Vision magazineJune/July 2015

Issue 72

Welcome

Welcome to your June/July Vision magazine. We’d like to hear from you about how we can grow our community of members and make sure you’re getting what you want. So do let us know. We’re also excited to launch your new members’ online area. If you haven’t logged on already, why not do it now and let us know what you think.

Love can strike at anytime, as the saying goes! Read Dennis and Nancy’s heart warming story about how they met at a Blind Veterans UK Centre.

If you’re feeling social, all our letters outline the benefits of joining a group. You could chat online, practise public speaking, find out about benefits and discounts and enjoy the cake! Or why not get involved in our campaign against street clutter and ask for your NHS information in the format you need. Or alternatively, you could stay at home and make our simple tasty recipe, the choice is yours!

Clare Conley, Managing Editor

NewsShare Suzie’s story Suzie will never forget the day that she woke up and found that she’d lost her sight overnight. Can you help us by sharing Suzie’s story?

In our new short animation film, Suzie explains how she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to look after her eight-month-old baby, and didn’t know who to turn to.

Suzie says: “I didn’t know that RNIB is there for people just like me. I didn’t know that there are sight loss advisers who give practical and emotional support. When I did get help, it changed everything. RNIB offered me friendship, patience and kindness.”

Suzie has generously shared her story to show how important it is to reach out to and support people when they’re losing their sight.

Last year, we asked you to donate money and write to your MP in support of sight loss advisers.

This year we want even more people to know about the great work that sight loss advisers do, in preparation for a big campaign in the autumn.

Share Suzie’s story

Please share the animation with your friends and family so that we can support more blind and partially sighted people to face the future with confidence. It’s at: youtube.com/rnibuk

Get involved in Volunteers’ WeekThe first week of June is Volunteers’ Week, celebrating the contributions that volunteers make. We’d like to say thank you to our team of fantastic volunteers across the UK who support people with sight loss to live independently and face the future with confidence.

You can make a difference to the lives of other people living with sight loss with just a few hours of your time. We have lots of different opportunities and over 100 volunteering roles. You could join our new Online Today trainer team, collect donations with a local fundraising group or train to facilitate a talk and support group.

Would you like to volunteer?

Give a little time, make a big difference. Visit rnib.org.uk/volunteering or call 0845 603 0575.

First Macular Week launchesThe Macular Society is running its first awareness week to raise the profile of macular disease, affecting more than 600,000 people UK-wide.

Macular Week will be launched in partnership with Vision Express. It will take place from 6-12 July this year. It will also highlight the importance of funding for research, which could eventually help to find a cure for macular conditions.

The Macular Society has over 300 support groups around the UK which will be running activities for the week. Find your local group

Visit macularsociety.org

Or call 01264 321 964

Make a noise in your library in June!Get involved with our two week Make a Noise in Libraries campaign, 1-14 June.

During the fortnight, public libraries across the UK will be encouraging blind and partially sighted people to help shape the accessibility of their local library services. Last year, events included coffee mornings, poetry, music and talks.

Here’s how you can get involved:

- Complete our online survey to share your views on what you need at your library – we will feedback the results to libraries to help make them more accessible. The survey just takes a few minutes and closes at the end of July. Visit surveymonkey.com/s/manil

- Join in on social media. Follow @RNIB library on Twitter and rnib-library on Facebook to find out what’s happening.

Get involved and be heard

Visit rnib.org.uk/manil

Get a Sense of the Past in Northern IrelandExplore the history of people with sight loss as the Sense of the Past exhibition goes on tour round Northern Ireland.

Until the end of June, it will be at Coleraine Town Hall where there will also be another exhibition, called Irish History Starts Here, created by local blind and partially sighted people in Coleraine.

The Sense of the Past exhibition will then move on to: Derry’s Tower Museum for July and August Armagh County Museum in September and October, Lisburn in November and December Jordanstown early next year.

More dates and venues may be added Visit rnib.org.uk/senseofthepast or call 028 9032 9373.

RNIB calls for review of Avastin for use in the eyeRecent media reports state that some doctors want the government to allow Avastin to be used for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).

Avastin – which is also used as a cancer medication – is currently not licensed for use in the eye. RNIB is calling for it to be properly assessed by the UK regulators: the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Patients have a legal right to receive NICE-approved treatments – Lucentis and Eylea are the two treatments for wet AMD currently

approved. A patient may respond to one drug but not another, which is why it is imperative they, along with their consultant, decide which option is right for them. If you have any concerns about your treatment please speak to your consultant.

DWP to improve accessible informationThe Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has promised to set up a team of accessibility experts to improve its provision of accessible information.

This is one of the commitments published in a review produced in conjunction with RNIB. It also includes a commitment from the Minister for Disabled People to establish a new and better way of working for the department – more than 140,000 people with sight loss have contact with the DWP.

This is a major step forward in our long-running campaign to secure change in this department and we’d also like to thank all of you who got involved.

Find out more about our campaign for accessible information

Visit rnib.org.uk/campaigning or call 020 7391 2123.

Do you have diabetes?Could you spare a few hours around five times a year to read our sight loss prevention plans and information for people living with diabetes and share your thoughts?

The information you review will help us develop evidence, influence policy and improve services for people living with diabetes, so it’s important we get it right.

If you are interested in sharing your views

Please contact Helen Lee, Sight loss Prevention Evidence and Service Impact Manager at helen.lee@rnib.org.uk or call 020 7874 1347.

You Care – Eye Care in GlasgowRNIB Scotland is setting up a project to help black people of African origin living in Glasgow to take care of their eye health.

The You Care – Eye Care project will provide information in different formats; recruit and train volunteers in the community, and work in partnership with health, social, voluntary and community organisations. RNIB carried out research, revealing that people in this population often had a limited understanding about eye diseases and could be more at danger of feeling isolated.

The project will be funded by The Alliance Self Management IMPACT Fund until March 2016. Find out more

Email satya.dunning@rnib.org.uk or call 0141 332 7757.

Your community: What do you want it to be like?Fazilet Hadi, RNIB Director of Engagement, outlines ideas for growing your community of members and invites your feedback.

Many of you may have met RNIB Director, Fazilet Hadi, at forums or heard from her in your Vision magazine. Fazilet is blind herself and leads RNIB’s drive to involve more blind and partially sighted people. Over 12 years ago, Fazilet led on setting up RNIB membership and developing it since then. Two of the changes include increasing the frequency of Vision magazine from quarterly to b-monthly and introducing member forums.

Fazilet has overall responsibility for RNIB engagement activities. This includes more effective working with other organisations, influencing politicians and decision makers, and working with blind and partially sighted people to improve lives and change society.

Clare Conley, Managing Editor of Vision, asked Fazilet to outline some initial ideas for developing membership and why it’s vital that we hear your views.

What are the initial ideas and aims for developing our community of members?We introduced membership over 12 years ago and with you, have developed it into the great community it offers today. It’s a good time now to think about what we all want membership to be in the future.

One of our main aims is that we’d like even more people to get involved. Many of you have told us that you’re keen to give back and support other blind and partially sighted people. So we want to make it easier for you to do that – whether that’s through campaigning, volunteering, fundraising or even just to have the opportunity to talk to people in a similar situation. We’d also like to make it easier for you to meet up with other blind and partially sighted people and to get the information you want. Overall, we’d like to build a more diverse community that offers opportunities to people at different stages of their lives.

Do you feel that this is an exciting opportunity then?Yes, I’m really excited. I’m proud that we now have over 13,500 members of RNIB, over 6,000 campaigners and more than 2,000 people in Action Connect. If we can all come together and support each other and support the organisations that represent blind and partially sighted people, I think this could be a fantastic opportunity to create something really brilliant.

We’re still at the very early stages of thinking about a larger community – what are the next steps?Member representatives from across the UK discussed an initial proposal at the UK members’ forum in March. This was looking at ways that we could create a new, larger community and bring together members of RNIB, campaigners and Action Connect.

The UK members’ forum agreed this was a good idea in principle and recommended that we should set up a steering group made up of people from each community. We have formed this steering group now and further proposals will be discussed at the next UK members’ forum in July and at an additional meeting in October.

We are aiming to sign off the proposal for the new community in October. So you have a real chance to share your views on what the new community could be like now.

What would we particularly like to hear from members?I’d love to hear from all of you, and particularly people who haven’t contacted us in the past, to let us know your views. I’d love to know what information would really help you. I know a lot of you love Vision magazine – so how could we make it better? Or what other information might you like, whether that’s digital or in other formats. Think completely afresh and tell us what would really help you.

Also, in terms of meetings and activities, what would make you want to come along? Would it be something to do with an interest that you have, like music or technology or sport? Or are you interested in meeting other people with the same eye condition? Or do you want to campaign? Again, I’d like to encourage you to think completely afresh and let us know what kind of events and meetings you’d like to have.

Let us know your ideas for shaping your communityEverything we do is led by blind and partially sighted people. Now is the time to let us know what you would like your community to be like in the future. The sorts of things we’d like you to consider are below but all feedback is welcome.

1. What should the community be like?

Would you like it to be bigger, more diverse, more supportive, more inclusive of all ages?

Would you like it to be local and/or national? Would you like it to be easier for people to get involved with RNIB and Action for Blind People?

2.      What sort of information would you like to receive?

How often would you like to receive information and in what media? For example, short email bulletins, magazine, digital radio?

What content is most useful for you? News, campaigns, services, products, personal stories?

How could Vision magazine be improved?

3.      What type of activities and meetings would you like?

Do you want local, regional or national events?

If you’ve been to a member forum – what do you like and dislike about them? If you haven’t been to one, please let us know why.

What other groups do you attend and why?

Would you like groups or meetings based on an interest or activity? For example, technology, socialising, crafts or eye condition groups?

How can we attract younger people, people of working age and older people to come along to meetings and events?

4. Would you be happy to move away from an annual subscription fee for membership with the option to make a voluntary donation instead? We’ve found that a lot more people have joined as a member for our free nine month trial but annual subscription is still a barrier to joining for some. 5.      Should members vote for regional or country representatives who then in turn vote for trustees? Or should each member be able to vote directly for trustees?

Please feed back your views to the Membership team

Email membership@rnib.org.uk

Or call 0303 1234 555.

We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time.

Your voice: How love blossomed at a Blind Veterans UK centre!A chance meeting in Brighton had unexpected results for Dennis Hatch and Nancy Roberts.

When 89 year old Dennis Hatch met Nancy Roberts, 84, at Blind Veterans UK’s centre in Brighton three years ago, he immediately knew something was astray. They were eating breakfast and when he went to pour coffee, the shake in his hand seemed worse than usual and Nancy ended up pouring it instead.

“She poured it, and then she finished up buttering my toast as well, and then this carried on for the whole holiday”, he said.

Dennis and Nancy just “clicked” during that September break in Brighton. When they left, they would phone each other often. At the time, Dennis lived in Worcester and Nancy in Gloucester but they would often visit each other using taxis and also returned to the Brighton centre. It wasn’t long before they ended up moving in

together. “It got so expensive travelling backwards and forwards because we’d done it by taxi”, Dennis explained.

Dennis, whose age-related macular degeneration (AMD) caused him to start losing his sight eight years ago, was incredibly lonely and depressed after his wife of 60 years died. “I had a great companion in my wife – we had a very good 60 years and when she passed away I lost a very good friend”, he said. His son persuaded him to go to the Brighton centre to take his mind off things.

Though she is not blind herself, Nancy’s life has been touched by sight loss. Ten years ago, her late husband went blind overnight, and they gained the support of Blind Veterans UK before his death seven years ago. This included 24 hour care when necessary.

Since her husband’s death, Blind Veterans UK has continued to support Nancy and she has visited their holiday centres in Brighton and Llandudno two or three times a year. “In September 2013 I went down to the Brighton one, with no intention of looking for anybody. I was quite content, you know, and suddenly this gentleman came and sat opposite me!” she said.

Nancy and Dennis, who now live together in Gloucester, are quite content with describing what it is that attracts them to one another. “It was her smile, her friendliness – just her whole being, really”, said Dennis, while Nancy comments that they have the same witty sense of humour.

But neither of them is in a rush to get married again. Nancy said: “Everybody’s happy for us so what’s the point, quite honestly, at our age? I mean, I’m going to be 85 very soon, and Dennis will be 90 later this year.”

For Dennis, the relationship has come as a very pleasant surprise. He has a daughter and son and they have both welcomed Nancy into the family. Dennis said: “You might expect to get two18 year olds meeting but you get two 80 year olds! I never dreamt of living with another woman, having anything to do with another woman and here I am, I’m well and truly hooked - I’ll do whatever I can for her, and that’s all I can say.”

Contact Blind Veterans UKBlind Veterans UK provides free lifelong emotional and practical support for people who have done National Service or served in the Armed Forces and who have significant sight loss. It doesn’t matter when you lost your sight, even if it’s years after you were in service.

Visit blindveterans.org.uk or call 0800 389 7979.

Get involved: Join our fortnight of action in July to make streets more accessible for all.We’ve been working hard, alongside our members and campaigners, to make streets more accessible for all. The next step is a fortnight of action (6-19 July) where we hope you'll support our call for obstacle free streets. We began this campaign last year and we are already raising awareness of the problem and getting commitments for change by local authorities, so it's important that you get involved this summer.

Share our Who put that there! reportOver 500 people took part in our survey to find out about the obstacles causing you most problems. We also carried out Freedom of Information requests to councils to find out how they communicate changes to the environment and consult with blind and partially sighted people. We used this and other evidence for our Who put that there! report, which was launched in February. Again, lots of members have already shared this report with local councils and MPs to raise awareness of the challenges and dangers these obstacles can cause for blind and partially sighted people.

What are the six biggest obstacles?1 Pavement parking.

2 Wheelie bins on pavements.

3 Street furniture like benches and lamp posts.

4 Advertising or A boards outside cafes, pubs and shops. Infact, a recent audit by campaigners revealed over 60 A boards in three town centres – Morpeth, Hexham and Ashington.

5 Lack of safe crossing points.

6 Shared spaces where vehicles and pedestrians share a flat space without a curb to mark the roads.

Success so far: local and national pledges for reviewsAs a result of our Who out that there! report, the former Transport Minister, Baroness Kramer committed to reviewing inclusive mobility guidance. This is the guidance local authorities and transport providers should follow to make things accessible. And a number of local authorities have also committed to reviewing policies and to consider developing a street charter. One of our campaigners and members, Joyce Anderson, tells how she has campaigned in her local area.

Your voice: Joyce Anderson“If vans park on pavements their wing mirrors are at face and eye level, so it’s very frightening to bump into them.”

Joyce Anderson is a member from Morpeth who is registered blind. She has been campaigning to clear the streets in her town of dangerous clutter for over 18 months. This has included taking her local councillor and MP on a blindfold walk to point out the problems she faces on a daily basis.

My husband counted over 100 A boards in our local town, which is a small market town with only three main streets. And one of the other big problems for me are vans parked on pavements, because the wing mirror is at face level. It’s very frightening to bump into these when the wing mirror is so close to your face and eyes.

So we decided that enough is enough and I’ve been working with Lucy Dixon, RNIB’s Campaigns Officer for our area. We asked one of our local county councillors and our local MP, Ian Lavery, to do a blindfold walk along our streets. Both said it made them realise the problems that blind and partially sighted people face on a daily basis.

We’ve also had media coverage on BBC Look North and local radio. As a result of this, one of the local councillors appeared on a news report promising to review the whole problem of street clutter within Northumberland. And we’ve also had a meeting with the Chief Executive of Northumberland County Council to discuss this problem.

How can you get involved?Join our fortnight of action 6-19 July:

1. Send the report to your local council.2. Support a blindfold walk with your MP and/or local

councillors.3. Send in some photos of street obstacles in your area.4. Discuss a street charter with your local authority. This is a

document setting out agreements on the issues raised locally. For example, the council could agree to notify local residents about parking on pavements. You will then be able to hold them to account using this charter.

Find out more at rnib.org.uk/onmystreet

Or get in touch with your regional campaigns officer to discover what’s happening in your local area by calling 020 7391 2123 or go to rnib.org.uk/campaigning/campaign-your-area

Get involved: Sick of NHS information you can’t read?We want 20,000 blind and partially sighted people to tell the NHS what format they need.

We think everyone should receive routine and confidential NHS information in a format they can read.

The health service is taking a major step in addressing the issue by introducing an accessible information standard. This will cover how health care services and social care services handle and give out accessible communications to patients.

The new standard sets out several requirements for all NHS providers. They must ask patients what format they need to receive information in, keep that information on the patient’s health record and ensure they provide information in that format.

This summer, NHS providers will have to start putting the new standard into practice. They have a maximum of 12 months to do it. 

It's crucial that the health services you use have an official record of your required information format. We want 20,000 blind and partially sighted people to tell the NHS what format they need.

Find out more and pledge your supportVisit rnib.org.uk/accessible-information-campaign or call the Campaigns team on 020 7391 2123.

Know your rights: What will new Care Act mean?The new Care Act came into force on 1 April. It sets out how care and support will be delivered in England.

We have campaigned hard over the past four years and with your help we have secured a number of changes to the legislation. These include:

1. For the first time, rehabilitation services for blind and partially sighted people are acknowledged in statutory guidance and will not be limited to six weeks.

2. All local authorities will have to provide social care to people with significant care needs. This is broadly equivalent to substantial care needs.

3. Local authorities must maintain registers for blind and partially sighted people.

4. And local authorities should make contact with within two weeks of a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) being issued.

Are you concerned that the Care Act might affect you? Please contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999. There is also a briefing on the Care Act on the social care campaign page at rnib.org.uk/campaigning

Eye health: Understanding retinitis pigmentosa (RP)Matthew Athey, RNIB’s Eye Health Information Manager, explains more about the most common eye conditions.

What is retinitis pigmentosa and how does it affect your sight?Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a set of inherited eye conditions that affect the retina at the back of your eye. They cause permanent changes to the cells on your retina and this can permanently affect your vision.

Are there different types of RP?Now that genetic research has improved, we know there are different types of RP. Most of these affect your peripheral vision.

The most common type of RP usually develops during teenage years and then may get worse – people often find out they have it when they start bumping into things, or they may notice that they start to have problems seeing in dim light or at night time. An eye test would usually pick up the loss of peripheral vision with a field of vision test and also the changes that it causes to the retina. The ophthalmologist can also carry out other tests like fluorescein angiograms and retinal photographs to track the progress of your RP.

Does RP usually result in immediate sight loss or is it gradual? Generally speaking, it’s gradual. In the most common type of RP, people lose their peripheral vision and it slowly gets worse over years until they’re left with quite severe tunnel vision and serious problems seeing in dim light. They usually retain some central vision, which can help with reading and activities like that. Each type of RP might be slightly different though.

Is genetic counselling useful for people with RP?RP often runs in families and is classified by the way it is passed from generation to generation. However, in about half of diagnosed cases of RP, there does not seem to be any previously affected relatives (they may have carried the genetic information without having symptoms themselves).

Genetic counselling aims to help you understand the type of RP you have, how it’s likely to affect you in the long term and the risks of passing on the condition to any children you may have. Genetic counselling is a free NHS service – you can ask your GP or ophthalmologist to refer you.

Are there any treatments?At the moment there aren’t any treatments or a cure for RP but there is a lot of research going on and it’s possible that there may be treatments in the future.

As it’s a genetic condition, there’s been quite a lot of research recently about using gene therapy and stem cell therapy. Some research projects are testing for particular types of RP – once the gene that is affected has been identified, a treatment for that gene could be possible. Although it’s quite a fast developing area of medicine, new treatments are still likely to be years away.How can we get a more authoritative view on research than media reports?Media reports can sensationalise and over simplify advances in research. The best organisation to go to is RP Fighting Blindness, the charity for people with RP. It funds research and has up to date information on its website.Find out more about RP

RP Fighting Blindness is at rpfightingblindness.org.uk or call their helpline on 0845 123 2354.

You can also find out more about RP and other conditions in the eye health section of rnib.org.uk

The Understanding series of guides covers a number of different conditions and is available in different formats. See the information and services directory on page 43.

You can also speak to one of the advisers on our Eye Health Information Service about any questions to do with eye health. Contact them via the RNIB Helpline or email eyehealth@rnib.org.uk

Lifestyle: audio book review of Gone GirlVidar Hjardeng, RNIB Trustee and Diversity Consultant for ITV News, reviews Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

This is a dark thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. The book opens on the fifth wedding anniversary of Nick Dunne and his wife, Amy. Amy disappears and the police suspect that Nick is responsible as initial signs suggest. But then things develop in quite a clever way and Amy reappears.

The story is told through the accounts of Nick and Amy with flashbacks and extracts from Amy’s diary. There are two very skilled narrators reading the parts of Nick and Amy – Christopher Ragland and Rachel Louise Miller read their parts. It was also an added bonus to listen to the notes at the end about how the author drew up the characters and plot. I’d be interested in reading some of her other novels now.

I would say Gone Girl is a must-read but I’d also give it a health warning, not just in terms of the language but also some of the graphic scenes.

Read Gone GirlGone Girl is available to borrow from the RNIB Library in giant print, braille and as a talking book on Daisy or USB stick. Contact the Helpline on 0303 123 9999. It’s also available as a digital download on RNIB Overdrive – in fact Gone Girl is one of the most popular books on this service.

Try RNIB Overdrive for freeRNIB’s full catalogue of more than 20,000 books has now been added to the RNIB Overdrive library for you to enjoy on your computer, smartphone or tablet. If you’d like a free month’s trial of the service to find out if it’s right for you, please email overdrive@rnib.org.uk

Lifestyle: recipe for roasted red peppers with fetaTry this simple recipe for sprucing up peppers with a flavoursome filling. This recipe comes from Diabetes UK and you can find this and other diabetic-friendly recipes at diabetes.org.uk

Ingredients for two people 2 peppers, halved and deseeded (1 red and 1 yellow or

orange) 12 cherry tomatoes

8 pitted black olives 50g (2oz) feta cheese, crumbled 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh oregano

Instructions1. Preheat the oven to 200oC/gas 6. Place the peppers on a

baking tray and cut side up. 2. Toss together the remaining ingredients and use to fill the

peppers. 3. Cook for 30 minutes until the peppers are tender.

Letters

Support and share onlineWe are sending a joint letter as together we co-run a group called VI Talk. Our focus is sharing ideas, information and support for anyone with a connection to sight loss: a blind person, a rehabilitation worker or a parent. We’re completely voluntary and we don’t charge for membership.

It’s primarily an internet based support group: we have regular podcasts where we do interviews and blogs on topics including employment, politics and accessible voting. We have a large online community on Facebook and use audioBoom. But people can access our audio by other means like iTunes or through a Sonata player from the British Wireless for the Blind Fund.

All of the VI Talk team have sight loss themselves to one degree or another, which means we have a real understanding of what it’s like. We currently have over 600 members – it’s an amazing space for people to support each other and share information.

Michael Allen, OldhamJo Fishwick, Devon

Join VI TalkGo to vitalk.co.uk or if you prefer to call, the voicemail is 0161 298 8255 or email info@vitalk.co.uk

Contact British Wireless for the Blind FundTo buy audio equipment or check if you qualify for free loans of equipment. Visit blind.org.uk or call 01622 754 757.

Star letter prizeFor their star letter price, Jo and Michael can get 25 per cent off a product from RNIB’s shop. Visit rnib.org.uk/shop or call 0303 123 9999.

The star letter prize for our August/September edition is one of our new and improved RNIB PenFriend voice recorder labellers.

Listen at book groupI decided to start a book group, which I’ve named RNIB Cymru Listening Book Group. It takes place at the library in Holyhead, where I’ve had wonderful support from the librarians. We have volunteers who take it in turns to read short stories for us. Each reader reads for about 20 or 25 minutes, which is the right amount to listen to.

In our most recent meet up, we listened to extracts from Nigel Slater’s Toast. It’s a biography of the chef Nigel Slater, which talks about how his mother passed away.It’s good, we had great fun discussing it afterwards. We all had different opinions on it and were all touched by it. In the book, Nigel Slater said that his mother always burnt the toast – then one man in our group said he’d always thought toast was supposed to be black, because his own mother had always burnt it! We had a lot of fun and we had tea, coffee and biscuits. We’re very much looking forward to the next one and our librarians are in discussions with other librarians in North Wales, so it could be worth seeing if your library could start a similar group.

Faye Jones, Anglesey, Wales

Go along to Faye’s groupIt meets on the first Thursday of the month and meetings have readings in both English and Welsh. Call Faye on 01407 742 865.

Advice and cake too!Four years ago a friend of mine, Gaye Williams, started a self-help group for blind and partially sighted people in our town. I went along to make the numbers up but soon realised my eyesight was worse than quite a few of the people there who’d been registered blind. Some of the club members told me about the benefits of being registered so I went to see my consultant and he registered me straight away.

From then on I received lots of useful information at the group meetings about tax and attendance allowance, the TV Licence discount and all kinds of discounts like half price theatre and cinema tickets. We meet once a fortnight and often have interesting speakers on anything from gardening to fire safety. About once every couple of months we have a tea and cakes afternoon – Dorothy and Eric, who is 90, make excellent cakes!.

It’s so difficult for blind people to get information. Bristol Eye Hospital has over 60,000 people visiting a year. So they don’t have time to give you information unless you ask specifically. But if you don’t know what to ask for, you need a self-help group like this to find out what to ask for.

Walter Poole, Gloucestershire

Join Walter’s group If you live in the Gloucester area and you’d like to go along to the group, call Gaye Williams on 01454 321 749.

Find groups near you on SightlineFind organisations and services near you and submit details and reviews on sightlinedirectory.org.uk Or call the Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

Speak out at Toastmasters clubI’m 22 and have been blind since birth. I recently joined my local Toastmasters club and wanted to share my experience as I’m very passionate about it.

Toastmasters is an international organisation which helps people improve their public speaking skills. Local clubs usually meet every

fortnight for two hours. Members can make prepared speeches but my favourite part is improvised speeches where you make a two minute speech on a topic that’s given to you.

I told them about my sight loss when I joined the club and they have made adaptations for me quickly including electronic information in advance. Another member came up with a solution to help me stand in the correct place and know that I’m facing the audience when speaking – it’s a doormat with a rubber underside that I can use as a guide! And someone will tell me when I’m coming close to the end of my speaking time, as others use a traffic light system which I can’t see.

Just because you have sight loss, it doesn’t mean your voice is affected. Often blind and partially sighted people have a strong voice and I think we should put that to use. I like the fact that people have come to know me as a speaker rather than a blind person.Megan Paul, Cheltenham

Join your local Toastmasters ClubThere are over 280 Toastmasters Clubs across the UK and Ireland. Contact Vanessa King on vanessa.toastmaster@gmail.com or 07769 114 755. You can also visit toastmasters.org.uk to find out what’s going on near you.

Lifestyle: Soup made easy!

One of our members shares a top tip for making soup with Vision Managing Editor, Clare Conley.

Linda Cavanagh recommends a soup maker if you like homemade soup and fruit smoothies. It blends and cooks it for you – no pans involved!

Is the soup maker easy to use?

Yes, all you do is chop up the vegetables and it blends then cooks them for you. Or you can buy bags of ready chopped vegetables

from the supermarket and just drop those in. The soup is ready in about 25-30 minutes, it’s very simple.

You just put any vegetables - onions, potatoes, carrots, whatever you fancy – into the jug up to the level and tip that into the machine. I then fill the same jug up with half a litre to a litre of stock and pour that on top. Then just put the lid on and switch it on. There are two buttons on the top – one for chunky if you have vegetable soup and one for pureed if you want tomato soup or cream of vegetable. When it comes out it’s red hot

I make up a batch of soup and freeze portions. I take it round to my daughter and my father, who is in Blind Veterans UK, also likes homemade soup, so I take some up to him too.

Can you also use it to make fruit smoothies?

Yes, you just put fresh fruit in and turn it on – there’s a different button to press if you want smoothies, not soup. It mixes it all up but without any heat.

Does the soup maker come with any accessories?

Mine came with a metal jug that has a lid on it, the mains power lead, a nice plastic measuring jug with a handle, a cleaning brush and an instruction manual with about 20 recipes in it. Recipes include pumpkin, mushroom, celery and stilton, spicy potato and spring vegetable. The machine is a bit bigger than an electric kettle so it doesn’t take up too much space, and it’s easy to clean because of all the stainless steel.

How many marks out of 10 would you give this gadget?

Ten out of 10, it’s really marvellous!

Try a soup makerLinda has a PROlectrix Electric Soup Maker, which is available from online retailers and high street stores from around £40-£60. There are other brands of soup maker available too, so it’s worth shopping around. Please note that the soup maker is not available from RNIB.

Lifestyle: products to make every day life easierYou can now review products and watch demonstrations on our new online shop.

We have listened to your feedback and introduced a number of new features to our new online shop. As well as adding your own product reviews, you can also watch and listen to short films featuring people who use the products.

Marion at home and out and aboutIn one film, Marion describes how she uses her handy GPS device, the Trekker Breeze (HT261X) to get out and about.

While at home, Marion describes the features on the talking microwave (DK140), which she finds useful. They include the tactile control panel, which announces each action including when the door is open and closed and how much time still left to cook. And there are also three dedicated favourite buttons for you to programme.

Kimberley is a keen braille readerAnother film features Kimberley - a keen braille reader and writer. Her Perkins brailler helps her compile short stories as well as to produce braille labels for everyday items – including tins of soup!

Kimberley uses the Labelling tape adaptor for Perkins brailler (BM42). The white plastic labelling adaptor sits neatly on the back of the Perkins carriage. You then simply slide your braille labelling tape into the clips at either end of the adapter, which keeps the tape in place. There’s also an adapter for the Next Generation

Perkins brailler (BM43). And you can use both the 9mm and 12mm tape in the adapters, available in clear or black.What do you think of the new online shop?If you’ve had the chance to browse our new online shop at rnib.org.uk/shop, please let us have your feedback by emailing shop@rnib.org.uk

Or call the HelplineIf you don’t have access to the internet, you can still call the Helpline to find out about and buy products, on 0303 123 9999.

Your community: Join other members online and invite to your AGMGet more information, share tips, meet your representatives and discuss issues with other members online

You will recently have received a letter to let you know that your new members’ online area, Vision – Your Community, is now up and running. You’ll be able to stay up to date with all the latest member news and interact with other members.

Your new online area is exclusive for members of RNIB and it has the following features which will allow you to:

Read or listen to Vision content and you’ll also be able to find back editions easily in the Best of Vision archive

Take part in discussions with other members Stay up to date with events in your region and around the UK Get to know your member representatives and what’s

happening at your forums

How do I log on to the members’ area?Visit rnib.org.uk/membership to get started, where you’ll find the member log in area. To log in, you need to create a username and password. If you have already registered an email address with

your Membership team, you should be able to use this email to create a log in.

If you need to register your email address, or update any of your other contact details, please contact your Membership team by calling 0303 1234 5555 or emailing membership@rnib.org.uk

Can I get help with technology?If you need help with setting up your computer to access your members’ online area, our Technology Support Squad volunteers are happy to help. Call them via the Helpline on 0303 123 9999.Will I still get my Vision magazine?Yes, we will continue to produce your Vision magazine in large print, braille, email and as a radio-style programme recorded onto CD and DAISY. So if you don’t have access to the internet, you can continue to enjoy Vision magazine in your preferred format and we’ll also use feedback and discussions from the online area to help us plan the best content for all of our members.

Invite to RNIB’s 2015 AGMThere’s still time to let us know if you’d like to come along to this year’s RNIB Annual General Meeting (AGM). It will take place on 23 July in Birmingham.

The AGM gives members an opportunity to ask the Trustees and management team questions about RNIB’s annual report and accounts for the past year and about RNIB’s work generally. All members of RNIB are welcome to attend.

The AGM takes place at 10.30am in the Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET. If you would like to attend, please email governance@rnib.org.uk or call Matthew Tye on 020 7391 2359. Please confirm by 2 July 2015 if you would like to attend.

AdvertisementsPlease 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.

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Service directoryYour Vision magazineSend a letter 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 Or find out more about Vision at rnib.org.uk/visionmagazine

Try another version of Vision 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: Contact Landmark Publishing on 020 7520 9474 or email sharon@lps.co.uk

Dates for your diary: Member forums in 2015Please note that this does not include dates for meetings in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North West of England due to planned changes. We are trying out some new events and if you live in these areas, you’ll receive invitations for them.

East of England: 7 July and 8 DecemberEast Midlands: 21 August and 31 OctoberLondon A: 27 OctoberLondon B: 1 July and 26 NovemberNorth East: 8 August and 18 DecemberSouth East: 5 September South West: 13 June and 1 October West Midlands: 11 September Yorkshire and the Humber: 20 October

Contact RNIBThe membership team is on 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.

FundraisingFind out how you can support our work. Call 0845 345 0054email fundraising@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/donate

VolunteeringGive a little time, make a big difference. Call 0845 603 0575, email volunteering@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/volunteering

CampaigningCampaign on the issues that matter to you. Call 020 7391 2123, email campaign@rnib.org.uk or visit rnib.org.uk/campaigning

Free guidesYou can download guides at rnib.org.uk/resources or 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: CataractsCharles Bonnet syndromeDry eyeEye conditions related to diabetesGlaucomaNystagmusPosterior vitreous detachmentRetinal detachmentRetinitis pigmentosa.

The Starting Out seriesis for people who have recently been diagnosed with an eye condition. Titles in the series include: Benefits, concessions and registrationEducationEmotional supportHelp from social servicesHousingMaking 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: LeisureLiving SafelyManaging your moneyReadingShoppingTechnologyTravel.

Copyright RNIB June 2015.

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