In Touch Folgen

Tracy Pearson, Leader of RNIB's Reader Services responds to listeners queries about talking books. Tracy tells Peter White that the service is in good shape and that where problems have been pointed out by customers, they have tried to take them on board and make appropriate improvements.Tom Walker meets visually impaired MKDons supporter Jeff Newell and they go to watch his team play Southend United at Southend's ground. Jeff has to use his monocular to watch the action as the ground does not have an audio commentary for blind fans. Peter also talks to Tony Taylor from Level Playing Field, a charity which promotes access for disabled football fans. Southend United said that they are planning a move to a new stadium, which will be accessible.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Cheryl Gabriel.

Baluji Shrivastav is one of India's greatest sitar players and musicians. Now UK based, he has formed the Inner Vision Orchestra, comprised of blind and visually-impaired musicians from around the world. Baluji talks to Peter about his long held passion for music and in particular the sitar, for which he is probably best known. Corinna Bauer is one of the leading researchers at Harvard, who has found that there are anatomical and functional differences in the brains of early blind people, which enable their occipital lobe (the part of the brain used for seeing), to take on other roles, including that of hearing. The effect is that a blind person may experience improved hearing as a result.

Peter White talks to the Acting Chief Executive of Guide Dogs Steve Vaid about his plans for its future, and asks whether waiting lists for dogs are too long and whether the organisation is spreading itself too thinly. We also hear from Aleksandra Surla, who's moved to the UK from Slovenia, about her struggle to keep her guide dog Pingo with her. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Cheryl Gabriel.