December Newsletter 313
Ulverscroft Foundation - Trustee Vacancy
The Ulverscroft Foundation has a vacancy for a Trustee to help guide the future development of the organisation and to assist in developing and delivering its grant-making policy.
Based in Anstey, near Leicester, The Foundation is the sole shareholder in Ulverscroft Ltd, the world’s leading publisher of large print and digital content for visually-impaired readers. Profits from the publishing company are used to alleviate the effects of blindness and sight impairment across the world. We are a locally-based charity with a global reach.
Every year, the Foundation distributes around £400,000 in grants worldwide, ranging from a few hundred pounds to many thousands. We fund research, clinical treatment, education, and social and cultural activities. Details of many of the projects we support can be found on our website, www.ulverscroft-foundation.org.uk.
Trustees attend eight meetings per year, four of which are to consider bids and to award grants, and four are primarily business meetings, which include reviewing the performance of the publishing company.
The Foundation is keen to improve its profile with the aim of attracting high quality applications for funding. We would welcome applications from potential Trustees who are able to offer strategic advice on marketing and, in particular, on the use of social media.
For an informal chat about the position, please contact the Foundation’s administrator, Joyce Sumner, on 0116 2361595
Christmas gift ideas for people of all ages living with sight loss
A list of suggested gifts, put together by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/money/rnib-christmas-gifts-sight-loss-25498975
Phone screens are changing our eye’s shape and causing early blindness
Report about what happens to the shape of the eye when staring at a screen for too long.
Losing sight and trying to hide it from workmates
Story of Ben Price who started to suffer from an inherited condition which could lead to total blindness. Ben was concerned about telling colleagues about his so they would not start to treat him as someone with a ‘disability’. Ben describes how he continued.
The six best foods to boost eye health
Brain implant restores ‘sight’ in blind person
A group of researchers recently attempted to use a microelectrode array to help a blind person perceive letters and shapes.
The implant, which is about the size of a penny, bypasses the optic nerve and instead provides stimulation to the brain’s visual cortex. By the end of the study, the participant could identify several letters.
Teaching visually impaired students
Hannah Thompson, a partially blind academic, offers six tips for ensuring an inclusive learning environment.
Booker Prize shortlist released in Braille and audio
This year’s Booker Prize shortlisted titles are being formatted in braille and audio through a partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Booker Prize Foundation. All six books in contention for the prize will now be made available in free accessible formats, and will also be available to download from RNIB’s online library.
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/booker-prize-shortlist-be-formatted-braille-and-audio-1286714
Lighting in and around the home: a guide to better lighting for people with sight-loss
Lighting makes such a difference for partially sighted people. Download a guide to better lighting in the home here:
https://www.pocklington-trust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Lighting-Guide-2021-FINAL.pdf