Category: Accessibility
-
Musings from a Blind Man: Blind Grillin’
There’s nothing like a warm Saturday afternoon to take advantage of sitting outside (albeit wearing a thick hoodie to combat the chill) with some music in the background and a large joint of pork smoking on the grill. Slowly cooking a side of meat takes a lot of time and patience and it is the…
-
Being visually impaired in the digital world: The ever-increasing need for inclusivity
Close your eyes and pick up your phone then try to do something simple like open your messages and very quickly you will come a cropper as you stab aimlessly on the screen and, if you do actually find the app you want, you probably won’t know because there won’t be any audible cues. Now,…
-
Musings from a Blind Man: A late-night taxi ride home
I’m sat dozing in the back of a taxi, heading home after a late work event. Chester is laid on the floor next to me in the back of the comfortable MPV, exhausted after such a busy day. As we head on into the night my eyes flicker open and I attempt to gather my…
-
Van life: Can this blind petrol head really be happy in the slow lane?
If someone had told me 6 months ago that I would be sat outside my 20+ year-old camper van at 8 o’clock on a rainy Sunday morning in early Spring looking out at the Brecon Beacons. I’d have laughed in their face. But, here I am, pen in hand, legs wrapped in a blanket and…
-
An open email to the candidates for West Berkshire local elections: April 2023
With the local elections around the corner, I wanted to find out a little bit about the stances of the potential counsellors for my local Tilehurst ward of West Berkshire Council. This email has been sent to the candidates of all the parties standing for election which are: Conservative Liberal Democrat Labour Green I’ve copied…
-
Agatha Christie to Aretha Franklin: From talking books to LPs and the benefits of accessible design for all
Last time out we looked at the concept of disability not being a medical term, but a social construct in the article Disabled in an Abled World. This time, I’d like to delve into this further, exploring what can be done to make a more accessible space for everyone and how the benefits of inclusive…
-
Twelve hours to Glasgow – One blind person’s account on travelling during a heat wave
What a week, after starting it with the hottest temperatures on record, I had the unenviable task of heading north for work. Whilst my colleagues all flew, I opted to catch the train because, although slower, having the choice between travelling by train or air with a visual impairment, I always opt to stay as…
-
Letting the (brick) dust settle – Part 5: Lighting it up
It’s almost 30 degrees Celsius and we’ve just finished checking in over 100 boxes from Friday’s kitchen delivery. Aside from one or two discrepancies everything seems to be just about in order ready for installation to begin tomorrow morning. It’s been 7 weeks since we last had a “proper” home-cooked meal in our own home…
-
Letting the (brick) dust settle – Part 4: That perfect souffle
Surely the most straightforward part of designing a kitchen is choosing the appliances, right? For some it’s simply a case of going for a preferred manufacturer, for others it will be what works the best and for some it will be driven by budget. Still others may spend hours on end trawling the review websites…
Altered View Media 