RNIB Connect Radio

04/06/2026

🎾Blind and partially sighted tennis fans can experience Wimbledon in a whole new way!

Action Audio is a new way for audiences to follow sport in real-time by using simple sound cues alongside the usual audio commentary for a more thrilling experience. The technology allows fans to experience the thrill of knowing where the ball is in real time and get a real sense of how the match is going.

And as the tournament gets underway this summer, fans will be able to watch the inclusive feed on the BBC iPlayer BBC website and iPlayer for matches on centre court.

Our Hywel Davies spoke with Tim Devine, Chief Development Officer with AKQA, the company behind the development of this innovation.

Hywel: What is Action Audio and how does it work?

Tim: The idea behind Action Audio is to give people more agency to make their own minds up about what's happening in a tennis match by using the data that's created, through the Hawk-Eye system, so the adjudication for the line calling. And we turn that into abstract sound cues, so non-verbal sound cues that can complement the commentary and fill in the gaps that the commentary doesn't or wouldn't normally fill.

Hywel: It's interesting you mention that, Tim, because I suppose for people involved in commentary, people listening to and used to listening to commentary, you're being told what's happening and you don't really, I suppose, get the opportunity to use that information and sort of think about the game for yourself, I suppose.

Tim: That's right, yeah. When we started exploring the idea of Action Audio, the idea of something that wasn't using words to describe what was going on, we first kind of broke down what made sport, and specifically tennis was the first sport that we did it with, what brought the tension in it.

And one of the things that people have enjoyed the most about it over the years have been knowing how close the ball is to the line, which when we were designing it, we picked up that in one of the co-design sessions as meaningful because it contributes to tension and it's an expression of the professionalism, I suppose, that's on a tennis court. So yeah, people knowing how close the ball is to the line creates more tension and complements the commentary in a way that doesn't necessarily come through in as much detail as when it's spoken by a commentator.

Hywel: For tennis, Action Audio has been used at tournaments like the Australian Open, Queens and Wimbledon, of course. What's the reaction been like from blind and partially sighted fans?

Tim: It's been great. It's by far the most admired piece of work that I've done in my lifetime, to be honest. People seem to really appreciate it and get a lot out of it. it's a work in progress and this year is a really big year for us. We're exploring lots of ways to do it in stadium, in the courtside. And this year we're doing it in a broadcast context in collaboration with Hawk-Eye for a new product that they're launching called Hawk AR, which will complement the audio work that we've been doing with a video overlay.

So, on BBC iPlayer, there will be an inclusive feed that effectively is Action Audio plus video with augmented graphics to kind of highlight the trace of the ball, the court, all sorts of things to kind of complement what Action Audio is already doing, but really is more reflective of the fact that blind low vision, fully sighted, partially sighted is a spectrum and that people have different needs. And so, there is an opportunity to create a more rounded service by using video augmentation.

Hywel: Is Action Audio difficult to pick up for new users?

Tim: Yeah, there's definitely a nuance. Where the ball is as it moves through using the rattle of the ball, which shot type, so forehand, backhand, and then how close it is to the line. It's just a- the closer it is to the line, you get a few beeps and the less close you get one beep. So, they're really simple sound cues and doesn't take too long to pick it up and we've got a good onboarding.

[Image description: a graphic representing a tennis court with a blue court, white lines and a little bright green tennis ball in the bottom right corner. A logo for Action Audio is in the middle of the image in white with two green sound bars cradling the last "o" in audio.]

03/06/2026

Can the Access To Work scheme be fixed?

For blind and partially sighted people the scheme is a vital support for getting into, and staying in work. Unfortunately the UK Government scheme has been buckling under the strain of increased applications, not enough staff, and poor working practices.

Allan Russell spoke to Roisin Jacklin from RNIB to find out more.

Short transcript below or full podcast here: https://bit.ly/4ejGavS

Allan: The Access to Work scheme is under more pressure. There has been a lot of problems with delays there.

Roisin: Yeah, unfortunately huge delays, both applying to the scheme, so people in work who need support. I think some people are waiting 9 plus months just to get contacted, so well over a year before someone has support in place.

Another big issue, that we hear a lot, from people contacting our helpline is that when people are coming to renew support, so this could be support that's been in place for years, unfortunately, some people are having the support that they've got in place, particularly around support worker hours being cut. Which again is having a really devastating impact on people being able to stay in work and it's support that people really need.

Allan: People have had cuts to the hours that they need to work, which for many could leave them having to give up work. There's been changes to the rates that support workers can be paid and even the word support worker now seems to have changed as well, but now it seems to be two different categories now and I think that's maybe a bit confusing for people as well.

Roisin: Probably people will hear the term job aid, broadly it just refers to a support worker. But like you say, we're seeing huge issues, particularly around that level of support people are getting from support workers. There seems to be a misunderstanding amongst case managers and Access to Work staff of the support that blind and partially sighted people need from support workers.

We know support workers play a really important role in making sure people can do their job safely and effectively, but there's a rule within Access to Work's guidance that says where a support worker replaces an individual on a task, they can only have up to 20% of their hours funded for a support worker and we think there's confusion.

Particularly where someone's getting accessibility related support. So, it could be information being transcribed into an accessible format, but we're kind of increasingly seeing that this kind of accessibility related task is being misinterpreted as replacement and in the past, it's always been and is an enablement task, so should be there for 100% of someone's working hours.

And another issue we're seeing, if you get the outcome of your decision and you face this cut, the only route at the moment is to challenge, is to put in a reconsideration. But unfortunately, we're seeing with reconsiderations often same decision, even when we're seeing basic maths errors coming through. We really, really need to make sure this process is improved and it starts working for customers with sight loss.

Allan: We have heard that there will be another, I think it's 460, 480 staff being recruited to help with this, but I imagine with the timeline of recruitment, with training and so on, that could still take a while to filter through.

Roisin: The access to work also will double, so it's really welcome. Hopefully it will mean that they can address many more applications in the queue. My understanding is it will be September that these new staff are able to kind of work once they've been through training, but obviously that's only half the problem because we know at the moment decision making at renewal isn't working. So, it's really important we're getting in now and making sure that level of understanding of the new case managers there and we've pitched and we're hoping that we can be involved in their training.

Allan: Are you hearing any worries or complaints around contacting Access to Work? Because it seems now that you are now unable to e-mail Access to Work, things seems to be going through the phone line.

Roisin: We've had guarantees from Access to Work that if you need e-mail is a reasonable adjustment that remains in place, so it's really important that people do ask for that. Unfortunately, it's not always simple to get in place. I heard someone was told in order to get e-mail as a reasonable adjustment secured, they needed to go to their job centre, somewhere they weren't familiar with the route, they couldn't get there independently. It's not an easy process at the moment.

We met with Access to Work's policy team, talked through what the issues are. We're pleased to say that there was that level of understanding. So, we're now working with them to kind of look at how guidance can be improved and provide case studies to really set out that vital support. That'll be a big piece of ongoing work that we're doing.

For people with disabilities, the UK Government’s Access To Work scheme is a vital support for getting into, and staying in, work.

02/06/2026

“There's a whole world of opportunity out there for volunteers.”

Happy Volunteers’ Week!

Thank you to all the wonderful RNIB volunteers who help make a positive difference on the lives of blind and partially sighted people across the UK.

And as we celebrate the week, we spoke with Adam Pearson about why he chose to volunteer with RNIB and how it led to a job with the charity.

Paulina: Adam, what is your connection with volunteering and RNIB?

Adam: Basically, one day in 2017, I woke up blind. Nobody in my family had experienced blindness before. I was living halfway around the world at the time in a tiny island called Taiwan. And I moved back to the UK and started to rehabilitate.

As part of that, I encountered my local society, which is Henshaws in Greater Manchester, and started to volunteer with them. Now, at that time, RNIB Connect Coordinator in the area, visited Henshaws and said, you'd be a fantastic community coordinator. Would you like to come on board as a volunteer for the RNIB?

So naturally I said yes. As part of that, as time went on, I actually applied for a position at the RNIB covering maternity leave of the person who recruited me. and was successful. So, I actually became from a volunteer, I became a member of staff. I also then started to volunteer manage and then progressed. And then even to this day through my career at the RNIB, I've always held volunteering very close to me and I currently manage one volunteer at the minute in my current role.

Paulina: So did your role change from that first initial volunteering role to now working really closely with this one volunteer?

Adam: So yeah, at the beginning there was lots of volunteers. There was about 15. So, I was part of a team of staff where we had a dedicated volunteer facilitator. We were able to work very closely together to develop the volunteers. We went out and did stalls and talks and organised lots of fun things like gigs and award ceremonies and really big ticket items. And then as I stepped away from the kind of RNIB frontline into my current role as a business analyst, I've kept up with volunteering and currently have a change accessibility volunteer, which is more of a skills-based role.

Paulina: What would you say is the biggest lesson you took out of your experience of volunteering?

Adam: It helped me to reintegrate back into society because it gave me the confidence to be able to go out and about. I started to travel independently around Greater Manchester, which is where I'm from.

As I transitioned into a staff role, it taught me the skills like line management skills that are transferable. So, volunteer management skills such as active listening, empathy and understanding towards the volunteers because the volunteers have got their own lives and things can happen unexpectedly. And we're just incredibly grateful as an organisation that they're prepared to give up their time.

Paulina: What would you say was the biggest impact you have witnessed?

Adam: I think volunteering gives our volunteers confidence and it gives them new skills and opportunities. So being able to see a new volunteer who may not have the best confidence in the world, but being able to help develop them and bring them on and then have them go off and make their own groups and discover that there is life after sight loss. I've had volunteers, it's given them the confidence to go off and get jobs, which is absolutely fantastic. So, being able to see their development over time is a really, really rewarding and impactful experience.

Volunteering, it is not just a give, it's a give and take. It's a much broader thing than just giving up your time because as a volunteer, you can learn new skills, you can experience new things, you can meet people that you'd never thought you'd meet in a million years. So, it's a there's a whole world of opportunity out there for volunteers.

[Image description: Adam stands to the right of an RNIB stand during the Stoke Conference at the Raddison Hotel at Manchester Airport. This was taken when Adam was a volunteer. He has dark hair, glasses and is smiling as he holds his white cane. He’s wearing a blue-green RNIB t-shirt and the table next to him is covered in information leaflets and a lady with long brown hair sits behind it and is talking to Adam.]

01/06/2026

Throwback Monday: for the tech-curious, a Meta Glasses demo with Hubert 👓

This week we throwback to March 2025 when RNIB Scotland hosted their Inclusive Design for Sustainability Conference at the Glasgow Science Centre.

For more tech-y updates, news and chat, check out Tech Talk, discussing all types of accessible technology for blind and partially sighted people.

Listen every Tuesday 1pm, or Thursday 9pm/Saturday 5pm.

And for more about the show and to catch up with old episodes, visit our website: https://bit.ly/RNIBTechTalk

[Video description: Hubert sits in front of a wall of glass windows, with the view over River Clyde behind him.

Transcript:

Hubert: Let me test it by asking what the weather is at the moment, I'll tap the frame of the glasses. What's the weather?

Glasses: In Glasgow it is currently sunny and 6 degrees Celsius. Today's forecast is a high of 10 degrees Celsius and a low of negative 3 degrees Celsius.

Hubert: So, it's done the weather forecast thank you. The one a great thing that these glasses do also is act as speakers especially when I can maybe put some music on let me try that by tapping a frame.

Playing a little bit of Bob Marley. Bit of reggae there we go. And the other useful thing, if it works, is also if someone sends me for example a WhatsApp message...

Glasses: Message on WhatsApp from Amelia Hilton saying: “Loving the RNIB Inclusive Design for Sustainability Conference emoji red heart.”

Hubert: That's a message from Amelia let's reply. Reply.

Glasses: Replying to Amelia Hilton, what's the message?

Hubert: Yes, it is absolutely fantastic and it's good to be back here after two years.

Glasses: Message to Amelia Hilton says: "Yes it is absolutely fantastic
and it's good to be back here...

Hubert: Right glasses done, come on Cesar the guide dog, let's go and find Amelia!]

30/05/2026

Scones are rubbish and pineapple on pizza? 🙃

This week marked the end of Rosie’s work placement with our team, so our social media person dragged her and David in front of the camera for some silly questions time.

[Video description: David and Rosie sit in our radio studio facing the camera like they’ve being forced to be there.

Transcript:

Rosie: Scone's are just-
David: They're just they're just they're rubbish pancakes.

Rosie: Hi I'm Rosie, I'm a Trainee Content Producer here at RNIB Connect Radio.

David: And I'm David and I'm a Content Producer.

Rosie: And today we are answering silly questions.

Paulina: What's the proper way to have a scone?

David: I would never choose to have a scone ever.
Rosie: No to be fair I know I wouldn't.
David: No!

Rosie: I don't like them but they're alright.
David: It's not even that I don't like them, I just don't ever think about them, like they're just kind of there, they're an English people food like...

Rosie: They exist, but I don't really remember them.
David: Exactly! like...
Rosie: Not really memorable.

David: If we were to list our top 50 foods, which knowing how well this is going, that's probably gonna be next, I don't think scones would rank in that top 50. They're just there.
Rosie: Yeah! Yeah they just exist.

David: You'd much rather a pancake than a scone.
Rosie: Absolutely.
David: Exactly!
Rosie: Pancakes are lovely.
David: Exactly!

Rosie: Scones are just...
David: They're just, they're rubbish pancakes!
Rosie: Yeah...
David: Yeah!
Rosie: Yeah.
David: Here we go next question please!

Paulina: Pineapple on a pizza? Rosie?

Rosie: Yes, absolutely!
David: No, absolutely not. What? No! Fruit doesn't belong in most-

Rosie: There's multiple flavours, you're getting the ham and then you're getting the pineapple, it's like-

David: But what what? You can have fruit any other time,
why would you want to?

Rosie: No. It's unique, it's different from eating a pineapple.
David: But you can say it's unique about anything, oh I you know, pour honey onto onto beans, it's unique certainly, but it's wrong.
Rosie: It's not wrong.
David: Agree to disagree.]

29/05/2026

Join us in wishing Jess a very Happy Birthday!

Jess just turned 8-years-old, and last September, she got her whole family involved in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk in support of RNIB.

Jess' dad works with our radio team and she wanted to do something super nice for the charity her dad has been at for ages, but most importantly to make a positive impact on the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

We're so thankful to this little superstar for her huge heart and for lacing up her shoes for a good cause.

[Video description: We start in the radio studio as our radio team huddles together to wish Jess a happy birthday. Than we see Jess training in her backyard, and also some nice photos of Jess and her family doing the Kiltwalk.

Transcript:

Happy Birthday Jess!
Jess: I'm Jess and I'm training for the Edinburgh Kiltwalk!

Voice Over (VO): This is Jess climbing the monkey bars in her backyard in her pink coat and pink RNIB T-shirt. Now the person we can blame for this massive treck is actually Jess' dad who's part of our radio team and Jess grew up watching him work in radio and loving his job.

And I mean look at the two of them working together in the pandemic.
Jess even had her own teeny tiny computer set up. They look so cute!

So, Jess of course decided she wanted to do something super nice
and had the whole family sign up for the Kiltwalk.

Here they are looking all smiles before it kicks off. Loving the purple kilt, grandma!

Anyway, Jess's mom was all in and supporting her training.

Jess: My training is going on the monkey bars and doing the trampoline.
Mum: Yeah very cool!
Jess: Going on the monkey bars now.

Voice Over: Again absolutely fantastic monkey bar climbing Jess, awesome trampoline skills, and of course some good stretches before their walk. And they were off!

Event DJ: 3 2 1!
Voice Over: Ah, watch them go. And there we are hands in the air and a well-deserved podium pose.

So once again please, join us in saying a very happy birthday to the amazing Jess, who just turned 8 today!]

28/05/2026

We'll miss you, Rosie!🥹

Ten weeks ago, 22-year-old Rosie Murray started her work placement with our radio team as a Assistant Content Producer. During her time with us, Rosie learned about live radio broadcasting, creating shows, doing interviews, and of course, where the best biscuits are kept!

RNIB's See Work Differently Placement programme gives people with sight loss the chance to gain real work experience with supportive employers. Rosie studied radio before and has been out of college for over a year looking for opportunities to build confidence, develop new skills and take meaningful steps towards employment. A placement with our team was just the thing for her.

Learn more about what it was like as Hubert sat down to interview Rosie and her manager, Allan.

Hubert: What are some of the challenges you've faced as part of your placement that you've dealt with?

Rosie: In the studio as well, I find that more challenging. I definitely support to kind of do all the recording stuff and that's something that I'd like to kind of learn more of because right now I feel like I can do the interviews and things like that but kind of understanding how that true studio works definitely is a bit complicated to me but I'm here and I want to learn as much as possible and I'm glad that I've been able to kind of try everything because it makes me realise what I'm good at and what I want to kind of specialise in.

Allan: Listening to you, Rosie, I'm thinking about when I started in radio as well because this was all daunting to me. coming in, and I was sort of getting to grips with Jaws too. I was getting to grips with some of the Microsoft packages, and then you walk into a studio, and like the studio is here, you walk in, there's three monitors, there's four different keyboards, there's two different mixing desks, there's mice, not the four-legged kind, but there's a couple of mice, there's faders, there's buttons, there's dials everywhere.

It can be quite daunting to walk into something like that, but again, you know, Hubert, you mentioned about, you know, the skills that blind people Sometimes it's that memory as well, not just that spatial awareness for getting around to the place, but just sitting at a desk, you know, what fader is for, you know, my microphone, what fader is for, say, the news channel. That all starts to come to you and it's muscle memory and you're piecing together things in your mind all the time and you're blind about your environment and it does take a bit of time to get used to. I'm just thinking, listening to Rosie, how difficult it was for me at the start as well. Now if you put me in a shooter, I can fly around it.

Hubert: How can an organisation benefit from this sort of experience of having someone who's blind or partially sighted as part of a placement?

Allan: A lot of parts about working is problem solving in jobs. You're solving problems, you're getting jobs done. If you're blind, you're problem solving every day. You're problem solving, getting to and from work, getting to and from the shops, your problem technology problems you're thinking about how I get around a building somewhere so immediately there you get people who can think on their feet you get people who are used to problem solving people who are used to thinking and can give employers ideas of perhaps better ways to improve their working environments as well and people who are blind they have something to prove So you're going to get people who are there to prove themselves on the job. You're going to get hard-working people as well.

Hubert: And finally, Rosie, to you, based on your own experience of the placement so far, what would you say to people who may be interested in applying? What would you say to encourage them to give it a go?

Rosie: It doesn't really matter if you feel like you don't know very much or you're not very confident with, you know, mobility or public transport or even Jaws. That's a big one for me. The team are very nice and every step of the way they will help you. I have asked so many questions and every single member of the team have helped me at one point.

They believe in you and I'm really grateful I was able to get the opportunity to do it because it is such a good opportunity and I think that more organisations should do that kind of thing because it's so helpful and so beneficial.

[Image description: Rosie and Allan smile as they pose for a photo in our radio studios. Rosie is on the left in a light pink t-shirt, her face towards the camera, short blonde hair softly lit by the studio lights. A big red microphone in front of her. Further down the round studio table, Allan smiles, hands folded over the desk. He has short grey hair and is wearing a dark t-shirt.]

25/05/2026

Throwback Monday: 🐶 Cesar vs Robbie!

Back in 2025, Hubert and his guide dog Cesar raced against RoboGuide Robbie.

Developed by the University of Glasgow, we bumped into Robbie whilst attending the Inclusive Design for Sustainability (IDS) conference at the Glasgow Science Centre.

[Video description: At the Glasgow Science Centre, Hubert stands on the right with his trusty guide dog Cesar by his side. Cesar has his yellow harness on and is ready for action. On the left, one of the guys from University of Glasgow holds a tablet, ready to control the four-legged silver robot.

Transcript:
Cheeky voice over: Robbie the Guide Dog stands across from Hubert and Guide Dog Caesar.
Paulina: Do you want to face me and walk towards me? I'll count you you down.

Cheeky voice over: Hubert and Caesar take off first.
Paulina: Wait, wait, Oh!

Cheeky voice over: Robbie the Guide Dog speeds along and passes by them. Caesar does not look impressed.]

22/05/2026

Happy long weekend from RNIB Connect Radio 😎

Tune in for accessible technology, audiobook author interviews, accessible tour of the Churchill War Rooms, wellbeing chat, and lots of music of course! From new releases to rocking 50s and beyond.

You can find our full schedule here: https://bit.ly/RNIBConnectRadioSchedule

[Image description: A happy polaroid photo collage. Photos from left to right and from top to bottom:

Photo 1: Cesar the guide dog, a cream Labrador, pokes his big button nose close to the camera, smiling up happy and curious.

Photo 2: Ken, a man with short silver hair and the presenter of the Mix Tape, smiles as puts on his headphones on in the radio studio. Handwritten caption reads: “Ken’s first visit, July ’24.”

Photo 3: Ginger guide Dog Jayson gives the photographer puppy eyes as he holds a big shark plushie in his mouth.

Photo 4: Jake, a young man with short red hair sitting at a microphone labelled RNIB Connect Radio.

Photo 5: Allan and Jane, relaxing in deck chairs beside the red mascot from the Paris 2024 Paralympics — captioned “Paalympics ’24.”

Photo 6: Robert, a man with a long grey beard and sunglasses takes a selfie outdoors during a book festival. Caption: “Robert Boswell ’25.”

Photo 7: Toby, laughs as he poses with headphones around his neck and holding a microphone outside of the venue for a Sight Village event. He has short light-coloured hair and a light check shirt.

Photo 8: Hubert and Calum, present a show during the Inclusive Design for Sustainability Conference in 2025. They’re both young men with short hair. Hubert is wearing glasses, and they both have big headphones over their ears. one speaking into a yellow microphone while the other listens attentively.]

21/05/2026

Looking smart at tonight.

Even though we’re not bringing a shiny new award back, we are so incredibly proud of Robert Kirkwood and Read On - The Audiobook Show for the Best Speech Entertainment nomination.

Congratulations to winners BBC Sounds with Fame Under Fire and thank you Audio Academy (previously The Radio Academy) for the nomination.

We were up against incredibly talented nominees, many of whom are household names like Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley, Louis Theroux, Matt Chorley, Jameela Jamil and Rylan!

And amongst this prestigious crowd, there’s our Robert delivering his show week after week and with one goal in mind, highlighting the important role audiobooks play in enriching the lives of blind and partially sighted people.

Focusing on accessible reading, Read On – The Audiobook Show examines how stories are shaped by voice, performance and production, transforming the reading experience. It challenges traditional assumptions about literacy by positioning listening not as an alternative, but as a rich and legitimate way to engage with books.

With exclusive author interviews, engaging narrator conversations, and the latest book news and reviews, you can listen to fresh episodes on RNIB Connect Radio every Friday at 1pm.

Learn more about Read On here: https://bit.ly/ReadOnShow



[Image 1: Robert with his lush long grey beard and glasses stands on a balcony overlooking a large event hall bathed in deep blue and purple light. He’s wearing a smart dark suit and coat, one hand resting casually on the railing. Below him, round tables are neatly arranged, each surrounded by chairs, ready for guests. In the distance, a stage glows with bright spotlights and a large screen displaying the word “arias” in luminous text.

Image 2: An awards ceremony bathed in purple and blue light. The audience faces the large screen which reads “Read On – The Audiobook Show from RNIB, RNIB Connect Radio.” A presenter stands at a podium marked “arias.”

Image 3: Hubert and Robert grin as they stand side by side in front of a blue backdrop covered with logos from media and audio companies. Our lovely Cesar the guide dog, a cream Labrador-retriever mix, sits between them smiling at the person taking the photo. Hubert is wearing a dark suit with a blue tie and Cesar is showing off his striking yellow harness.

Image 4: Robert takes a selfie, showing off his fabulous beard and moustache, as well as a lively crowded hall behind him, many seats now filled at the tables. The awards are about to begin.]