Newsletter no. 377
RNIB research on public interest in audio-described television drama, a new pilot scheme providing 3D-printed tactile baby scan models for blind parents, and public tours opening at the London Guide Dogs training centre. Additionally, it covers the assistive benefits and privacy considerations of AI smart glasses, alongside a partially sighted gardener’s efforts to inspire others through his YouTube channel.
RNIB holds ‘Audio is King’ event to bring together broadcasters, streaming services, audio description producers, researchers and blind and partially sighted people.
New research from RNIB has found that two in five UK adults are interested in listening to television drama without the screen.
The sight loss charity commissioned Ipsos to carry out the research that found that 42 per cent of UK adults aged 18 to 65 expressed interest in listening to television drama without the screen after hearing examples of the experience. The research tested ‘described drama’: a television programme’s original soundtrack – including dialogue, music and sound effects – mixed with audio description (AD) and presented as an audio-only experience.
RNIB is now calling on all broadcasters and content creators to have audio description as part of their production process.
Audio Description enables people with sight loss to watch content like everyone else. AD can enrich the experience for all viewers by adding detail and context and is a powerful creative tool which describes key visual elements, such as body language, scenery, and on-screen action, that are not conveyed through dialogue alone.
Participants saw potential for described drama as a way to stay with a programme while travelling, doing other things or taking a break from screens. Interest was strongest among existing listeners of podcasts, audiobooks and audio drama, as well as parents, gamers and people who commute by public transport.
Read the full piece here: https://www.rnib.org.uk/news/two-in-five-uk-adults-interested-in-listening-to-television-drama-without-the-screen-rnib-research-finds/
I couldn't experience my baby scan, but blind parents like me can now feel them
Reece Finnegan-Knight, who has been blind since his teens, is one of the first people to experience a 3D-printed model of his baby’s scan with his wife, Sophy, as part of a new pilot scheme. At their routine 12-week scan, Sophy had attempted to describe what she was seeing for Reece, but he struggled to feel involved in the moment; but he said the 20-week scan was more positive:
“I never got to experience my baby’s scan, but blind parents like me can now feel them. The sonographer described everything to me, and explained why what she was seeing meant that everything looked good… When I attended pregnancy scans a decade ago, the best the sonographer could do to involve a blind expectant parent was to turn up the volume on the heartbeat. But now, parents like me can receive tactile 3D models created from their scans, allowing them to have a special moment with their unborn baby.”
Read the full story or access the video here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgyqddpdrdo
London Guide Dogs training centre opens to public
Dog lovers have been invited to take a look behind the scenes at the Guide Dogs’ training centre in east London for the first time. From September, the charity opened the doors to its south east regional centre in Woodford Green for tours of its refurbished facilities, so that visitors can understand the training journey of a guide dog.
The centre has been running for 40 years and is home to about 75 trainee guide dogs at any given time, with the dogs at various stages of training to assist people with sight loss.
Read the full story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgqdy2pkvgvo
AI smart glasses as assistive technology
The rise in AI smart glasses, like Meta AI smart glasses, has meant some blind and partially sighted people are benefitting from hands-free access to information, text and descriptions of their surroundings. However, well publicised misuse of smart glasses by others has led to public concern, with knock-on negative effects for those using them as an assistive tool.
Michael Wordingham, Head of Policy at RNIB, says: “AI Smart Glasses can be a powerful assistive tool, but it’s vital that privacy and consent are built into their manufacture and use. People should be able to easily recognise when recording is taking place, whether they are wearing the device themselves, or interacting with someone who is… At the same time, we need technology companies to be clear about what data is collected, how it is used, where it is stored, and when it is deleted.”
Read the full article here: https://www.rnib.org.uk/news/ai-smart-glasses-as-assistive-technology/
Partially sighted Guernsey gardener seeks to inspire others
A partially sighted gardener is hoping to inspire and connect with other people by sharing his experiences through videos on social media.
John Henry, 67, from Guernsey lost part of his sight after developing Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a neurological condition which affects the body’s nervous system. He started the John’s Patch YouTube channel after socialising became a challenge and he wanted to connect with other people who may struggle to leave the house through disability, mental health issues or age. Henry said he would see his channel as a success if he could inspire anyone in a similar situation to “give it a go” and get outside or socialise once again.
Henry, who is retired, said he no longer has sight in his left eye and his condition clouds the vision in his right eye. He said, “It’s a bit like having a digital camera in 1980 when the focus would eventually come clear. Well mine won’t come clear, but it’ll come a bit clearer.”
Henry said his limited ability to interact with people is what inspired him to start sharing videos of himself in his garden.
Read the full story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwddvgng748qo