Warwickshire Vision Christmas 2016

Headline: Super Humans

Image: Medal winning visually impaired Paralympians

Vacancy...........................................................................................................................2Chairman - Board of Trustees/Directors............................................................................2

Editorial...........................................................................................................................2Merry Xmas – a poem by Sheila Venville, Warwick...................................................3

Staff Christmas card..............................................................................................................4

News from Warwickshire Vision Support..................................................................4Community Updates..............................................................................................................4George Eliot Hospital............................................................................................................5Staff Change...........................................................................................................................5Election Board Meeting (EBM).............................................................................................5General Meeting - 19th October...........................................................................................6Fundraising Update...............................................................................................................6Local Ukulele Band visits Atherstone.................................................................................7

Certificate of Visual Impairment..................................................................................8Warwickshire Vision Support wins Contract for Rehabilitation.....................................8Are you Registered as a VIP?..............................................................................................9What is a CVI?........................................................................................................................9What does Warwickshire Vision Support Do?..................................................................9Registration Numbers.........................................................................................................10Are you missing out on the Benefits of Registration?...................................................10

People............................................................................................................................11Daphne Hinton......................................................................................................................11Life Stories............................................................................................................................12Harold’s Story.......................................................................................................................12Delphine’s Memoir...............................................................................................................13Bob’s Story...........................................................................................................................14Wendy’s family history........................................................................................................14Lynne Rock...........................................................................................................................15Queen honours Pioneer of Blind Football........................................................................15

Health and Wellbeing...................................................................................................16The Glasses that Read for You..........................................................................................16Being Diagnosed..................................................................................................................17Glaucoma Medication..........................................................................................................18Early Diagnosis by AI..........................................................................................................18Optical Coherence Tomography........................................................................................18Magnification........................................................................................................................19

Features.........................................................................................................................19Super Humans......................................................................................................................19Kenilworth Talking News Association..............................................................................21Discrimination......................................................................................................................23The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain...........................................................................23

A Day in the life of a Smart Phone – Part 3......................................................................23

New Money....................................................................................................................25The New Fiver.......................................................................................................................25The new £1 Coin...................................................................................................................25

Warwickshire Vision Information..............................................................................25Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................25Back Page......................................................................................................................26

VacancyChairman - Board of Trustees/DirectorsWarwickshire Vision Support has a vacancy for a Chairman, as the term of office of the current Chairman, Peter Soles, is coming to an end.The ideal candidate should have a professional or commercial background. He/she will have experience of leading and delivering growth, and be ambitious for what we can become. Our new Chairman will be joining us at an exciting time when there is opportunity to contribute expertise and skills to a number of new initiatives. Over the next few months we are conducting an exercise to identify the key priorities for people with sight loss in Warwickshire. Having asked the questions, we will need to find some answers, making wise choices that will help us deliver more and better support to our beneficiaries.The organisation is financially sound and has a wonderful team of dedicated staff and volunteers.  The Chairman will lead our Board of Trustees/Directors, who have ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the organisation and ensure that we remain solvent, well-run and meet the needs of our service users.  The Chairman will need to have knowledge of The Companies Act 2006 and the Charity Acts.A full copy of the vacancy advertisement can be seen on our web page.Warwickshire Vision Support is an equal opportunities organisation. We particularly welcome applications from people with sight loss.In order to explore whether this is the right opportunity for you to bring your skills and experience to serve your community, please contact Barbara Main at Warwickshire Vision Support.

EditorialCongratulations to the British team of Paralympians, who exceeded expectations by winning a total of 147 medals, 64 of which were gold at Rio 2016.  We hope their achievements will help to raise the profile of disability.This summer has been a busy and important time at WVS.  A lot of work has taken place to respond to Warwickshire County Council’s Invitation to Tender to provide rehabilitation and support services for visually impaired adults for the next 3 years.  We have been providing statutory rehabilitation services on WCC’s behalf for over 30 years and this is the first time that the contract has been put out to public tender.  

Voting Members have taken part in the elections for the Trustees/Directors.  The Board that they make up is the body that guides the direction of WVS, establishing the charitable services that will be provided.  If you, or anyone you know, has relevant expertise and would be interested in joining the Board they should contact the office.  Volunteers in a variety of roles are vital in helping the Association to provide the range of charitable services that it does.  New Volunteers are always welcome.We are grateful to the people who have contributed to this edition of Warwickshire Vision.  We look forward to receiving your contributions for the Spring issue by the end of January.  We now have a Facebook page - www.facebook.com/Warwickshire.Vision.Support We wish yougood health and happiness for Christmas and the New Year.

Merry Xmas – a poem by Sheila Venville, WarwickThere’ve been robins in my garden all year.These city bred show very little fear.The urban growth is more like old woodlandThan our countryside and working farmland.I thought the use of Christmas cards would dieWith digital greetings, no stamps to buy.But last year I underestimatedHow my own home would be decoratedBy people I meet quite regularlyHanding over their selections to me.

This year a boxed assortment is my choiceAnd I can almost hear robin’s loud voiceAs two of four traditional designsFeature the red-breasted stalwart of mine.One tops a round collection box for mailWith holly surround filling empty space.All is fringed with snow, red berries galoreConveying cold we don’t get any more.On the second card that’s framed like a stampA robin perches on ice-festooned branch.

Robin was the nickname for the postmenOf Victorian times because the redFronts of uniforms mimicked the feathers,Encouraging mail and bird together.For over one hundred years this linkingHas evolved and changed without our thinking.In future robins might not symbolise One time of year as italics insideThese cards wish clearly, simply, sincerely

Merry Xmas

Staff Christmas cardimage of robin and staff signatures wishing you a Merry Christmas

News from Warwickshire Vision SupportCommunity Updates Hello! It’s been a busy time within the Community Team recently as the team increased in size (from only Sue to Sue, Helen and Felicity!) and we launched a number of new projects, including My Sight groups in Nuneaton, regular hospital advice services at George Eliot Hospital, and much, much more. This column will be a regular opportunity for us to keep you up-to-date with what the Community Team has been getting up to in our quest to provide every visually impaired person living in Warwickshire with the information and support they require to live life to the full. RugbySince the last magazine went to print, the Community Team has started holding information and advice services at St Cross Hospital on Wednesday afternoons.  Similar to our services in other outpatient eye clinics, we work closely with the clinicians to ensure people who may benefit from our help are signposted to our Advice Desk. And with our bright yellow signs you’d have a hard time missing us! Although it’s on the quieter side at the minute, we know there is a need for the service and it will take time to work out which clinics are the right ones for us to target. NuneatonHelen and Felicity have been drumming up support for the charity by hosting pop-up volunteer recruitment events across the county’s libraries, including Nuneaton. This was one of the most successful events with four people expressing their interest in volunteering their time with us across a breadth of roles. Amongst those showing an interest were an accountant, a stay-at-home mother, and a registered nurse so it shows how there really is a role for everyone at WVS! In all of the libraries we attended we have been able to network with the library staff about our work and also learn more about what services they have for visually impaired residents. We’ve also been able to speak with volunteers at the Silver Surfers programmes (a free computer course for people of retirement age) about the IT services WVS provides so they can signpost people to us if they recognise the need. This builds on the work our IT expert, Rebecca, has been doing to create links within the community. Stratford-upon-AvonHealthwatch Warwickshire recently contacted us to ask if they could attend a Vision Support Centre to gather the views of local people on local health and social care provision. Knowing our Stratford regulars are a talkative bunch, and the date fitted with the project’s deadline, we welcomed researcher Hilary Bath to join us on 16 th August. All the views she gathered will be compiled to produce a report to inform local service providers. All comments will be anonymous. It was a pleasure to have

Hilary join us and she said she thoroughly enjoyed the morning and had the best job imaginable! (That may have been the fancy Marks and Spencer’s Jaffa Cakes talking … they were delicious!)

George Eliot HospitalWarwickshire Vision Support is now offering an Advice and Information service at George Eliot Hospital Eye Clinic.  With the help of Lottery Funding a new My Sight Service for people in Nuneaton, Bedworth and North Warwickshire is funded for 3 years.The aim of this service is to provide information and advice to Patients who may be having difficulties because of sight loss.  We hope, with the help of Staff, to identify people and guide them into our service and/or direct them to support from other Agencies such as Action for Blind People.In addition to our Advice Service we will be starting a new My Sight group for people who are newly registered or recently visually impaired.  This will take place at the Newtown Community Centre, Nuneaton. We will start a ‘rolling programme’ from the beginning of January.  Over a period of 5 weeks we will cover Eye Conditions, Rehabilitation and Equipment, Benefits, Employment and Education and other Services available.  People will not have to commit to every week but can choose to come when it is convenient.  Over the year we will try and set up some similar workshops at Coleshill and Atherstone.We need Volunteers to help us undertake both of these services.  We would particularly welcome visually impaired Volunteers who could help us to help newly visually impaired people.For further information please contact WVS and ask to speak to someone in the Community Team.

Staff ChangeHelenOn 3rd August 2016 our Community Worker Helen got married.  She is now Helen Gillies.  I know you will join with me in wishing Helen and her husband every happiness and good fortune for the future.

Election Board Meeting (EBM)At the EBM on 29th September, Lesley Edwards was re-elected and Heather Fairbairn and Jeff Perry were elected.The eligible voting members comprised 49 sighted and 223 visually impaired.  Overall 26% of members voted.Howard Burgess (VI) and Philip Austin resigned during September.  Howard Burgess was a member of the Board for 10 years, seven of which were as Vice Chairman.The Board is now:

Peter Soles (Chairman) Jeff Perry (Vice-Chairman) Kath Phelps (Company Secretary) Lesley Edwards (Treasurer) Heather Fairbairn Richard Orme

Steve Plumpton (VI) Rosemary Went

General Meeting - 19th October Peter Soles, Chairman, introduced himself and welcomed the 29 attendees to the General Meeting in Atherstone.  He introduced the Board members present - Jeff Perry, Rosemary Went, Steve Plumpton and said Heather Fairbairn was on her way; Staff - John Davis (Manager), Helen Gilles and Rebecca Hunt were also introduced. He gave the good news that WVS had been awarded the Service Level Agreement for Rehabilitation services by WCC and spoke of the job security it gave to the Staff.  He explained that the Articles of Association meant that he would be retiring as Chairman after 9 years.  It had been good fun and hard work.John Davis reiterated WVS’s need for not only a new Chairman but also additional Trustees.  He spoke of the enthusiasm brought by the three new members of staff – Rebecca, Helen, and Felicity.  He said the Commissioners who had awarded the new Rehabilitation contract were pleased with the value of the services provided by the charitable part of WVS, such as the Clubs and Vision Support Centres.  He described the differences between the old and new contract.Rebecca Hunt, the IT Officer, said she didn’t want to bore people with new technology.  Instead she told the story of someone aged 76¾ who had ‘managed very well without all this new fangled IT business’.  However, she ‘came round’.  Peter Soles awarded the George Marshall Trophy for 2016 to Lynne Rock.  He commented on the happy atmosphere and after the meeting everyone enjoyed freshly made sandwiches and cake served by the Club Volunteers.

Fundraising UpdatePhil Arkell, Fundraising ManagerAnnual Fundraising DriveLast year, we abolished the £12 Membership Fee and introduced a system of voluntary donations.  We did this because we wanted our services to be free to everyone who needs them whilst giving you the choice to make a donation towards the services you receive.  I am happy to report that last year we raised approximately £5,000 – about the same amount that we raised from the old membership fee.  We were particularly pleased that 30 people took out Standing Orders (monthly, quarterly or annually) to support us - making a collective contribution of about £1,000 over the last 12 months. By now many of you will have received this year’s request for support.  We simply ask that if you value the service you receive, and are willing and able to make a donation to support it, then please complete the form and send it back to us.  Making a donation by Standing Order is much easier for us to process and helps us plan for the future.  But of course we are delighted to receive any donation you are happy to make.I would like to thank everyone who has made a donation – your support means that we can continue to provide you with the services you need.  Legacy Gifts

A legacy is a special gift that lives on after your death.  Last year we were extremely fortunate to receive a number of Legacy gifts to the value of nearly £100,000.  Without such enormous generosity, Warwickshire Vision Support would have made a substantial loss that could have resulted in cuts to your services.  We are asking you to consider leaving a Legacy to Warwickshire Vision Support in your Will.  Making a Will is important to all of us in today’s world.  Of course, our main concern is to look after our family, to preserve our family heirlooms for future generations and to help the younger generation in these difficult economic times. However, many of us also want to leave something behind that truly symbolises the way we lived our life.  Your Legacy is a testament to your lasting generosity, to your beliefs and your desire to help others after you have gone. A gift in your Will does not have to be large to make a difference.  Just a small percentage of what is left, after your loved ones are provided for, could make a real difference to someone living with sight loss. If you would like to leave a Legacy gift, please talk with your solicitor about making changes to your Will. Thank you for your kind consideration. 

Local Ukulele Band visits AtherstonePaul Bowler, ColeshillAtherstone VIP Club was entertained by members of the Nuneaton Ukulele Jam Band, who visited the club to give a concert one Wednesday in August.The band, founded in 2014 with a grant from the Community Chest scheme, has around 30 members, and performs at a range of venues, including clubs and residential homes, as well as at charity events.  A popular part of the Nuneaton music scene, last year the Jam Band notched up 120 appearances locally.Our concert kicked off shortly before midday, and as this was the second occasion on which the band had visited the club, we knew we were in for a treat.  Opening with Babyface, a song recorded by many, including Little Richard, the band thrilled with a selection of popular hits from the 1950s and 1960s, together with one or two more recent numbers, all of them performed to the accompaniment of the guitar-like instrument, first invented by the Hawaiians.  Favourites included Things, Achy Breaky Heart, I Just Wanna Dance The Night Away, You’re Sixteen, Calendar Girl, Travellin’ Light and Sunny Afternoon.Ukulele bands are always a pleasure to watch, and it is easy to see why the Nuneaton Jam Band is so popular.  They quickly had the audience singing and tapping along to many well-known songs, and encouraged us to call out the months when it came to Calendar Girl (something that didn’t go entirely without one or two hitches).  Two hours in their company passed far too quickly, and it was soon time for them to go, but they have promised to visit again later in the year.All of the members give up their time for free, while raising money for good causes, and each year they support a chosen charity.  This year’s are Macmillan Cancer and the Mary Ann Evans Hospice, and at concerts audience members are invited to make a contribution.  In 2015, this helped the band to raise £6,000 for the Myton Hospice.  Hopefully this year their fundraising efforts will be equally as fruitful.

Certificate of Visual ImpairmentWarwickshire Vision Support wins Contract for RehabilitationWe are pleased to inform you that Warwickshire Vision Support has successfully retained the contract to provide Rehabilitation Services to Visually Impaired People in Warwickshire, which includes registration.We had to undergo a comprehensive tendering competition and we won the contract against national competition.  Warwickshire County Council informed us that we had been successful on 16th September 2016; the tendering process competition had taken place in July.  During the tendering competition, enormous effort went in to completing the application and it placed tremendous strain on the Staff and Board.  Everyone acquitted themselves excellently and we continued to provide all services throughout.  We have been awarded the Rehabilitation Contract for 3 years with a 2 year extension possible at the discretion of WCC Commissioners.  Under the new Contract there are changes that have been made to the Rehabilitation Services we provide at the direction of WCC.  The essence of the service remains the same - Rehabilitation Officers attempt to enable a person who has sight loss to retain or regain their confidence to undertake tasks that allow them to live independently in their home or place of residence.  We provide advice and information on support available; we provide assessment and training in how to undertake everyday tasks. This could be making a drink, using the cooker or walking down to the local shops.  We also identify other needs that a person may have and make referral to the relevant services.  If a person’s sight has reduced, then training in how to use their residual vision to undertake tasks will be given.  Also sighted substituted techniques will be used with those people with severe or total sight loss.We are no longer able to take referrals for people who require a magnifier under the new Contract.  The Hospital Eye Clinics have Low Vision Services that provide this service; therefore, people will have to go to their GP to be referred to an Eye Clinic for a magnifier.  We will still provide monthly magnifier clinics at our Vision Support Centres as part of our charitable provision.  We will undertake specialist assessments for people who are deafblind under the new Contract.  We have extensive experience of working with severely hearing impaired and deaf people.  This new service is specifically to aid deafblind people to access Social Care Assessments.  These could be deaf people who use sign language and become Certified as severely sight impaired (blind).We will now do a lot more work with visually impaired people who have IT needs on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops.  Technology is changing very rapidly and WCC wants to ensure that VIPs are supported.  We already provide an IT service across the county and this will be developed further.  The new Contract puts major emphasis on people who are Certified as sight impaired or severely sight impaired.  Non-Certified people who have health and safety issues that could endanger them will also be able to access Rehabilitation services if referred by a health/social care professional or by self-referral.  Priority will be given to those people who are most at risk and without support.  We always endeavour to support all visually impaired people who seek our help.  Our local Vision Support Centres are staffed by our trained Community Workers. 

They can show people equipment, give advice and information and help people get access to relevant services.  This service is also available through our Hospital Eye Clinic Advice Desks.  We hope that our Rehabilitation Service will continue to develop alongside our other services for the benefit of all visually impaired people in Warwickshire.  

Are you Registered as a VIP?If you are registered as a Visually Impaired Person you will have been to an eye clinic and seen a Consultant Ophthalmologist, who will have made the decision that your sight has reached a certain threshold that means you are eligible to be registered as sight impaired.  A CVI form will have been completed.  You will be provided with a copy of this form.  The NHS has a copy so that trends in certain eye conditions can be identified to help with planning services.  Councils hold a Register of people living in their area who are sight impaired.  In Warwickshire, Warwickshire Vision Support has a contract with the County Council to keep the Register and provide registration and rehabilitation services on its behalf.When WVS receives your CVI, information will be sent to you about the services available and you will be contacted to tell you about registration and the benefits of being registered.  If you are not registered as a Visually Impaired Person and are struggling with sight problems, why not ask your Consultant if you are eligible?  Registration could open doors for you.

What is a CVI?A CVI is a Certificate of Visual Impairment.  This important document certifies the cause of your sight loss and that you are eligible to be registered.The CVI will be for one of two categories.  It will show either that you are sight impaired (also referred to on the form as partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (also referred to on the form as blind).  However, it is only a minority of the people who are certified as blind that lose their sight completely and be able to see nothing. It is the consultant at the eye clinic, the Ophthalmologist, who decides that your sight has reached the threshold that makes you eligible for registration.  This consultant signs the CVI, and you will be asked to sign this form.  

What does Warwickshire Vision Support Do?WVS has a contract with Warwickshire County Council to provide a registration service on its behalf and maintain the Register of VIPs living in Warwickshire.  (This Register is of course confidential, under the Data Protection Act.)  A rehabilitation service is also provided by WVS’s Rehabilitation Officers.  It includes advice and training on daily living skills, helping people to remain independent and safe in their own homes and when walking outdoors.  Some of the charitable services WVS provides are Vision Support Centres (where VIPs can just drop in and meet other VIPs).  They are located in towns round the county, and include its own Information Technology service, IT4U.  There is a Reader/Visitor service for people in their own homes and clubs for VIPs around the county.  A MyGuide service helps people to learn routes or helps with one-off special shopping trips.  And let’s not forget the Advice Desks operated at local hospitals,

where advice and information is available for people attending eye clinics who may not be aware of our services.  

Registration NumbersFollowing the inaugural meeting of Warwickshire Association for the Blind in June 1911 a Constitution was drawn up by the October of that year.  Its second Object was ‘the prevention of Blindness’.  Regrettably that Object has not yet been achieved.  Research into the causes and cures for blindness is taking place all the time; many of the conditions that previously caused blindness can now be treated.  However, as our longevity increases we develop medical conditions not suffered by earlier generations and medical science is working to keep up.  For the immediate present it seems likely that the numbers of people with sight problems will rise inexorably.Over the last 10 years the number of people on the Register of Visually Impaired People in Warwickshire has dropped.  The figure for the number of blind and partially sighted people who are registered is now below 2,200.  In 2006 the number was 3,600:  it has dropped to 61 per cent of what it was 10 years ago.  The number of CVIs (Certificates of Visual Impairment) received from Consultant Ophthalmologists has declined considerably, but the number of people requesting rehabilitation support continues to rise.

Are you missing out on the Benefits of Registration?There is a wide range of concessions available to all registered VIPs, some of which areAssistance with telephone directory enquiries BT offers a free directory service, whether or not you are with BT - you can sign up on 195 Assistance from utility companiesYou are qualified to sign up to your utility supplier’s Priority Services Register which can get you extra help and support with your water, electricity and gas.  Sign up with your utility suppliers and ask if they are one of those companies that offers certain discounts and support for people with sight loss.  Free bus travelYou are entitled to a concessionary disabled person’s bus pass, which will enable you to travel anywhere in England, but there are time restrictions on when you can travel.  Blue BadgeThe Blue Badge for the disabled person enables the driver to park in a disabled bay.  Registered severely sight impaired people qualify automatically and sight impaired people will need to be assessed.  Disabled Person’s RailcardWhen this has been purchased it allows you and another person travelling with you to have 1/3 off rail ticket prices.  Travel Assistance

Rail companies provide help with planning your journey.  Ticket options can be discussed and staff will meet you at your arrival station.  This service should be pre-booked.  Leisure concessionsDiscounts are available at many theatres, cinemas and sporting events, often where no charge is made for a carer.  Ask if concessions are available.  Television Licence DiscountA 50 per cent discount applies if you are registered as severely sight impaired.Financial and Welfare BenefitsIf you have sight loss and/or a long-term health condition or disability that affects your ability to live independently, you could apply for

Personal Independence Payments, PIP, (if you are aged 16 to 64)  Attendance Allowance (if you are 65 or over, and have care needs) Statutory Sick Pay or Employment and Support Allowance (if you are unable

to work) Working Tax Credit (if you are in work)

If you are registered as severely sight impaired, you are eligible for the Blind Person’s Tax Allowance.  The Disability Discrimination Act makes discrimination on the grounds of disability against the law.  If there are lots of things that you struggle with because of your sight and are not registered as visually impaired, ask your Ophthalmologist (Eye Consultant): ‘Should I be registered?’ as you could be missing out.

PeopleDaphne HintonFor many years the public did not know of the important work that had taken place at Bletchley Park during World War II.  It was a state secret.  Daphne Hinton played her part in this secret code-breaking work.  When Daphne became partially sighted about 15 years ago she got involved with Blind Veterans UK.  It was through this organisation that she was invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party.  She said ‘It was a lovely sunny day and I met a lot of people.  The Duke of York’s daughters greeted the public.  There were not just war veterans; there were people of all ages and from all different groups.  I have never had so much attention or thanks.  I suppose people are interested and it is very nice.  It was just what you did at the time.’  While she was being interviewed by the Navy her love of crossword puzzles was discussed and she was offered a position with P5, but not told what it was.  She began work at Bletchley in the early 1940s.  Daphne’s peacetime work was as an accountant and she also ran an arts and crafts shop.  Her activities have included being treasurer for Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra and of course her tall ship sailing adventures.  She said her sight had never stopped her from doing what she loved.  

Daphne retired when she was 82 and celebrated her 98th birthday on Halloween.  

Life StoriesHelen GilliesBack in June this year, the National Citizen Service contacted Warwickshire Vision Support to generate a link between the two community services.  NCS provides a 3-week programme for 15–17 year olds, which focuses on various skills for them to develop that could benefit them in their future endeavours and employment. We agreed to work with a group of young people with the support of VIPs at the Leamington Spa Vision Support Centre.  Community Workers, Helen and Felicity, challenged the young people to interview some VIPs and listen to their stories, which they could then deliver in a presentation. On Monday 8th August, 10 young people visited Chandos Court full of enthusiasm and energy but also a little nervous.  As they spilt up into pairs, Helen and Felicity introduced them to the individuals that they would chat to.  Bob Beck, Harold Smart, Delphine Thomas, Pat Chubb and Paul Bowler had happily agreed to take part in the project and made a wonderful effort to make the visitors feel welcome and ease their nerves. Throughout the morning the interviewers were laughing with the interviewees while listening intently to their life stories.  There was a real buzz at the Centre that morning and by the end of the session everyone had a smile on their face. The following week the young people called Warwickshire Vision Support to say that they had been inspired by the people they had spoken to and requested permission to host an awareness session of our charity in Stratford.  Warwickshire Vision Support provided them with some information leaflets about services in the county and they spoke to members of the public.  They worked hard to raise awareness about the difficulties people face in everyday life whilst living with sight loss, and also about the work that Warwickshire Vision Support carries out to assist visually impaired people across the county. On Thursday 18th August the group returned to Leamington to host a presentation of their work.  Tea and cakes were provided and it wasn’t long before they were chatting away with the Vision Support Centre attendees again.All of the young people delivered a talk about their experiences and it was refreshing to see such professional and respectful work carried out by them. As we departed that afternoon the young people played us out displaying their talents on the piano and thanked, not only the staff of WVS, but also the VIPs who had shared their stories with them and made them feel so welcome.  Overall the project was highly successful in creating a vital link between two groups of people within the community. Warwickshire Vision Support would like to thank the NCS for this opportunity and the young people themselves for talking to our members, listening to their stories and for generating awareness about our charity.

Harold’s Storytold by Casey and Joshua Harold Smart was born in Coventry.  His early life was affected by the start of the Second World War.  As he lived within 300 yards of the Daimler motor factory his

street was hit heavily by air raids.  November 14th was a night Harold remembered very well, he even remembered that Coventry was lit with a bright moonlight.  German bombers flew over his city wave after wave after wave, bombs were being dropped everywhere and it was incredibly noisy, but despite all of that, he still managed to fall asleep.After that night his parents decided it was best to send him out of the city.  He was first sent to Cheltenham to stay with some of his mother’s relatives, and then later sent to Cambridge with some of his father’s relatives.  He left school at the age of 17 to start work.  As there were plenty of jobs he quickly got an interview and soon started an apprenticeship at the shop ‘Radio and Electrical Services’.  From the age of 8 when he took a torch apart he became intrigued with it and has been interested in electronics ever since.  After learning about the business he was sent around Coventry servicing television and radio sets.  He fitted out all the ambulances with radio equipment and maintained them.  He was allowed to finish his training as he was classed as a Deferred Apprentice.  So he was called up for National Service at 21 and sent to the RAF.  He followed the advice of his previous boss and immediately after arriving took the trade test.  Contrary to the predictions of his superiors in the RAF, he passed.  After completing the training he was posted to RAF Honily.  There his job was to install mobile radio equipment in the emergency vehicles.  Coincidentally, it was the same equipment that he had worked on during his apprenticeship.   During his time in the RAF he avoided participating in any parades due to his work commitments.  When he returned home he became self-employed and after his mother moved house he took over the old family home and turned it into a shop for electrical goods with a flat on top for himself and his wife.   After looking after some children for a friend, Harold and his wife were told they couldn’t continue unless they became official foster parents, so that’s what they did.  Over the duration of 4 years, they made sure they brought up the foster children as their own.  Their hard work and generosity helped improve the lives of many less fortunate children.Harold suffers from Macular Degeneration, and has done so for the last 4 years.  Due to this he has had to change the way he lives - such as giving up driving.  However he is still able to do most of the things he enjoys, such as sailing.  He was an instructor with the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) teaching many skills, including navigation.  He was often called on to move boats for other people due to his skill and experience.  Despite his sight loss, Harold makes the most out of what he has got, and tries to see the light in everything and continues to live his life to the full.

Delphine’s Memoirtold by Charlotte and ThomasWe were lucky enough to talk to Delphine, who started coming to the Vision Support Centre when only six people came and as a result has seen the group develop to support a large number of people in the area.  One of the key points that Delphine highlighted to us was that attendees were able to learn from each other, even if it was only small details such as events happening in the community.  

Delphine, originally from Wales, moved to Leamington 40 years ago because of her husband’s job.  Following their move, they travelled around this country by motor home and caravan, as well as visiting many places abroad, her personal favourite being Madeira.  Forty years ago Delphine’s life changed when her sight became impaired overnight because of a brain tumour.  The only warning signs she received before this were headaches, which she presumed to be normal.  Since then, although her life has not been straightforward, it was clear that Delphine has remained positive and adapted to the challenges that this has posed.  Although Macular Degeneration has now severely impaired her eyesight, she remains active and takes part in various activities such as Greek dancing and Tai Chi.  As well as this, Delphine knits over one hundred outfits for babies born on Warwick Hospital’s premature ward each year.  Talking to Delphine showed us the plethora of support available, which we were not previously aware of and made us thankful to both Delphine for her help and Warwickshire Vision Support for being so accommodating.  As a whole group we have a large amount of respect for the people that use this Centre and are grateful for the opportunity we had to talk to Delphine.

Bob’s Story told by Pramida and RachaelBob has had an enriched and fulfilled life; he still passionately works at the age of 77.  He was raised in Claverdon and was the first boy from there to land a place in his local grammar school - King Edward’s in Stratford-upon-Avon.  These past few years have been hard for Bob as he had to have two knee replacements and suffered a stroke between these operations.  Nine months ago he was given a guide dog, which cost £50,000 to train but to buy, a costly 50p!Bob’s guide dog follows the commands of his master impeccably with no mistake.  He has three collars, one for playtime, another for home time and the last a harness.  Each different one means the dog has different attitudes - behaving differently.  This dog was trained by the first woman from Hong Kong to train guide dogs.  Bob has embraced a free cooking course for blind veterans, which he enjoyed considerably, especially making his favourite dessert, sponge cake.  He greatly appreciates the use of technology, such as talking watches, tablets and phones, allowing him to gain ‘life after sight’.  We were amazed when he described the scanner that cleverly reads the colour of clothes, allowing him to know the colour of each piece of clothing he wears.  We are extremely grateful to have had this experience as we have taken away important knowledge of the visual impairments that affect many people.  We highly respect the wonderful workers at the Vision Support Centre in Leamington, who do an outstanding job.  EditorThe stories of Pat and Paul will be told in Warwickshire Vision Spring 2017.

Wendy’s family historyWendy Carter, Leamington Spa

For a recent meeting of CAMEO we were asked to bring something of value to us personally; I chose a photo of my late husband Richard.  He was speaking to honour his grandfather, John Sutton Nettlefold at the Blue Plaque that commemorates his life at the home that he and his wife Margaret built for their family of five children - and of course staff - Winterbourne House in Edgbaston.  Richard was the son of John and Margaret’s second child, Nina.  The house was later bequeathed to Birmingham University, who restored it.  It is as their home would have been plus a historical room, a café for visitors, and also a splendid centre for Arts and Crafts.  The 7 acre garden, largely designed by Margaret Nettlefold (née Chamberlain) is now the botanical department of the University, which is a joy to visit.  Originally there was an orchard, a herd of cows, kitchen gardens and of course, bees. JSN was a Unitarian Christian and had a great social conscience.  Sickened by the appalling back-to-back workers’ housing of the time, they bought land nearby and formed a committee to plan and build a splendid estate with a variety of houses with gardens and enclosed allotments (to prevent development) to suit the workers’ needs.  The Moorpool estate was built so that workers could have quality homes.  It remains a model of community planning.  I was privileged to represent my late husband at their 100 years’ celebration at Winterbourne and met some of their long-standing tenants, many of who have lived there for their whole lives.The history is that the Nettlefold family business (Guest Keene & Nettlefold) was producing screws.  They attended the Great Exhibition and found an American firm producing screws with a tapered end, a huge improvement on their blunt ends, so together they bought the patent and changed their design.  They became the biggest screw manufacturers in the world.

Lynne RockThe George Marshall Trophy is awarded to any person or organisation that has made a considerable contribution to the welfare of visually impaired people in Warwickshire.The George Marshall Trophy 2016 was presented to Lynne Rock by the Chairman, Peter Soles, he said:  ‘Lynne Rock has served as a Volunteer for Atherstone Visually Impaired Club for many years.  Initially she came as an escort for her visually impaired husband who was a member.  For the last 5 years Lynne has been Club Treasurer.  In addition to this she organises the Club Programme and the club outings.  She is always calm and just gets on with the job, and can be relied upon to get things done.  She has been a great servant to the Club and to Warwickshire Vision Support.  She is a worthy winner of the George Marshall Trophy for 2016.’  Lynne replied that she was pleased to accept the Trophy, but not just for herself, for all the Volunteers at Atherstone - Beryl Burrows, Margaret Eastaff, Carol Evans and Mary Wilkins.

Queen honours Pioneer of Blind FootballPaul Bowler, Coleshill

Among the many deserving people to be recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours is Tony Larkin OBE, a former professional footballer who for many years managed and coached England’s blind football team.A native of Liverpool, Tony’s career saw him play for teams including Shrewsbury Town, Carlisle and Hereford United. It was while at Shrewsbury that he undertook some voluntary work for the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), and he would later return there as a member of their faculty when his playing career finished in 1988.Tony made blind football a regular part of the college’s leisure activity programme, and quickly realised the sporting potential of his students. After joining the International Blind Sports Federation, he became a member of its subcommittee in 1995, and began working towards developing the game as a Paralympic sport.  But although blind football is played in many countries, each country had their own rules, so a standard set of rules had to be established before players could compete internationally. Great Britain fielded their first blind football team at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, and appeared again at London 2012, coached on both occasions by Tony.As Coach and Manager of the England Team, Tony has led them through nine European Championships and five World Championships.  He also played a key role in helping to establish the first Football Academy for blind football, which was opened at RNC in 2008.  The college played host to the 2010 World Blind Football Championships, the first time it was held in the UK. The contest saw England achieve fourth place behind Brazil, Spain and China.During his 28-year career with RNC, Tony rose to become Director of Business and Enterprise, before retiring in January 2016.  He also became Patron of British Blind Sport in 2013.  His OBE was awarded for services to further education and disability sport, and after learning of the honour he told the Hereford Times that he was ‘taken aback’ and ‘very emotional’. Warwickshire Vision would like to take this opportunity to send Tony our warmest congratulations on his achievement.

Health and WellbeingThe Glasses that Read for YouPaul Bowler, ColeshillAs somebody who’s been visually impaired since birth, and reads with the help of a CCTV or a magnifier, I’ve often wondered what it might feel like to sit on a train with the latest John le Carré thriller, or spread the Sunday newspapers out on the kitchen table and catch up with the goings-on in the world, without having to use these reading aids.  Earlier this year I had a chance to experience what that might feel like when a new piece of equipment was demonstrated at two of my local Vision Support Centres.Developed by a technology company based in Israel, the OrCam is a wearable device that recognises and reads print from books, newspapers, food labels and street signs, and will even recognise objects and people.  It consists of a camera and ear piece mounted on a pair of glasses, which are linked to a control panel via a wire.  By wearing the glasses it is possible to capture an image of a piece of text, and then have it read out by a lifelike voice.

When Tony Fox of HumanWare brought an OrCam to the Atherstone and Nuneaton Vision Support Centres in June I was one of several people to test it out, and was immediately impressed with its capabilities.  On the first occasion we tried it with some documents Tony had brought along, as well as looking at signs and notices on the walls.  The OrCam read both with ease.  But I was keen to try it with things I might read at home, so when we next met I came armed with a daily newspaper, and a book of poetry by one of my favourite poets. I’m pleased to report that OrCam dealt with both admirably.  I was able to take a picture of the front page story of that day’s Metro and have it read to me, then hear Fran Landesman’s intuitive observations of life.I do believe the OrCam has the potential to enhance the lives of visually impaired people in many different ways, and felt a bit like a kid in a sweetshop when I was trying it out.  Suddenly I could read anything I wished, and I have to confess I didn’t want to give it back.  I might have to wait a while before I can buy myself one though.  I was told it currently retails at £1,600.  But recalling how expensive home computers used to be, I hope that in time it may come down in price. 

Being DiagnosedDiagnosis of an ailment or condition can be a shock or an emotional blow for the recipient.  And yet without it we are ostriches, burying our heads in the sand, perhaps pretending we don’t have a problem, or thinking that it will just go away if we ignore it, which is usually unlikely in the case of health problems.  Our attitudes on health problems veer between ‘there’s a pill that will cure that’ and ‘I can’t live that way’.  But what has changed from the moment before the diagnosis?  Knowledge has been gained, and this is an important tool.  Diagnosis is the first step for treatment, which if it cannot cure, usually can halt the progress of the condition.  Research is taking place continuously, leading to many advances in medicine and surgery.  Inevitably, learning of a life-changing condition such as blindness is an enormous emotional shock, and can lead to depression.  It is only the person who is diagnosed who can appreciate the impact of any unexpected or life-changing diagnosis.  Other people may sympathise but it is rarely likely that they can fully feel or understand the impact of negative news.  It’s easy to say ‘have a positive attitude’ but it is a hard thing to do.  However, having a positive attitude helps to raise the spirits.  Don’t forget the well-known saying ‘mind over matter’.  Music and singing are both activities that can give the participant a feeling of well-being.  Smiling can make a person feel happier - if someone is smiling while speaking on the telephone, the person at the other end can often hear it in the caller’s voice.  Always try to believe that things will turn out for the best.  Don’t forget that faith can move mountains.EditorWhat raises your spirits?Do let us know.  

Glaucoma MedicationEye drops are used as the treatment to halt the advance of glaucoma.  The medication is designed to lower the pressure in the eye to prevent vision loss.  If the drops are not used as prescribed, irreversible blindness can result.  It is estimated that more than 500,000 people in England and Wales have this condition.Many people struggle to self-administer eye drops; it can be difficult and imprecise.  Sometimes the drops can cause stinging and burning.  Contact lens have been studied as an alternative means of medication delivery for 50 years.  But most have been found ineffective as they dispensed the medication too quickly.  A new study at Harvard Medical School has designed lenses that control the delivery of the medication.  A tiny film of drug-encapsulated polymers in the periphery of the lens slows the release of the medication.  The centre of the lens remains clear, which allows for normal visual acuity, breathability and hydration.  In addition, the lens can provide a prescribed sight correction.  Clinical trials will take place to establish the safety and efficiency of the lenses in humans.

Early Diagnosis by AIOne million retinal scans were taken at Moorfields Eye Hospital between 1st January 2007 and 29th February 2016.  This data has been anonymised and will be fed into an AI computer to teach it how to detect age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other conditions.  This research project will be carried out by DeepMind, an Artificial Intelligence company that is a British subsidiary of the American internet giant Google.  DeepMind is funding this research.  The data can only be used for this research and can only be sold with the consent of Moorfields.  It will be destroyed after 5 years.Early diagnosis means that treatment can be started.  If diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes, is not diagnosed it can lead to blindness; early treatment prevents up to 98 per cent of severe vision loss.  It is predicted that sight loss in the UK will double by 2050.  

Optical Coherence TomographyJames Schofield, StratfordMoorfields doctor Pearse Keane intends to reinvent the way eye examinations are currently performed in hospitals by using a new form of ocular imaging device, called binocular optical coherence tomography (OCT).Binocular OCT provides extremely high-resolution images of the eye in a completely non-invasive manner.  For comparison, this imaging is in much greater resolution than CT or MRI scanning, and can be obtained in only a fraction of a second.The unique design of the device also allows patients to acquire the images from their own eyes without any assistance from a doctor or nurse.  The screens on the device are similar to those on a smartphone or tablet computer, allowing a range of information to be displayed to the patient.  This means that, in addition to acquiring images of the eye, a binocular OCT device can perform a range of other eye tests.  For example, it can be used to measure visual acuity (i.e. the size of letters on a

chart that a patient can read), reactions of the pupils to light, or the movements of each eye.OCT has the potential to make eye examination much quicker and more efficient. In the short-term, binocular OCT devices will greatly reduce the waiting time for patients when attending appointments in hospital eye clinics.  In the longer-term, these devices may allow patients to monitor the condition of their eyes from the comfort of their own home, or from their local GP, pharmacy, or optician.Pearse said: the eyesight test will be reinvented to ‘allow a comprehensive eye examination to be performed in an automated manner and mean that patients with less severe stable eye diseases of the retina can have all their preliminary testing done in one quick session before seeing the doctor for a consultation’.  ‘Other benefits the device could introduce is the speeding up of patients’ hospital visits with less time spent in the waiting room and more time with the doctor.  In the longer term, the device could allow patients to have their chronic eye diseases monitored from their own homes, or from their local GP/pharmacy/opticians.’  The traditional method of eye examination is called slit-lamp biomicroscopy, a technology that is little changed since its invention in 1911.  Binocular OCT will reinvent the eye examination for the 21st century by providing extremely high-resolution imaging of all structures within the eye – from the eyelashes to the lens, to the retina and optic nerve (so-called ‘whole eye’ imaging).  This will allow consultants to diagnose and monitor eye disease with much greater detail and accuracy than before.

MagnificationMagnifiers can be a vital tool for visually impaired people who have partial sight.  However, it is only the piece of equipment that is correct for an individual’s specific eye condition and used correctly that will be of any use at all.  It is important to have an assessment, and see a variety of magnifiers to establish which one is right for you.  Some basic points are that

the higher the magnification, the smaller the lens and the closer it should be held to the eye.  This will only enlarge a small area.  However, this could be ideal to take shopping to read labels.  At home an electronic magnifier could be helpful; these are often on a stand.  

If you hold a magnifier too far away from your eye, the image will be upside down. 

If a magnifier does not have a built-in light, the quality and position of the light is important. 

Our Rehabilitation Officers hold regular magnifier sessions at the Vision Support Centres.  Details are sent out each month.

FeaturesSuper HumansFelicity KirbyThis summer normal evening pastimes gave way to watching people push their minds and their bodies to the max; first in the Olympics and then in the Paralympics. 

Rio 2016 was dogged with controversy from the beginning - reports of poor ticket sales, unfinished accommodation in the Village, the threat of gun violence and gang crime, mass exclusion of Russian athletes following allegations of widespread government-condoned doping – and the problems didn’t stop when the Games began. How can we forget the unappealing bright green diving pool or the ticket resale scam involving officials of the International Committee? And yet, despite these stories, nothing could ultimately overshadow the sporting achievements of Team GB in both Games. With a staggering total of 147 medals won across 22 disciplines, Team ParalympicGB came second only to China and achieved the third largest medal haul in British Paralympic sporting history! Even more impressive is the breadth of sports which this success spanned – everything from judo to boccia, archery to tennis. I’ve been a keen horserider for years and always knew the British did well in equestrian sports – able-bodied and disabled - which has been continued by the likes of Sophie Wells, Lee Pearson and the entire Paralympic equestrian team. Great Britain has, astoundingly, won the team event at every Paralympic Games since the event was introduced in 1996. That means they have been undefeated champions for for last six Games! Other sports in which GB excelled include cycling, swimming and athletics. Steve Bate, a member of the GB cycling team, has Retinitis Pigmentosa and is registered blind with just 10% of his field of vision remaining. Steve had only been cycling for 3 years, having started after meeting a cycling enthusiast when he solo climbed El Captain in Yosemite and made the record books for being the first visually impaired person to have ever done so. He took home three medals from Rio 2016 – a bronze in the Road Men’s Road Race B, and two golds for the Road Men’s Time Trial B and the Track Men’s B 4000m Individual Pursuit. Diversity is clearly this guy’s middle name! Steve was joined by two other visually impaired cyclists at Rio 2016 – Sophie Thornhill and Lora Turnham. Despite being eleven years Steve’s junior, Lora is an experienced competitor and had her first ‘big win’ in 2011 at the World Championships in Italy. Lora has hereditary sight loss and values the freedom her guide dog, Libby, affords her. She won medals in both road and track events, with an individual bronze and gold. Sophie Thornhill has oculocutaneous albinism and, at only 20 years old, was the youngest member of the cycling team. Like Steve, she only took up cycling three years ago yet collected one bronze and one gold medal for track events. I’m seeing a theme emerging here …On to swimming and Hannah Russell managed to juggle a degree in Sports Science at Salford University with her passion for the pool. She began swimming at the age of five and, ironically, attended the same college that Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies once did (Kelly College in Tavistock, in care you’re intrigued). London 2012 was her Paralympic debut and she added to her three medal haul there with a further three for backstroke and freestyle in Rio. Hannah’s been inspiring future generations of sports men and women since then by meeting children and families at events across the country, including in Coventry on 22nd October at British Blind Sport’s Open Day. Did anyone else’s heart temporarily splutter during Libby Clegg’s 200m sprint with her running guide, Chris Clark? It can’t just have been me! Her inspirational run not

only clinched her gold but also set a new Paralympic record. This was in addition to the new World Record (and another gold) resulting from her run in the 100m. Libby has Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy disease and is registered blind. She wore a blindfold whilst competing to ensure all competitors were competing with the same degree of visual impairment. In previous Games she hasn’t been required to but her deteriorating sight has changed the category she can now compete in. She has a guide dog called Hatti and says: ‘I know I can trust her fully and the impact she has had on my day-to-day life is huge. She is definitely an extraordinary dog.’ Hatti accompanies Libby to her training sessions but she spent Rio 2016 cheering Libby on from the comfort of Libby’s parents’ Scottish home. Libby is not the only talented athlete in her family; brothers James and Stephen (who are also visually impaired) are fellow Paralympians but sensibly chose not to take on their sister on the track, opting instead for swimming.Of course, there are many more athletes who excelled themselves during the Games; both those who took home medals but also those who did not. Sam Ingram – a judo champion many times over – led the GB judo team to Rio after successes in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Sam is originally from Coventry and it was there he first discovered a talent for the sport. His brother Joe is also visually impaired and a fellow judo expert who inspired Sam to take up the sport. Sam may not have made it on to the podium this year (he came fifth overall) but even rising to the heights of Paralympic or Olympic capability is a feat many of us would love to emulate. If you, like me, have been inspired to take up a new sport or brush-up on old skills then why not contact British Blind Sport for further information? Based in Leamington Spa, their team of sporting enthusiasts is keen to let everyone know sight loss is not a barrier to being active. You can call them on 01926 424247 for more information. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next British Paralympic hope in Tokyo 2020. 

Kenilworth Talking News Association The Kenilworth Talking News Association is a registered charity run entirely by volunteers, providing a free audio newspaper with news from Kenilworth and District, events and magazine features for visually impaired people and those who have difficulty holding newspapers.  KTN is a member of the Talking News Federation. In 1987 an advertisement appeared in the Kenilworth Weekly News inviting people to a public meeting about the provision of taped material for those in the community who were either blind or had impaired vision. Howard Burgess and Richard Tarver recruited several interested people to make up the nucleus of a team that would operate from a room in the Waverley Day Centre. Readers, technicians and administrators developed their roles to produce a 90 minute tape. Our fortnightly production cycle begins with the recording of the magazine. The magazine editors have permission to use certain magazines from which items are chosen for recording by volunteer readers. A selection is made for each production and linked by the editor with a judicious sprinkling of music. Over the years we have also included book serials often prepared with the help of the author. One of the listeners’ favourites was “Ramblin’ Rose” by Sheila Stewart. She happily read, in a local accent, her own adaptation of her book which concerned the lives of women on the horse-drawn narrow-boats of the Oxford canal. In addition we’ve had the opportunity to interview a variety of well-known people including Lesley Garrett, Ken Dodd, Evelyn Glennie, Maureen Lipman, Stephanie

Cole and the conductor Paul Daniel. Several Mayors of Kenilworth and our local MP Jeremy Wright have been included. We’ve also been able to cover a Tour of Oxford, the Maundy service from Coventry Cathedral and a Christmas visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Once the magazine editor decides what items to use he develops an order and writes a script. In the studio the technician follows this with the editor to produce the finished magazine. We have three teams for our news editions, each team consisting of an editor, technician and three readers. News is gathered from local newspapers, chiefly from the Kenilworth Weekly News and various other local and free papers with the agreement of the newspapers’ editors. We try to gather items from many sources in order to add variety to our coverage. As KTN comes out fortnightly, an editor will collect news items over two weeks. The editor reads and times articles in the first week’s paper and the same for the second week, then selects and organises the stories that are considered to be of most interest to our listeners. We aim to collect 45 minutes worth of articles. As well as news items an editor may choose to record an interesting article relating to our local history or information helpful or of particular interest to our listeners. In each edition we wish the appropriate listener or listeners a happy birthday and we would welcome more listeners to let us know their special day as this makes our service more personal.  In order to make listening easier, we choose a piece of music to divide the edition into thirds. Reading the articles often reduces the team to hilarity at the way the tongue sometimes plays tricks on an unwary reader! A master copy is made after the news edition has been recorded, ready for copying. The technical parts of the KTN operation are based in the ‘control room’. Here the technician records the sounds from our readers via microphones and uses a mixer desk to make a digital recording. The mixer desk enables music to be added, it also allows different microphones to be selected when the news is recorded and the voice levels evened out. The quality of KTN recordings is often remarked upon. This is created by having a separate ‘studio’ where the readers and editors sit. Sound reducing materials, such as curtains, have been positioned so that a clear, natural sound is recorded. A sound proof window between the studio and control room enables the technician to operate away from microphones and to see when a reader indicates the end of a reading. It would take a very long time to record an edition onto cassette or USB stick one by one. So we have two different machines to do this – one for cassettes and one for USB sticks. This enables an edition to be replicated on to 30 cassettes and 70 USB sticks in about 1 hour. Since we re-use cassettes and USB sticks, we need to ensure that the previous edition has been removed. The USB recorder automatically erases and checks each USB stick prior to reprogramming. As cassettes are magnetic we have to use an erasing machine to make each tape clean again. With the use of cassettes being phased out, we expect to move to sole use of USB. Fortunately, the latest USB players have control buttons which enable articles to be heard one by one thus giving the facility to skip an article and move to the next. This will give us more flexibility in the future since we will not be constrained by the fixed length of cassettes. We anticipate new computer technologies will occur which will

enable simpler recording and editing, all of which will allow us to continue to provide interesting, high sound quality editions in the future. After the production of the master tape three administration teams take over.  One deals with the register which keeps a record of the wallets sent back by listeners with another team undertaking the erasing of the tapes. The third team deals with fast copying from the master tape and USB stick, inserting them into the wallets and taking the mail sacks to the Post Office for posting out to our listeners.  All Articles for the Blind are delivered by the Royal Mail free of charge. Listeners using USB sticks are offered listening devices to enable them to listen to editions. We have a team of volunteers who are happy to help listeners with new equipment which is loaned free of charge. Our teams thoroughly enjoy bringing the local news and magazine to our listeners. One special date in our calendar is our annual lunch which brings together volunteers and listeners and is always a very happy and popular occasion. We are always delighted to hear from prospective listeners and volunteers. If you would like further information about KTN, do give us a call on 01926 853351 or e-mail ktnkenilworth@ hotmail.co.uk

DiscriminationMost of us know that guide dogs are special (whether we are dog lovers or not).  They are bred specially and each one is specially trained to guide a visually impaired person safely.  They are assistance dogs.Bob Beck had glaucoma for 30 years and lost his sight at the end of last year.  He has a guide dog called Fitz who is a golden labrador.  In the summer Bob and his wife Meryl had booked a short break at a guest house in Gosport, Hampshire.  However, when they arrived they were told that Fitz would have to sleep in the car.  Bob, Meryl and Fitz stayed at a guest house nearby.  It is against the law to discriminate on the grounds of disability - the Equality Act 2002.  The guest-house has now apologised and changed its policy.

The Rough Guide to Accessible BritainThis resource is free to download.  Visitors can submit their own reviews of places they’ve visited to help others benefit.  There is also a ‘special offers’ aspect to the website so visitors can claim discounts or a free drink at specific attractions www.accessibleguide.co.uk/offers.php

A Day in the life of a Smart Phone – Part 3So far, we have looked at day-to-day tasks on the smart phone and keeping in contact with family and friends.  In this final article, I am going to talk about the range of really useful Apps that can make life so much easier. The word App is short for application and means a software program that does a specific thing.  There are literally hundreds of thousands of Apps designed specifically for your phone – no matter who made it or what operating system it uses, you can be pretty sure that you will find an App to do almost anything you can imagine. I am going to start with navigational Apps.  These are really useful and can help you to plan a new route or to tell you where you are if you become disoriented.  I love

Apps like Google Maps and Traveline GB – they are simple, free and relatively easy to use.  These Apps enable me to plan a route between two different points and to choose what mode of transport I want to use.  For example, if I want to travel from Rugby to Warwick all I have to do is to put in the departure and arrival points – usually post codes and then click on the icon (picture) of either a walking person, a car or public transport.  The App will then plan my route asking when I want to set off and tell me what buses or trains I need to catch from which locations and at what times. What is great about the Apps is that it gives me real time directions as I am walking so I don’t get lost.  Even better, with some of the Apps they will tell me when I am nearing my bus stop so I know when to get off and others will tell me how long I have to wait until the next bus arrives.  If I go off route, or miss my stop, they calculate an alternative route within seconds so I don’t get lost. Of course, these Apps aren’t perfect but they are a great help and do give me confidence.  There are some drawbacks.  Listening to directions can be distracting when walking along a busy road and so it is essential to be extra vigilant and occasionally you will find a black spot where the internet is poor but on the whole they work well and for me they are the ideal back up.  Personally, I would not advise a novice to navigate across Birmingham relying only on an App but, with practice, it is possible to travel the country independently and with confidence. The Internet is perhaps the most significant cultural revolution to occur in the last 20 years.  We shop, bank, book appointments, communicate and even manage our utilities on line – and there is an App for every one of these things.  Of course some of them are not very accessible and many are not very user friendly – even for sighted users, but the benefits are huge. You can switch your energy supplier in less than half an hour and save hundreds of pounds a year!  You can have your weekly shopping delivered, saving you the hassle of getting to the supermarket and making sure you have so much more choice and control over what you buy.  There is nothing you cannot buy online and in the majority of cases you will pay less money and get it delivered to your door within a day or two.  Even managing finances has become easier thanks to online banking Apps that enable me to pay bills, set up direct debits and check my balance all from the comfort of my home. I am not saying that using these Apps is always easy and straight forward – some can be challenging.  Some you might find useful, others unnecessary and yet more completely pointless.  I would just like to invite you to dip a toe into the digital pond and see if it appeals to you.  Smart phones do not have to cost the earth.  I picked up a second hand smart phone for £30 the other day and it can do practically the same as a £600 phone.  Almost every App I use is free and my data package is small since I use my home WIFI most of the time. If you feel inspired to take up the digital challenge, please call us at Warwickshire Vision Support or visit your local Vision Support Centre.  You can experiment with our demonstration phones to see how easy they are to use and we can help you chose a device that suits your vision, your aims and your pocket. 

New MoneyThe New FiverThis is the title of the Bank of England’s leaflet describing the new £5 banknote, with Sir Winston Churchill on the reverse. It was issued on 13th September and is printed on polymer - a thin and flexible plastic material and is around 15 per cent smaller than the paper £5 note.  Beware of the brand new notes - they can stick together.The new £10 and £20 notes will both be polymer.  The £10 note, featuring Jane Austen, will be issued in summer 2017, while the new £20 note, featuring JMW Turner, is due to be issued by 2020.The paper £5 note, featuring Elizabeth Fry, will be withdrawn from circulation in May 2017.  However, genuine Bank of England banknotes that have been withdrawn from circulation retain their face value for all time and can be exchanged with the Bank of England.

The new £1 CoinThis twelve sided coin will come into circulation in March 2017.  In Autumn 2017 the old £1 coin will only be accepted in banks and Post Offices.

Warwickshire Vision InformationWarwickshire Vision is distributed FREE to all members of Warwickshire Vision Support This publication is also available in digital audio, Braille and by emailFor more information, please contact usTel: 01926 411331Email: enquiries@warwickshire.visionWebsite: www.warwickshire.visionWarwickshire Vision Support is the operating name of Warwickshire Association for the BlindA company limited by guaranteeRegistered in England and Wales Number 6511954 Charity Registration Number 1123220

AcknowledgementsGrateful thanks are expressed to Kenilworth Talking News for producing the digital audio version of Warwickshire Vision and to Phil Arkell for the layout of the printed version.  We acknowledge the use of information from Connect, the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Leamington Courier and The Times.Views expressed in Warwickshire Vision are not necessarily those of the management of Warwickshire Vision Support.

Back PageYour Local Vision Support Centre is there to help you with all your sight needs. Table of Vision Support Centre meeting times and venues:

AtherstoneSt Mary’s ChurchChurch StreetAtherstone  CV9 1HH

Alternate Wednesdays 10 am - 11.30 am

BedworthSalvation Army8 Leicester StreetBedworth CV12 8SY

1st Thursday 1 pm - 3 pm

CoventryQuakers Meeting HouseHill StreetCoventry CV1 4AN

Every Friday 10 am - 12 noon

LeamingtonChandos CourtChandos StreetLeamington Spa  CV32 4YU

Every Monday 10 am - 12 noon

NuneatonNew Town Community CentreNew Town RoadNuneaton CV11 4HG

Every Thursday 10 am - 12 noon

RugbyRugby Baptist ChurchRegent Place Rugby CV21 2AG

Every Wednesday 10 am - 12 noon

Stratford-upon-Avon

The Christadelphian ChurchRother Street Stratford CV37 6LU

Every Tuesday 10 am - 12 noon

Warwickshire Vision Support5 Charles Court, Budbrooke RoadWarwick. CV34 5LZTel: 01926 411331Email: enquiries@warwickshire.visionWeb: www.warwickshire.visionFacebook: www.facebook.com/Warwickshire.Vision.Support