In Touch Folgen

Since this summer, age verification checks are required on certain websites under the Online Safety Act. The aim is to protect children and young people from content online that is deemed inappropriate or even harmful. But In Touch has heard from listeners that they are having issues with the accessibility of these age verification measures, and that they are being applied to a wide range of sites, not just those that feature only pornographic content. In Touch discusses this issue and its wider implications.We also discuss a recent trend that showed up on social media which appeared to feature children and young people being told by an adult to pretend to be blind, with the aim of 'winning' a large cash prize or luxury trip. 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.

The ability for blind and visually impaired people to cast their vote privately and independently at elections is an issue we've followed closely on In Touch. We're joined by the head of guidance at the Electoral Commission, Charlene Hannon, who tells us about their research of the matter and how you can take part.Our reporter, Ian Hamilton visited the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to meet some of the visually impaired artists taking part. Ian discovers what themes they're covering and learns about efforts to make the arts more accessible.Listener input is an essential ingredient of In Touch, and this week's episode is no exception. In response to your reaction to last week's discussion about JAWS software pricing, we revisit the issue.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Fern Lulham Production Coordinator: David BaguleyWebsite 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.’

JAWS is a screen reader that allows visually impaired people to access information on their computers. It works by reading aloud information such as emails, financial information, documents and more. But the company who produce the screen reader have recently announced rises to the cost of the software, along with some of their other assistive technology products, and it has caused worry amongst its users. In Touch hears from Vispero, the parent company of Freedom Scientific who develop JAWS, Fusion and ZoomText, and to Sight and Sound who are the sole distributor of the softwares in the UK. They tell us what these new pricing models will look like for UK customers, why these changes are happening and what is the best course of action for current and new users of JAWS.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.