In Touch

For World Emoji Day the social media company We Are Social and the RNIB are collaborating to find ways to make emojis more accessible to visually impaired people. Sarah Bailey of the RNIB tells us what they've come up with so far, and we test social media expert Fern Lulham, on their uses and their meanings. The Tree of Dreams is a story about expectations, reality, fantasy and family, devised by Ipswich’s resident company of visually impaired people, with dynamic Audio Description by the internationally renowned Rationale Method, using beat-boxing sound effects to heighten the experience for both blind and sighted audiences. In Touch reporter Toby Davey gets a taste of this new way of conveying performance to visually impaired people. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

William Phillips is a visually impaired cognitive behavioural therapy specialist who works to make CBT accessible to others with sight loss. He lays out how blind people can go about getting mental health support that suits them. There was a huge response to last week’s programme with Ashley Cox’s story about struggling to find a counsellor. We read a selection of your emails. Visually impaired actor Karina Jones stars in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s current productions of As You Like It and Measure For Measure. She describes how they gave one of her characters a white cane, what reasonable adjustments are in place for her at the RSC and why she’s excited that blind people will see themselves represented on stage in the future. Presenter: Lee Kumutat Producer: Emma Tracey Pictured: Karina Jones playing Sister Francisca in Measure for Measure. Photographed by Helen Maybanks. Courtesy of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

From July 2019, all new electric vehicles will have sounds added to keep pedestrians safe. Transport minister Michael Ellis, gives us the government’s take. We also hear the thoughts of Jessica Schröder from the German national organisation for the blind, a member of the European Blind Union which led the campaign to add a sound to electric and hybrid vehicles. She tells us why she doesn’t think the new law goes far enough. When Ashley Cox needed help with his mental health, he went online to find a therapist. Eight of them said no straight away, because they felt uncomfortable working with a blind person. He eventually found one and is now doing well, but he doesn’t want anybody else to have a similar experience. Presenter: Lee Kumutat Producer: Emma Tracey

Braille readers have enjoyed magazines from Scottish Braille Press for the best part of forty years. Now the charity says it is discontinuing all of its five publications. Scottish Braille Press CEO Mark O’Donnell explains the decision. Aletea Sellers moved from one side of Birmingham to the other about four months ago. She is still waiting for help from the Guide Dogs Association to learn her way around her new neighbourhood. Erin Jepsen has two visually impaired children and reads and transcribes braille herself. She wanted to find out how changing the word “braille” to “print” in an educational context might challenge some attitudes towards it. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat

Should blind people bother with the ironing? Blind mum Emma Williams and blind dad Allan Tweddle explain why and when you should bother and give our presenter Lee Kumatat a lesson and tips for getting it right. While some visually impaired people need a first aid certificate to move forward with education or work, some have found it hard to gain the necessary accreditation. Johny Cassidy meets Alan North, a partially sighted trainer who’s helping them to qualify. Presenter: Lee Kumutat Producer: Emma Tracey