RNIB Connect

Latest Episodes:

S2 Ep1914: Audio is King - Sonali Rai, RNIB Senior Manager for Media, Culture and Immersive Technologies Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

At a conference at the RNIB’s Grimaldi building in London On Thursday 10 September 2026 the RNIB launched a new report titled ‘Audio is King: television beyond the screen’ looking into whether establishing a secondary audience for audio description could help to make the case for greater investment in AD.

The conference brought together broadcasters, AD producers, journalists, sight loss sector stakeholders and many visually impaired people to discuss the findings of the report, build momentum for the wider adoption of audio description and support the business case for the growth of AD within the audio landscape.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was there and caught up with Sonali Rai RNIB Senior Manager for Media, Culture and Immersive Technologies to find out more about the findings of the report.

There is more about the ‘Audio is King: television beyond the screen’ report on the following pages of the RNIB website - https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/research-and-data/reports-and-insight/audio-is-king-television-beyond-the-screen/

Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB’ written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio’ is written in black in a smaller font.

S2 Ep1909: Yesteryear By Caro Claire Burke Book Review Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Looking for a new book to enjoy?

Amelia is here with a debut novel by Caro Claire Burke where a tradwife influencer gets more than she bargained for…

Our RNIB Talking Books service is absolutely free. Giving you access to over 40,000 fiction and non fiction books for adults and children in accessible formats that suits you.

For more information or to sign up to the RNIB Library get in touch. Call our Helpline on 0303 123 999orEmail helpline@rnib.org.uk.

S2 Ep1913: Sight Village North Wales Preview Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Sight Village exhibitions are a great way to learn more about products and services designed for blind and partially sighted people in your area. Hywel Davies has been hearing all about plans for the first Sight Village North Wales.

S2 Ep1906: Blind Architect Poppy Levison On Career So Far Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Poppy Levinson is a designer, researcher and disability activist working across the creative industries. She applies her lives experience as a blind woman to the world of architecture and design.

She recently completed her masters in Architecture at the Royal College of Art and became Co-director at the DisOrdinary Architecture Project.

She told Amelia about her career challenges and highlights so far, and how she applies her lived experience to design.

Learn more about Poppy on her website - Poppy Levison | Blind Architecture, Designer and Activist

Learn more about DisOrdinary on their website - The DisOrdinary Architecture Project

S2 Ep1912: Research On Live AD For Dance Competitions From Step Change Studios And Vocaleyes Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Quick-steps, spins and sparkles now as Vocaleyes and Step Change Studios are developing live AD for dance competitions.

Amelia spoke to audio describer Willie Elliott to learn more about his research and recommendations to bring blind and partially sighted into the action.

Step Change Studios have space in their blind ballroom classes starting on the 12th September.

Learn more on the Step Change Studios website - Step Change Studios | inclusive dance | London, UK and email contact@stepchangestudios.com to register.

S2 Ep1911: VI Social Club On The Hunt For New Members Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

If you’re looking for new ways to get involved in the community and make new friends, then a social club might be just up your street. Hywel Davies has been finding out the only social club in mid-Wales for blind and partially sighted people.

S2 Ep1910: Mirrorbox - An Interactive Social Art Installation by I Would Be Here if I Could Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Mirrorbox is an interactive social art installation by I Would Be Here if I Could, co-created by people living with ME or Long Covid, carrying messages from people living with one of these conditions to places around the UK they love but can no longer visit due to their illness.

Mirrorbox will be touring a number of locations around the UK starting with the Royal Opera House in London (13-14 September 2026). Visitors are invited to listen, reflect, and write a postcard to the message sender in return. All the audio messages are also available to listen to online via the I Would Be Here if I Could website.

RNIB Connect Radio’s Toby Davey was joined by Alison Larkman, lived-experience artist and creator of I Would Be Here If I Could and The Mirrorbox project who has ME, to find out more about mirror box and how the messages can relate to a wide audience including visually impaired people too.

To find out more about Mirrorbox, the UK tour, listen to the audio messages online and to get involved with the project too do visit the I Would Be Here if I Could website - https://www.iwouldbehereificould.com

S2 Ep1908: VisionPK See Work Differently Placement Michael Kear Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

See Work Differently Placements can be a great way for blind and partially sighted people to get into employment but what’s a placement actually like? David Hogg spoke to Michael Kear and Kate Charles from Vision PK to find out.

S2 Ep1905: Marshall Fairbrother on the Band Little Trees and 'Stronger', Their First Release… Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Following on from releasing his first solo track, blind musician and producer Marshall Fairbrother has been working with the band Little Trees who hail from Nottinghamshire representing Neurodivergent and disabled communities with songs reflecting the band members own experiences of life

Little Trees' music has been described as pop/rock that comes from the heart, full of energy and joy which can be heard in ‘Stronger’, their first single release.

RNIB connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Marshall to find out more about how Little Trees came about, the make up of the band, his role in the band as bass player on their first single ‘Stronger’ and producing the track as a blind person too.

To find out more about Little Trees do visit their YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@LittleTreesband

For more about Marshal do visit his website - https://marshallfairbrother.com