In Touch

Following last week's coverage of the SEND reforms (the government's major plans to improve the support pupils with special needs will get in schools in future), In Touch hears about another far less publicised report from charity Guide Dogs. It highlighted that seven out of ten visually impaired children and young people surveyed were missing out on essential mobility support and training of daily living skills (a service known as habilitation training). Eleanor Briggs, Guide Dogs’ head of Policy, public affairs and campaigns, tells the programme more about what they found and what they would like the government to do about it. And Fiona Fiona Broadley, Chair of Habilitation UK, provides information about what a pathway to referral for habilitation should look like and where things could be slipping.
More of your holiday horrors: stories of visually impaired people's experiences of trying to get basic assistance in hotels.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

The government has unveiled its new SEND reform plans, with promises to ensure that every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, and to make every school truly inclusive. But with little specific mention of visual impairment within the policy proposals, In Touch digs into what they might mean for visually impaired pupils across England, with the help of a panel of guests and the Minister for Children and Families, Josh MacAlister.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Paul Holloway
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Sharon and Tony Stockman are a totally blind couple that booked a 19-day voyage with Cunard cruises. They submitted their access requirements way in advance, but it all didn't quite go to plan when they stepped on board. With the help of the Independent's travel correspondent Simon Calder, In Touch assesses their case.
Eilidh Morrison has launched a campaign that aims to help more visually impaired people better identify ultra-processed food, with the help of specialist QR codes. Eilidh outlines how it can often be difficult to read the ingredients within food packaging due to its small print size and so she is proposing more products feature NaviLens. Jose Castejon of NaviLens provides information about how the codes work and how viable Eilidh's campaign idea is.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Councils across England are to be given more extensive powers to tackle pavement parking. The new powers are due to take effect later this year, alongside guidance on how the rules can be enforced in a proportionate way. The Local Government Association provide In Touch with details of what these new powers might look like across the country and when. A nation-wide ban was introduced in Scotland a couple of years ago; we check in on how that has been going.
Following on from last weeks update on the Macular Society controversy, an independent charity lawyer provides information about the rights of members and the roles of the trustees within a charitable organisation.
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Regular In Touch listeners will know that decisions to make organisational changes by management at The Macular Society have been met with strong opposition. The changes include a reduction in the number of regional managers, a move which some in the charity say will badly damage service provision. Indeed, feelings are running so high that a group called "Save Our Society, Save our Services" or SOS has been formed. Following a recent Annual General Meeting, SOS claimed they had been denied the opportunity to properly challenge management and that controversial decisions had been forced through.
Amid this acrimony, we were keen to give people from both sides of the argument the opportunity to explain their position. We're pleased to say that SOS members Tricia Sturgeon and Ron Barnett, and Cecilia Bufton, Chair of the Society's Board of Trustees agreed to join us to do just that.
Presenter: Peter White
Producers: Beth Hemmings and Fern Lulham
Production Coordinator: Helen Surtees
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch"; and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to
the right. Both are behind Peter, one of a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.’