Seagull Trust Cruises’ at Ratho is proud to announce the launch of a new series of Audio‑Described Canal Cruises, developed in partnership with RNIB Scotland to make Scotland’s waterways more accessible to people who are blind or partially sighted.
The charity’s initiative marks a significant step forward in inclusive leisure experiences, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the beauty, history and tranquillity of the Union Canal.
The Audio‑Described Cruises have been carefully designed, in conjunction with Netherlands firm “Great Guide Magic” to offer a rich, immersive journey. The audio GPS system holds over 50 tracks which is triggered automatically by GPS and provides vivid, real‑time narration that brings the canal environment to life describing wildlife, historic landmarks, boat movements and the unique sounds and sensations of travelling by water.
Stuart Rennie, Immediate Past Chair of Seagull Trust Cruises Ratho Branch, said the organisation is committed to removing barriers to participation. “Our mission has always been to offer free, therapeutic cruises for people who need them most.
“Working with RNIB Scotland allows us to extend that mission even further. These Audio‑Described Cruises open up the canal in a new way, ensuring that passengers are not restricted to their seats and are able to enjoy the open foredeck while still listening to the commentary on the wireless headsets.”
RNIB Scotland has supported the project with specialist guidance to ensure the narration meets the needs of blind and partially sighted passengers.
Jane Coates, Senior Social Action Community Manager, RNIB Scotland, welcomed the collaboration: “Accessible leisure opportunities are vital for wellbeing and social inclusion.
!We’re delighted to work with Seagull Trust Cruises to create an experience that is not only enjoyable but genuinely empowering.”
The cruises will run on selected dates throughout the season from the Ratho base, with advance booking recommended. As with all Seagull Trust Cruises outings, the Audio‑Described Cruises are completely free of charge, supported by volunteers and charitable donations.
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to accessibility, community and the belief that Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage should be open to all.
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The Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland (RNIB Scotland) has officially reopened its centre on Hillside Crescent in Edinburgh. The newly refurbished office offers a modern and accessible space for the blind and partially sighted community, volunteers, supporters and staff to use.
The Hillside office had temporarily closed for renovation in November 2023, although many of the charity’s services continued to operate throughout this period. The refurbishment has been part of the charity’s continued work to ensure its support and services are robust, future-facing and consistently meeting the needs of people with sight loss.
The facilities in Abbeyhill now include Café VI – a welcoming café serving the local community, a Product and Advice store offering accessible aids and equipment, and a multi-use community space which hosts various social, leisure and peer-support groups.
Thursday’s launch event welcomed members of the blind and partially sighted community, volunteers, supporters, and staff.
The ribbon was officially cut by Kirin Saeed, Chair of the RNIB Scotland Advisory Group, following speeches from James Adams, Director of RNIB Scotland; Matt Stringer, RNIB Chief Executive; and Sarah Boyack MSP.
Kirin Saeed says: ““Having an accessible space like this in the heart of Edinburgh makes a real difference.
“Whether it’s grabbing a coffee, getting advice on equipment, or meeting with others who share similar experiences, this hub brings people together and supports us in living independently. I can’t wait to meet new and old friends.”
Later in the day, a smaller, private gathering marked the naming of the new Sandra Wilson Boardroom, in memory of Sandra Wilson, former Chair of RNIB Scotland (2015–2021), who passed away in August 2024.
RNIB Scotland Director, James Adams, says: ““Thanks to Sandra’s leadership Scotland is a more accessible place for blind and partially sighted people than it otherwise would have been.
“Dedicating this space in her name is a small way of honouring her legacy.”
Matt Stringer, Chief Executive Officer of RNIB says: ““We’re delighted to open this fantastic new community facility in Edinburgh. It demonstrates RNIB’s ongoing commitment to delivering first-class services for blind and partially sighted people.
“As a charity, we believe the world should be accessible to everyone. This investment reflects our values and our continued determination to help build a more inclusive society.”
A new community café operated by sight loss charity RNIB Scotland will open to the public on Monday (23rd June).
Café VI will serve a selection of sandwiches, cakes, hot drinks and other refreshments. It will be open Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm.
Located on Hillside Crescent, Café VI is an inclusive and accessible space, in line with RNIB Scotland’s mission to support people with sight loss and promote a sense of community in everyday life.
The café aims to provide a welcoming environment for the local community and to help raise awareness of sight loss through its design and operation.
The café will be staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers, including both sighted and visually impaired individuals, working together to deliver friendly service and foster inclusion.
The project has involved staff, volunteers, and individuals with lived experience of visual impairment. In addition to the regular food and drink service, the café will also host occasional events and community initiatives.
Daryl Stewart, one of the visually impaired volunteers who will help run the café, says: “Whether grabbing a quick coffee or staying for a chat, every visit helps raise awareness about sight loss and supports RNIB Scotland’s vital work.”
*Visit Café VI at 12-14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh, EH7 5EA, Monday – Friday 10am- 3pm.
Frenchman Louis Braille was in his teens in the mid-1820s when he began developing the six-dot tactile code that enables millions of blind and partially sighted people around the world to access the power of literacy. Two centuries on from its invention, braille is as vital as ever to those in the blind and partially sighted community.
Braille is a code based on ‘cells’ of six dots, which are arranged in two columns of three. Variations of the six dots represent the letters of the alphabet, words, numbers, and even music notation. Braille characters are designed to be read by touch rather than visually.
Sue Marshall (80) from Edinburgh, taught braille as a volunteer with national charity RNIB Scotland for many years. Sue has keratoconus, a condition which affects the corneas of the eye.
“I was partially sighted until the age of 17 then I became totally blind,” she says. Her husband, Alan Dudley, who was born blind, learned braille from the age of six. They both advocate for the practical uses of braille in everyday life.
“When I learned braille in 1962, there wasn’t an alternative.” Sue says. “Nowadays there’s technology, which is compatible with braille, but I find it easier and quicker to use as is.”
Alan adds, “I’m more likely to read with the braille display on my phone or computer- it just pairs up and it means you can read emails, read a digital screen, and write in braille too. Of course there’s often audio for reading things aloud, but braille’s advantage is being able to write things down quickly.”
Sue first learned braille by writing backwards: “You had to write on the back of the paper – you were writing mirrored, so that when you flipped it over, it was raised up and you could feel and read it the correct way.”
Alan adds, “It wasn’t until the mechanical braillers, like the Perkins Brailler came in that you could write braille in the way you read it- that really changed things.”
RNIB estimates that seven per cent of people who are registered blind or partially sighted use braille. While some will read braille books and magazines, many more will use braille in small daily doses- to identify medication, food labels, bank statements, and much more.
“I could get my phone out and use it to read the label on this bottle of oil,” Sue says. “But I’ve just put braille onto a sticky label and when I’m cooking, I can read it straight away.
“It’s really easy. Or when I need to find a stamp, I’ve organised them in this photo album where each pocket has a braille label to tell me if the stamps in it are first or second class.”
“I’ve got braille labels on my clothes,” adds Alan. “I can tell what they are by touch, but I’ve added braille on the labels to tell me what colour the item is.”
Sue and Alan also use braille in their celebrations. “M&S started doing their Christmas food catalogue in braille.” they say.
“We always send out birthday cards and Christmas cards in braille, even to our sighted friends, because it’s that extra personal touch, and we love receiving them when they’re in braille too.”
For the couple, braille brings privacy and independence.
“When they brought out braille on medications, it made a massive difference,” says Alan. “Even something as simple as paracetamol, when you can read the instructions yourself, the strength and the dose, it means you’re not relying on anyone else.
“Bank statements in braille too, that was another one that offered a lot of privacy when they started doing those.”
For those wanting to learn braille, Sue advises, “Use it or lose it. You’ve got to have that willingness to learn, and just keep using it in everyday life. You don’t have to be reading volumes of books, but just use it. It’s like learning a language, if you don’t keep it up, you’ll forget it.”
Since it published its first braille book in 1871, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) now has more than 11,000 braille titles for adults and children, which it sends out to anyone with sight loss free of charge.
The charity also has products available for using braille in everyday life from labels to tactile maps and Scrabble tiles.
And what would the French teenager who developed the code think now? “I would hope he would be very pleased!” laughs Sue. Alan adds, “You’d think he would be amazed at how it was produced- mechanical machines and how quickly you can get a braille book printed.
“You’d hope Braille would be proud of how much it’s contributed to so many people’s lives. He may not have realised the scale of what he’d done and how it would affect us 200 years later.”
Steph Thomson (37) lives in Eskbank, near Edinburgh, started learning braille with Sue when she began to struggle with her sight and reading books. Steph volunteers at a nursery and was having issues reading with the children.
“Sue is fabulous, she has mentored me and has personally sacrificed so much in supporting me to study braille,” says Steph. “I am so lucky to have her support, and so grateful to her for giving me her time. I now get to incorporate braille into reading with the kids at work.
“Learning braille is not easy, it takes lots of practice and I sometimes get confused with the contractions. But reading braille is a skill and life is a learning journey so why not with braille? If technology fails you, it can provide another option and it’s fun! Having a skill that others don’t have is a nice place to be.
“Braille has a future, even with the advances in technology. Home videos didn’t spell the end of cinema, and eBooks didn’t spell the end for paperbacks, so my hope is braille continues to have its place for people who see the value in it.”
Sight loss charity RNIB Scotland is celebrating 200 years of braille, the revolutionary writing system for blind and partially sighted people.
Developed by Louis Braille in 1824, it uses raised dots to represent letters, numbers, punctuation, and abbreviations. Braille has not only stood the test of time but continues to evolve, offering individuals with sight loss a vital means of communication, independence, and empowerment.
Jim McCafferty, a long-standing advocate for accessible formats who is originally from Glasgow but has spent most of his life in Edinburgh, reflects on his lifelong relationship with braille: “Braille has had a massive and very positive impact on my life, and to be perfectly honest, I really do not know how I could do without it. It has allowed me to enjoy an independent and varied life, both personally and professionally.”
Jim, who was registered blind at age three and first learned braille at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, went on to build a career in braille production and proofreading, working for over 40 years. His dedication to promoting accessible formats also saw him serve on the board of UKAAF (UK Association for Accessible Formats), where he edited the magazine Format Matters for nearly 11 years.
Reflecting on his experiences, Jim credits braille with being an indispensable tool that enables people with sight loss to remain engaged in daily life. “I use braille to keep my records up to date—whether it’s bank details, utility information, or passport numbers. I still read a lot, but if I want to ensure that information is kept confidential, I write it in braille.”
As a champion of braille, Jim highlights the urgent need for more braille teachers to ensure this essential skill continues to benefit future generations. “There just aren’t enough braille teachers. If more people could spread the word and teach this marvellous means of communication, more vision-impaired people—and even their sighted peers—would be encouraged to learn it.”
Jim also speaks of the evolving role of braille in the modern digital world. “In recent years, devices containing a braille keyboard and display have been developed, which has helped to promote the reading and writing system. What I find gratifying is the introduction of reasonably priced note-takers, such as the Orbit and Braille Me, making braille more accessible to people around the world.”
The anniversary of braille’s invention also provides an opportunity for sight loss organisations to come together and promote its importance. Jim states, “It is my firm belief that all organisations of or for vision impaired people should work together more closely. If this is done with braille, an excellent method of communication will have a great future—hopefully for the next 200 years.”
For those just starting their journey with braille, Jim offers some heartfelt advice: “Give learning braille all you’ve got. You don’t need to know the system intricately, but learning the alphabet and numbers will allow you to communicate and keep track of important information. It will help you maintain your independence and improve your life skills.”
Children across the UK will be exploring the wonderful world of reading on World Book Day®, Thursday 7 March.
World Book Day® aims to encourage reading for pleasure, especially because it is the biggest indicator of a child’s future success in life. It also aims to make sure every child can have a book of their own to read.
For 2024, the theme is ‘Read Your Way’, and children are being encouraged to read any way they like to, whether it be out loud, in their heads, a sentence, a chapter or a page.
Here at the Royal National Institute of Blind people (RNIB), we want to make sure that children with vision impairments can celebrate the power of reading alongside their sighted peers. This means giving them access to the same books and reading opportunities at school and at home.
That’s why we have accessible versions of all of this year’s World Book Day UK titles available in audio and braille as part of our RNIB Library.
This year’s range of books provides adventure, mystery and laughter and titles include Elmer And The Patchwork Story by David McKee, Loki: Tales Of A Bad God by Louie Stowell and The Doomsday Date by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.
There’s something to suit beginner readers right through to confident book lovers.
Children can have their very own World Book Day® copy to keep, in either braille or CD! The books can be ordered in their preferred format from RNIB’s Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
One of Scotland’s leading public transportation providers has won an award at this year’s Scottish Transport Awards for an initiative that gives drivers insight into the experiences of blind and partially sighted passengers.
Drivers with Lothian Buses have been taking part in hands-on training events, named ‘Swap With Me’ sessions, alongside community members from national sight loss charity, RNIB Scotland.
The sessions, which have taken place monthly since November 2022, give trainee drivers an opportunity to attempt to hail a bus, buy a ticket and board while wearing sim-specs; special glasses that simulate different sight conditions.
The drivers also engage in meaningful discussions about their role in ensuring an inclusive journey, while individuals with sight loss have had the chance to describe their experiences and gain a deeper understanding of the driver’s perspective by sitting in the cab.
Driver’s actions can make a huge difference to the accessibility of bus travel for all passengers, says community member, Sylvia Paton: “This could include telling blind and visually impaired people the number and destination, and allowing passengers with sight loss time to find a seat before pulling away.
“It is also helpful if drivers let them know when they arrive at their destination. Helping the trainee drivers to understand our experiences has really helped to change perceptions and attitudes towards blind and partially sighted passengers.”
The Excellence in Transport Accessibility Award recognises Lothian’s commitment to providing improved access to travel for disabled people. The award covers projects and initiatives that highlight innovation and collaboration between operators and organisations, such as Lothian and RNIB Scotland’s ‘Swap With Me’ sessions.
Gaynor Marshall, Communications Director for Lothian, said: “We are delighted to be recognised with the Excellence in Transport Accessibility Award for the second year running.
“Partnerships with the RNIB Scotland and other such organisations allow us to better understand the needs and experiences of disabled people travelling on our services.
“Lothian is committed to providing safe, reliable and accessible travel for all of our customers and awards like this are testament to the amazing effort of teams across our business in getting it right for everyone.”
James Adams, Director of RNIB Scotland, said: “By raising awareness among their drivers and encouraging them to take that extra bit of time, Lothian Buses is making a significant difference in the lives of blind and partially sighted passengers.
“We applaud their efforts and are grateful for the opportunity to explain the importance of accessibility. The award is well-deserved recognition of their dedication to making bus travel as accessible as possible for all and we look forward to the future of this partnership.”
There are around 183,000 people in Scotland living with significant sight loss.
Lothian Buses has over 700 buses servicing over 67 routes throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Sehar Mashiyat, a volunteer braille tutor with leading sight loss charity RNIB, has an impressive story to tell, this Volunteers Week [1st – 7th June].
Sehar volunteers as RNIB Scotland’s braille tutor, teaching the skill of reading and using braille- a system in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips.
Sehar’s extraordinary journey of empathy and connection with visually impaired individuals began with her late father, Captain Mashiyat Ur Rehman Malik. The captain, who was blind and lost his hands while serving in the Pakistan Army, fostered a deep bond with his daughter and nurtured in her a profound appreciation for the visually impaired community.
Rooted in her family’s commitment to making a difference, Sehar wholeheartedly embraced the cause during her educational pursuits.
Alongside her family members, she volunteered at “Al-Faisal Markaz Nabina,” an institution founded by her late father in Faisalabad, Pakistan—a renowned industrial city in Punjab.
Capt. Malik, who also maintained a close connection with RNIB, served as a distinguished expert in special education and rehabilitation for the visually impaired community.
Inspired by her father’s passion, Sehar joined Bahira Special School in Islamabad as a braille teacher, dedicating a decade of her life to supporting and empowering visually impaired students.
In her relentless pursuit of creating positive change, Sehar recently relocated to Edinburgh. Armed with her profound knowledge and experience in the field, she wasted no time in seeking out organisations that shared her mission.
Sehar’s search led her straight to RNIB, a charity whose work she was already well acquainted with. Eager to make a difference, she reached out to RNIB expressing her enthusiasm to volunteer.
Sehar’s dedication to the teaching of braille, stems not only from her childhood experiences of regularly visiting her father’s institution but also from her academic accomplishments—a Master’s in Special Education, specialising in visually impaired and braille studies.
She firmly believes in the power of volunteering and its profound impact on both the volunteer and the community they serve. Her advocacy extends beyond her own efforts,
“I have a very strong belief in volunteering work,” Sehar says. “I have always encouraged my friends, family, and others to volunteer and serve. I feel proud to be a volunteer with RNIB Scotland.”
Urgent action must be taken to improve street design and accessibility for blind and partially sighted pedestrians says the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland in their latest report, ‘Street Credibility’.
The new report explores critical areas of concern to street accessibility and safety, a topic which the charity has long campaigned for improvements in. Inaccessible streets can impact mental health too, the report claims, as many blind or partially sighted pedestrians feel anxious or unable to navigate the outdoors safely.
“Negative experiences can really knock your confidence, when out and about,” says Angela Clelland from Inverness. “We’ve come out of a pandemic, but when spaces and streets aren’t accessible, people stop going out and this impacts on their mental health too.”
The reports outlines more about the hazards of street clutter and obstructed pavements, the importance of kerbs and signalised controlled crossings, and the ability for pedestrians to avoid moving vehicles. All these are key to keeping all pedestrians, not just those who are blind and partially sighted, safe.
Edinburgh resident, Sylvia Paton said: “There’s no urgency given when a crossing facility is broken for pedestrians.
” It’s imperative that controlled crossing points are maintained. If not it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
RNIB Scotland director James Adams adds: “All too often our streets are an obstacle course for blind and partially sighted people. We can all play a part in safe streets for everyone. It may sound simple, but we must not ignore the difference that small changes can make to people’s safety and confidence.
“This report is a valuable guide for the decision makers, urban planners, and community leaders who are tasked with creating streets that are inclusive and accessible to all.”
The Street Credibility report has been released amidst a wave of initiatives that are driving changes to Scotland’s streetscapes, following significant delays during the pandemic.
While most of these changes are positive and support the country’s net-zero goals, such as improving walking and cycling infrastructure, the inconsistent street design and enforcement negatively affect the independence and ability of blind and partially sighted people to access their work, community, and vital services like healthcare.
To address these challenges, the report draws on the policy landscape and research, as well as direct experiences, to establish a consensus on what constitutes inclusive street design for individuals with sight loss.
There are over 180,000 people in Scotland with significant sight loss.
National Eye Health Week | 22–28 September
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