A woman has a go on a yellow tactile voting device. She is using her hands to navigate the yellow overlay on the ballot, and is wearing headphones plugged into the device.
Local blind and partially sighted voters had the chance to try out different audio and tactile voting devices, which you can find out more about on our website: rnib.in/VotingAndElections
We had a great day in Sunderland last week, running an Accessible Voting Workshop in partnership with Sunderland and County Durham Society for the Blind, and Sunderland City Council.
If you need help completing the form, call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email campaigns@rnib.org.uk.
Your feedback will help us campaign for a fairer, more inclusive system.
Last spring the UK Government announced changes to PIP and Universal Credit (UC) that were later mostly reversed after pressure from campaigners. Find out how we worked together to achieve this: rnib.in/welfare-vote
RNIB wants to make sure blind and partially sighted people’s voices are represented in the review.
If you’ve experienced a PIP assessment, or have ideas for how it could be improved, we’d love to hear from you via this short webform: rnib.in/pip-webform
There's still time to help shape the future of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment.
The UK Government is reviewing how PIP assessments work, and your voice matters - as disabled people will play a central role in this process.
By sharing your views, you can help ensure that the voices of families and young people with vision impairment are heard loud and clear in decisions that affect them.
Visit the consultation on the GOV.UK website and add your voice to the conversation. consult.education.gov.uk/send-strateg...
We’re encouraging parents, carers, young people, and professionals to respond before 18 May. The wide-ranging proposals cover future support, early intervention, access to specialists, and inclusive education.
The UK Government has launched a national consultation on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform, and this is a key moment for children and young people with a vision impairment.
Head over to our website where you can learn about how this may affect you: bit.ly/4seZpuL
Three people, Rhys from RNIB, Lisa Smart MP, and Terri from RNIB, standing on a pavement outside a building, Terri holds a white cane and is accompanied by a guide dog wearing a harness.
Thanks to @lisasmartmp.bsky.social for joining us for a guided walk in your constituency, where we highlighted the barriers people with sight loss encounter on a daily basis when making walking journeys, and the importance of vision rehabilitation services in providing essential mobility training.
RNIB research shows that 73 per cent of blind and partially sighted people don't know that they can request reasonable adjustments for an election, and that audio and tactile provision is essential for a secret and independent vote.
If the vote is extended to 16 and 17 year olds, it's vital that young blind and partially sighted voters know their rights and understand what accessible voting options are available to them.
Blind and partially sighted people face barriers at every stage of the democratic process. We welcome the ambition to improve voter registration, but these reforms must also address accessibility so that no one is excluded.
We're disappointed that in a bill that promises to widen democratic participation, there are no measures to improve accessibility. At the last General Election only a quarter of blind people could vote independently and in secret.
Today, the government published its Representation of the People Bill, which seeks to extend the right to vote and new rules on political donations. www.gov.uk/government/n...
Our message was clear: audio and tactile voting solutions must be available at every polling station.
We’ll keep pushing for consistent accessibility standards so people with sight loss can vote independently and in secret. 🗳️
From left to right: RNIB Policy Lead Tom Skelton; Democracy Minister Samantha Dixon MP; RNIB CEO Simon Antrobus; and RNIB Head of Policy Mike Wordingham, standing in the Minister’s office. All are dressed smartly and smiling.
Yesterday, RNIB met with the Democracy Minister, @samanthadixonmp.bsky.social, to discuss how we can work together to make elections accessible for blind and partially sighted voters.
A huge thank you to Monique from John Lewis and Jamie from Channel 4 for sharing powerful personal experiences. Their stories underline why conversations about inclusion in the workplace matter, and why change is urgently needed.
We also heard from Minister Diana Johnson, who spoke about the “persistent and significant barriers’' that people still face – and the upcoming opportunities to test what works in the Vanguards being set up as part of the Keep Britain Working review.
Chair Marsha De Cordova MP highlighted the ongoing employment gap and reminded us that ''Employers cannot afford to overlook the talent, skills, and contributions of blind and partially sighted people.”
Diana Johnson stood at a lectern, she is looking down at her notes and stood in front of a roll up banner that says 'All Party Parliamentary Group for Eye Health and Visual Impairment'. Diana is wearing glasses and a spotted navy dress with a red cardigan.
Great to be in Parliament today to mark fifteen months since the APPG for Eye Health and VI published ‘Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives’- its report on barriers to employment for blind and partially sighted people.
Listen, then share your views in our short survey: rnib.in/atwsurvey
Access to Work is a lifeline, but many blind and partially sighted people are seeing their support cut at renewal.
This week our campaigns team spoke to @rnibradio.bsky.social and explained why your experience matters.
audioboom.com/posts/885419...
On @BBCRadio4’s In Touch, Minister Sir Stephen Timms and Roisin Jacklin from RNIB discussed the government's recently announced plans to overhaul the scheme and why change is needed.
Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
The Disability Confident scheme is meant to help disabled people into work – but employers can still reach the top level without ever hiring a disabled person.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
From reliable Passenger Assist to accessible ticketing, consistent audio, tactile wayfinding and safer platform to‑ rain surfaces.
Read our new report and see what needs to change: rnib.in/PlatformForChange
We’re calling on Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, Great British Railways, and the rail industry to embed accessibility from the start.
Paul standing on a train platform with his yellow Labrador guide dog. He is wearing a hat and dark glasses and holding his phone. The photo is overlayed with the text “How reliable do you find passenger assistance at train stations?”.
Paul Goddard says that when he arrives at London Bridge rail station there is no one there to assist him “99% of the time”, despite him having made a reservation having on the Passenger Assistance app.
Unfortunately, Paul’s experience is common ⬇️
If you’d like to understand more about why floating bus stops aren’t safe or accessible for blind and partially sighted people, our All Aboard report from last year sets this out: rnib.in/4rmMQNP
“We’re urging local, national and devolved governments to ensure that no new bus stops are designed or built that reduce the accessibility of bus services for people like me with sight loss who depend on buses more than any other form of transport.”
