you use it? I’ve got the app on the homescreen of my phone. You can get to NPM just by touching the app and the app opens, simple as that. You’ve got four controls that are really large labels at the bottom of the screen. Those controls allow you to do things like change the background colours and if your phone has an LED camera flash, you can also use as a light to give you a bit of extra illumination. What are the improvements to the Apple operating system? Back in September last year, Apple launched iOS 7 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Many people with low vision found it too pale and difficult to see. Since then, many of the eye condition groups have been in touch with us and we’ve been working to feed that back into Apple. So the good news is that the iOS 7.1 update, which has just been launched, contains a range of new features which are designed to address those problems. For example, if you turn on the bold text control now, the keyboard in iOS 7.1 is much more bold and easier to see. There are some additional new controls that allow you to darken colours and also to reduce the intensity of whiteness of the screen – it’s a control called “reduce whitepoint”. And there are various other small interface tweaks which make the operating system easier to see. Are there any changes with Siri? Probably the most significant thing that people are mentioning is that Siri, the digital assistant on iOS devices, has new UK English voices. You can select a male or female voice by going into Settings, General, Siri and selecting your preferred gender. Get help with technology For information and advice on technology, including “app of the month” and beginners guides to using technology, visit rnib.org.uk/technology or call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999. Technology: guide to RNIB’s new online shop RNIB launched a new online shop in April at the same time the main website was relaunched. The new online shop is easier to use with six main categories to search in: Clocks and watches Canes and mobility Children and learning Braille Reading Home and Leisure. Here are some useful tips to help you get the best from the new online shop Pay the right price! Register and then always log on before adding items to basket this helps if you are registered blind or partially sighted and buying VAT exempt products as you will automatically be charged the price minus VAT. Require braille or audio instructions? Look in “Accessories” to check if instructions are available in Braille or audio. Then click “Add to basket, where available, and that way they will be part of your order. How to search for a product If you search using key words your search results should include the item along with similar items or even accessories. If you search using a more generic word you may get quite a lot of results. You can then choose the “product type” that you are looking for in the search result, located in the left hand part of the screen. Search by price You can refine your search by price. Again located on the left hand of the screen and great if you have a maximum amount of budget. You can also change the number of items displayed on the page with the ‘View’ button option and choose to have the products displayed in a grid style or list. Shop and feedback! Visit the online shop at rnib.org.uk/shop and your feedback is welcome, please email shop@rnib.org.uk with your comments and suggestions to help us improve, where we can. Or call the Helpline to order And remember that if you don’t have access to the internet, you can call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 and they will help find what you want and take your order. Lifestyle: audio book review - Wilfred Owen, “The War Poetry” As part of our content marking the centenary of the outbreak of World War I, RNIB Trustee Vidar Hjardeng, has been listening to The War Poetry of Wilfred Owen. Wilfred Owen is one of the first world war poets. He enlisted in the army in 1915 and the 49 poems in this collection are based on his harrowing experience in the trenches between January and April 1917. After that he was invalided out of the army for a while with what they called being shellshocked or we would say these days, a post-traumatic breakdown. During that time, he met and was influenced by another fellow poet, Siegfried Sassoon, and their poetry was to change the way that people thought about war. Owen returned back to service in September 1918 and was sadly killed a couple of months later, just a few days before the armistice aged just 25. During his short life, he didn’t have time to become well-known, it was a couple of years after his death that his poems started to see the light of day in a wider public context. The poems in this collection are poignant and I think someone used the phrase “grim to the point of brutality”, which I think sums it up very accurately. They are also majestic, rather awe-inspiring and they convey very graphically his thoughts, reflections, observations of what must have been one of the most unimaginable periods of international conflict in history. This collection was brilliantly read by actor, Anton Lesser, and that’s why I particularly wanted to share this version with you. As I’m blind, I have to use the audio format but I find poetry much more accessible when it’s read to me. It really helps to bring it to life and convey what the poet was trying to say and convey. Listen to “The War Poetry of Wilfred Owen” Vidar listen to the unabridged version in the Great Poet series published by Naxos Audio Books. Download it at naxosaudiobooks.com for £6.00. Or you could order it on CD from you local book retailer. RNIB also has a collection of Wilfred Owen’s poetry and a biography available – you can search in the library catalogue on rnib.org.uk or call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999. Lifestyle: recipe for roasted vegetable and feta tart Our recipe this time is perfect for a light summery meal or for vegetarians if you’re having a barbecue! You can find this, and other recipes, at diabetes.org.uk Ingredients for 8 servings: For the pastry: 125g/4 and a half oz self-raising flour 50g/1 and three quarters oz oatmeal 75g/2 and three quarters oz butter For the filling: 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped 1 courgette, sliced 1 aubergine, chopped 1 red onion, cut into wedges Any other vegetables of your choice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped 75g/2 and three quarter oz feta cheese, crumbled 25g/1oz pine nuts salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. 2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oatmeal, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in a tablespoon of water to combine the mixture. 3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to make a 20cm round. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and chill for 15 minutes. Then bake for 15 minutes, until a light golden colour. 4. Meanwhile, place all the vegetables into a roasting tin, drizzle over the oil and toss through the garlic. Place in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and slightly charred on the edges. 5. Toss through the oregano and season well, spoon over the pastry base. Sprinkle over the feta and pine nuts and return to the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve warm or cold. Your letters and tips Vision star letter I recommend tour of John Rylands Library The John Rylands library, which was built in the 1900s, is part of Manchester University. I went to a photography exhibition with my sister and as I have very little sight, the curator asked if I would be interested in an accessible tour. She took me to the very famous reading room which is a really beautiful part of the building where I was able to trace the wood carvings. They are of cotton flowers and the red rose of Lancashire as John Rylands was a Lancastrian who made his money from cotton manufacture. There were also lots of carvings of birds and monkeys in the sandstone and I could trace the detail. I thought the workmanship was incredible. Even the sandstone on the walls of the staircase felt different in places – some of it was very smooth like velvet and in other parts it was rough and course. Apparently, it’s beautiful shades of pink which I’m sure must be lovely. Overall I thought the visit was a real success. I’d recommend it to anyone who has a love of history or literature and there’s even a café, so it satisfies every one of your senses! Lilian Wickstead, Wigan Visit the John Rylands library The John Rylands library is open 7 days a week and offers a programme of events and free tours including an explorer tour and a photography tour. If you would like to book a free accessible tour, please contact the library at least two to four weeks in advance to arrange a tour. Call Visitor Engagement Assistant, Kim Gillson on 0161 306 0555, email jrl.events@manchester.ac.uk or visit library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands Star letter prize For her star letter prize, Lilian wins a Doro PhoneEasy 110w cordless phone. The star letter prize for the August/September Vision is one of the popular RNIB PenFriend labellers which can be used to record audio labels for anything from food in the freezer to CD collections. Climbing gives me a sense of achievement I’m 40 and I have about three per cent sight due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and I also have two hearing aids. I really enjoy climbing as I’m in control of my situation and it’s all down to me. The only part that I have to rely on for indoor climbing is for somebody who is a sight guider who tells me what colour holds I need to be going for and where they are on the wall. I also climb outside, which I find a lot easier because I haven’t got someone telling me off for not grabbing a yellow hold! I have no sense of depth perception so for me it doesn’t matter whether I’m six inches off the floor or six foot - it all looks the same to me! So from that point of view it’s not scary at all. I also do competition climbing and I’m currently on the GB Paraclimbing team as a visually impaired competitor. I recently came third in a competition in London. I wanted to share my enjoyment of climbing with other members as I think there’s a great deal of satisfaction and a sense of achievement in doing something so well, since I’ve lost my sight. I would definitely recommend climbing as an activity for blind and partially sighted people - you get to meet loads of new people, always willing to help you. John Churcher, Birmingham Sponsor John and read his blog John is hoping to compete in the World Indoor Climbing Championships in Spain in September and is looking for sponsors. If you think you could help, please contact him via the RNIB membership team. You can keep up with John’s activities by following him on his blog at johnchurcherparaclimber.com Rowing keeps me fit! My husband has enjoyed rowing for many years and when he retired I found he was going out rowing more and more so I thought if you can’t beat them, join them! It took me a few years to convince the club that I could row, just like anyone else, but I’m now a member of the Royal Chester Rowing Club. I’m now in a ladies crew – we’re all fit young ladies, no-one is aged under 50! – and we go out twice a week. I sit in the stern of the boat, facing the cox, and she gives me information about where we’re going and who’s house we’re passing. I really enjoy the experience - there’s all the different lovely smells as different restaurants open and the sounds of the birds. I’m not treated any differently to anyone else. I go into the boat house to take the boat off the rack before we go out. Then when we get back, I help take the boat out of the water and wash it down. On one or two occasions I’ve gone to the wrong boat and washed somebody else’s but there you go! After that, we all go off for breakfast and we have a lovely time. You’re never too old to go rowing, there are so many benefits – I’m 64 and I love every minute of it. June Jarvis, Chester Try rowing or another sport Visit britishrowing.org or call 020 8237 6700. For advice on how to get involved with sporting activities, visit britishblindsport.org. or call 01926 42 42 47. Concerned about new pound coin I note with some dismay that the present pound coin is to be withdrawn and a new coin issued. I’m registered blind with myopic macular degeneration. And I find the present pound coin is chunky and easy to identify among all the other coins. I understand that the new coin is going to be 12 sided, rather like the old three penny bit and I’m concerned that we may get it muddled up with the 50 pence piece. Jill Ward, Herefordshire Have your say on the new pound coin The Royal Mint is proposing that the new pound coin, to be released in 2017, will have 12 sides, be made of two different types of medal and be roughly the same size as the current pount coin. The Mint hopes that the new coin will be difficult to forge – it estimates around three per cent, or 45 million pounds worth, of the current pound coins are forgeries! It will hold a public consultation over the summer, before the precise specification for the new coins is finalised. Visit royalmint.com Cruise holiday is perfect for people with sight loss My wife and I are both blind and we have found that the Royal Caribbean is a very “disability friendly” company to go on cruises with. They give you an orientation tour and describe where everything is; provide information including restaurant menus in braille and allow working guide dogs on board. There are also facilities for wheelchair users. We have also found that they have been able to provide a member of staff to go on shore with us as a guide for the land excursions. We’ve found that a cruise with all these facilities is an ideal way for blind people to have a holiday and visit places that we might not have gone to otherwise. The ship is like a floating hotel which you can find your way round quite easily. We’ve also made lots of new friends, so we would definitely recommend this company for cruise holidays. Adrian Rowe, Bexley Heath Contact Royal Caribbean International If you are interested in a cruise with Royal Caribbean International, it’s best to let them know you have sight loss when booking and you need to request the ship tour to familiarise yourself with your surroundings, at least 45 days prior to the sail date. You need to advise in advance if you want to take your guide dog and ensure that you have the relevant documents. Portable hearing kits and wheelchair accessible cabins are also available by request in advance. All this information is included in a "Special Services Requests and Information" booklet, which is available by emailing specialservices@rccl.com or in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the website at royalcaribbean.co.uk Or for bookings and information call 0844 493 4005. Your community: updates and events You are invited to attend RNIB’s 2014 AGM RNIB's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on 24 July 2014 in Birmingham. The AGM gives members an opportunity to ask the trustees and management team questions about RNIB’s annual report and accounts for 2013/14 and also about RNIB’s work generally. All members of RNIB are entitled to attend. If you would like to attend the AGM The AGM takes place at 10.30am in the Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET. Please contact Angela Flanagan on 020 7391 2359 or email governance@rnib.org.uk. Please note that you need to confirm if you would like to attend, by 1 July 2014. Chair of RNIB Cymru moves to Macular Society Tony Rucinski has stepped down as Chair of RNIB Cymru in order to take up a new role as Chief Executive of the Macular Society. During his four years as Chair of RNIB Cymru, Tony who is registered blind, has been pivotal in campaigning for Lucentis for the treatment of AMD and making eye health a public health priority in Wales. He said: “It has been a privilege to have the opportunity to spend time on RNIB-related work.” Tony takes over at the Macular Society from Helen Jackman who is moving to Canada as her husband has been transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Growing your membership We are now offering a free nine month trial membership to new customers of RNIB. We have developed this offer after asking members last year, about the best way to grow membership. “Being a member gives you a sense of belonging. It’s nice to know there are people who understand.” Membership is a great way to get information and support. As a member of RNIB, you receive: Regular issues of Vision magazine – read the latest news and real-life stories Invitations to member events – come along and make new friends Help from our dedicated membership team – get in touch with your queries. Do you know someone who would like to join RNIB? If you know someone who could benefit from a free trial membership, please tell them to get in touch with the team on 0303 1234 555 or membership@rnib.org.uk You can also find out more by visiting rnib.org.uk/membership Information and services directory Your Vision magazine Send a letter If you'd like to send a letter to Vision you can either: post a letter to Vision magazine at RNIB, 105 Judd Street, London, WC1H 9NE or email: visionmagazine@rnib.org.uk or telephone the Vision messageline on 0845 330 4134. Listen to the free Vision podcast You can find out more about Vision magazine or listen to the free Vision podcast at rnib.org.uk/visionmagazine If you need to change your contact details or to receive Vision in a different format - it's available in large print (16 point), braille, CD or Daisy CD and email, please contact the Membership Team. To advertise in Vision To advertise in Vision, contact Landmark Publishing on 020 7520 9474 or email sharon@lps.co.uk Member forum dates in 2014 Cymru: 10 September. East of England: 2 October. East Midlands: 30 July and 1 November. North East: 2 August and 12 December. North London: 5 July and 19 November. North West: 22 August and 29 November. Northern Ireland: on 5 June and 9 October. Scotland: 25 June and 11 November. South East: 6 September. South London: 28 October. South West: on 2 July and 4 December. West Midlands: 19 September. Yorkshire and the Humber: 14 June and 17 October. Contact RNIB The membership team Get in touch with your queries, let us know if your contact details have changed or request Vision magazine in a different format (it’s available in large print, on CD, braille and email). Call 0303 1234 555, email membership@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/membership Helpline Get eye health information, emotional support, benefits advice and product information. Call 0303 123 9999, email helpline@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/ask Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.45am – 5.30pm and calls cost no more than a standard rate call to an 01 or 02 number. Fundraising Find out how you can support our work. Call 0845 345 0054, email fundraising@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/donate Volunteering Give a little time, make a big difference. Call 0845 603 0575, email volunteering@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/volunteering Campaigning Campaign on the issues that matter to you. Call 020 7391 2123, email campaign@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/campaigning Free guides available from RNIB We have a range of guides that you can order in your preferred format free of charge. Call the Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk The “Understanding” series is for people who want to understand more about their eye condition. Titles in this series include: cataracts; Charles Bonnet Syndrome; dry eye; eye conditions related to diabetes; glaucoma; nystagmus; posterior vitreous detachment; retinal detachment; retinitis pigmentosa. The “Starting Out” series is for people who have recently been diagnosed with an eye condition. Titles in the series include: Benefits, concessions and registration; Education; Emotional support; Help from social services; Housing; Making the most of your sight. The “Confident Living” series is for people who want to make the most of living with sight loss. Titles in the series include: Leisure; Living Safely; Managing your money; Reading; Shopping; Technology; Travel. Advertisements Please remember that advertisements are placed by organisations independent of RNIB and their inclusion does not mean that RNIB has endorsed the products and services they offer. Sight and Sound Technology: making life clearer. Sight and Sound is introducing the Blaze EZ which is revolutionising the multi-media player. It has a wealth of information at the touch of a button! Carry the world in your pocket. It has an intuitive one button operation for OCR, books, music, documents, podcasts and recordings. An auto focus camera lens ensures high quality accuracy of text recognition. The Blaze EZ Slim design fits in your pocket. Take the power of OCR everywhere and recognise printed material including books, brochures, newspapers, restaurant menus and more. Read text aloud using the high quality human-sounding voices. The price of the Blaze EZ is £475 and as an introductory offer: if you purchase the Blaze EZ before the 31st of July 2014, you’ll receive a free AfterShokz Bluetooth Headset. For more information call 01604 798070 or email info@sightandsound.co.uk, quoting reference VISQ214. You can also buy online at sightandsound.co.uk Optelec is offering the Clear View Plus Speech. Make reading easy again with the Clear View Plus Speech, combining all the benefits of powerful magnification and true audio text-to-speech playback in a single design. You can use the touchscreen to scan a printed page and select a paragraph to listen to. The Clear View Plus Speech also features: Full page view Point and read High contrast photo mode Upgrade your existing Clear View Plus to make it speech compatible. To request further information and/or a home demonstration, call Freephone 080 8090 8090 or browse online at optelec.co.uk Optelec: Life is worth enjoying. Humanware is offering the Prodigi Desktop. The clever new Prodigi will simply amaze you. Exciting modern technology at one tap of your finger with magnification and speech. At last, you can now read how reading is meant to be – easy, comfortable and enjoyable. Prodigi is so smart, it displays scrolling text for you to read. Alternatively you can choose to listen while Prodigi reads it for you. So affordable, Prodigi is available in three different versions: Desktop, Duo and Tablet. Prices start from £749. Diamond Edge Technology provides unbelievably sharp, clear text. Call Humanware today to test drive a Prodigi and see the difference for yourself! Speak with Jessica, Kirsty or Maria on 01933 41 58 00 to arrange your free demonstration or visit humanware.com/prodigy Copyright RNIB June 2014. Reg charity no. 2226227 Ends