RNIB Connect Radio

Headshot photograph of Simon Antrobus smiling for the camera. He is a white man with neat, short brown hair, dressed in a white shirt and charcoal suit jacket.

🧵We’re delighted to announce that Simon Antrobus will be our new CEO from early 2026.

Simon joins us from BBC Children in Need with a wealth of experience leading organisations that build services and drive social change, opening opportunities for individuals and communities.

A toy shark lies on the office floor. Behind, a blurred outline of a soft grey pet bed with some colourful toys in it.

Psst Some exciting news on the horizon. But what could it be? 🐾

Check back on Monday to find out.

Audioboom Host, distribute and monetize your podcast with Audioboom.

What's on this week's Tech Talk?

• TaluCard - accessible payment card
• Demonstration of Shokz OpenDots Earbuds
• Everyday AI Uses
• Listener questions

Listen to the podcast below or catch the show live every Tuesday at 1 pm, only on RNIB Connect Radio.

Oban Blind Man Is Voice Of Lidl Self-Checkouts Alan Macdonald, a blind man from Oban, recently became the voce of self-checkouts in Scottish Lidl stores.

Scottish Lidl self-checkouts have a new voice 🛒

Alan from Oban, is an RNIB Volunteer and following his sight loss threw himself in sound production. Now, added to his list of achievements is becoming the new voice across the stores.

Football playing guide dog? 🤯

Hear Guide Dog Blogs every Monday on The Lunch Break with Hubert Pawelkiewicz and guide dog Cesar 🐶 On air from 12 noon.

Do you have your own guide dog story to share? Get in touch! Email radio@rnib.org.uk

⁉️ We love a mystery theme.

Join Ken Reid on next week's very personal episode of the Mix Tape.

Listen on RNIB Connect Radio this Monday 6th of October at 8 pm.

[Video description: a photo of a smiling Ken in the studio with a transcript of text playing over the image]

Making Payments More Accessible With The TaluCard A new type of accessible payment card could be making its way to your pocket very soon. Hywel Davies has been hearing about the TaluCard.

A payment card that is accessible to blind and partially sighted?

RNIB Connect Radio's Hywel Davies hears about the accessibility features of the TaluCard, including biometric pairing, tactility, and access to real-time payment information.

Great British Bake Off - Looking for Blind and Partially Sighted Bakers for the Next Series Are you a fan of Channel 4's baking show ‘The Great British Bake Off' and think your baking might be worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake or good enough for you to become star Baker?

🍰 Calling all amateur bakers!

If you are you a fan of Channel 4’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’, applications for next season are open, and blind and partially sighted bakers are encouraged to apply.

Find out more with RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey.

Report Highlights Barriers To Safe And Confident Walking On Our Streets UK sight loss charity RNIB, has published the second part of its Big Travel Survey, looking at safe and independent mobility for blind and partially sighted people.

Head over to Tate Britain for an insight into the life and work of the Photographer Lee Miller📷

Find out about the exhibition and how blind and partially sighted visitors can book an audio described tour as we chat with Assistant Curator at Tate, Saskia.

New RNIB Support Groups Available RNIB are launching a new series of support groups run by qualified counsellors. Hywel Davies has been hearing about the benefits of sharing your story.

"It's just a safe therapeutic space."

Charity RNIB are launching new support groups for blind and partially sighted people run by qualified counsellors.

The groups will help connect those with shared experience and our Hywel Davies has been hearing more.

Para Lionesses Ready For World Cup Action The Women’s Blind Football World Cup kicks off on October the 2nd. Hywel Davies has been speaking to England’s Selina Prieto ahead of this year’s tournament in India.

"It's going to be a great opportunity for us to show what we can do out there."

Para Lioness Selina Prieto chats with us ahead of Women’s Blind Football World Cup kicking off in India this week.
https://audioboom.com/posts/8783764-para-lionesses-ready-for-world-cup-action

Visionary Annual Conference 2025 Join Amelia on the Conference Floor of the Visionary Annual Conference 2025. She spoke to attendees, panellists and local and national sight loss organisations about how they support blind and partia...

Join Amelia on the Conference Floor of the Visionary Annual Conference 2025.

She spoke to attendees, panellists and local and national sight loss organisations about how they support blind and partially sighted people.

@visionaryuk.bsky.social

Why Getting Support At Point of Diagnosis Matters - Natalie's Story Sight loss charity RNIB has warned that thousands of people could be missing out on vital support at one of the most critical points of a sight loss journey – diagnosis.

"Knowing what support is available. It just made me realise there were lots of lost opportunities."

Natalie is severely sight impaired, but it wasn't until a few years ago that she connected with RNIB and realised what services and support were available to her.

We have four nominations at this year's Community Radio Awards!

Headphones on for David's reaction 🎧

#CRAs2025

How KPMG Has Achieved The RNIB Visibly Better Employer Standard In this podcast, Hubert shines a light on the companies that have achieved RNIB's Visibly Better Employer standard.

"Any adjustments that need to be made in the workplace have to be lead by the individual."

Congrats to KPMG for achieving RNIB's Visibly Better Employer standard 👏

Find out more on our latest podcast as Hubert chats with Zoe and Ioan at KPMG, and Katie from RNIB's Visibly Better Employer team.

Sarah was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration seven years ago but it wasn't until much later that she learned about the support and services available to her.

Find out what support is available, call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

Scottish Vision Strategy Conference 2025 Join RNIB Connect Radio as we attend the Scottish Vision Strategy conference in Glasgow. Hosted by RNIB Scotland in Glasgow on Thursday 18th of September, it is one of the largest sector gatherings on...

Join RNIB Connect Radio as we attend the Scottish Vision Strategy conference in Glasgow.

Hosted by RNIB Scotland in Glasgow on Thursday 18th of September, it is one of the largest sector gatherings on eye health and eye care policy.

Find our playlist 👇

Explore Your Paralympic Potential This October Could you be a future Paralympian?

Could you be a future Paralympian?

The Paralympic Potential event at University of Warwick in October is your chance to try out a variety of parasports.

Listen to our latest podcast to find out more.

#ParaSport #Paralympics

Charity Chief Exec's Customer Update 20/09/2025 Each week, RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell sits down with Matt Stringer, CEO of RNIB, to look at some of the big stories coming from the UK sight loss charity.

Accessible Media Symposium, photography exhibition with a difference, and championing accessibility and inclusivity at political party conferences.

Allan Russell sits down with RNIB CEO Matt Stringer, to look back at the busy week of work for the charity.

Hear the latest podcast below 🎧

RNIB Hosts Accessible Media Symposium Join our radio team at RNIB’s first Accessible Media Symposium. Bringing together broadcasters, streamers, technology companies, audio description producers, creatives and researchers the event explor...

What could the future of accessibility in media look like?

Join our radio team at RNIB's first Accessible Media Symposium as we speak with some of the big players including Channel 4, Red Bee Media, BBC and more 🎧

Vidar Hjardeng MBE - Fat Ham, AD Theatre Review RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey is joined again by Vidar Hjardeng MBE, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant for ITV News across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the next of his regular audio described theatre reviews.

"It was a great triumph."

For our weekly audio described theatre review, Vidar reviews Fat Ham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning bombastic and playful take on Hamlet, which he saw at Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre.

What's your favourite theatre show❓

RNIB Bookshare Nathaniel Jessop A recent YouGov poll shows one in five UK parents feel their children often can't read print in the way it is presented to them at school. David Hogg finds out about RNIB Bookshare, a free service which can level the playing field.

"Bookshare is spectacular!"

With one in five UK parents saying their children struggle to read standard print at school we spoke with teacher Nathaniel about RNIB Bookshare, a free service which provides accessible textbooks and school materials.

RNIB's Accessible Media Symposium Begins in London RNIB’s Accessible Media Symposium brings together broadcasters, streamers, technology companies, creatives, researchers and people with lived experience to explore the future of accessible media.

RNIB’s Accessible Media Symposium is underway👏

The two-day event is a chance to share ideas, highlight innovation, and shape the future of accessible media.

Barry Snell caught up with Allan Russell as he prepared to chair the event.

First episode of RNIB NI Podcast 7pm tonight📻

On this month's podcast, hosts Joe and Micheal talk campaigning in Northern Ireland, myths around disability and welfare, and interview RNIB Northern Ireland Country Director.

Listen Freeview 730, smart speakers & online https://bit.ly/RNIBConnectRadio

What puts us off making a will?

For Remember a Charity Week, solicitor Emily Littlehales explained why we put off writing a will.

Gifts in Wills help RNIB provide life-changing services and support to many blind and partially sighted people.

Find your free Will guide: bit.ly/RACWeek2025

Visiting the Seen Exhibition 2025 Join Toby Davey as he visits Joshua Bratt's Seen exhibition. Hosted at RNIB's space in London, the portrait series celebrates the lives of 22 blind and partially sighted individuals and invites you to see the person, not the sight loss.

"It's not about the disability, it's about the person."

Join Toby Davey as he visits Joshua Bratt's Seen exhibition.

Hosted by RNIB in London, the series features 22 powerful portraits that bring into focus the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

Tonight on The Jazz Club, we celebrate legendary blind musician Sir George Shearing🎶

Hear an exclusive clip of host Jake Heart interviewing Carl from Shear Brass, a band dedicated to playing new arrangements of Shearing's music.

Listen this Friday 6 pm and Saturday 8 pm.

When the harness is off, all bets are off too, and belly rubs roll in 💗

In 2010 Dave suffered a stroke, which significantly affected his sight. Through RNIB's community and support groups, he was able to regain his independence.

Thanks to gifts in Wills, RNIB can be there for people with sight loss.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/RACWeek2025

Tactile And Screen Reader Accessible Pregnancy Test AMY University of Limerick Graduate, Leah Shanahan, has designed a prototype for a fully accessible pregnancy test based on feedback from blind and partially sighted women.

Can a pregnancy test be made accessible for blind and partially sighted women?
University of Limerick Graduate, Leah Shanahan, designed AMY, a prototype pregnancy test that considers accessibility of using the test and finding out the result.