Welcome to Eye Matter Matters issue 37. This is a fortnightly publication where Eye Matter shares news and information about events and activities, members’ experiences and other items of interest. Unless otherwise indicated, all articles have been written by Fiona Musgrove. If you would like to contribute an article to a future edition, please email fiona.musgrove@yahoo.co.uk
This edition includes:
Eye Matter Zoom events
- “Turning Surviving into Thriving” with Joanna Williams
- “December Bounce session has been cancelled.
Eye Matter Outings
- The Eye Matter Singers Christmas Concert
- An audio-described performance of “Friends, The Musical Parody”
- Private Audio Described tour of Tate Modern
Eye Matter’s volunteering opportunities
- Voiceover training
- Members Outreach Programme
Special Features
- Richard raises over £2000 for Eye Matter.
- Sign the RNIB’s new rehabilitation petition.
- From her role as a Commander in the Royal Navy to commanding her wooden spoon in baking, this Superwoman is unstoppable. Read Penny’s festive ideas.
- The changing landscape of Sight Village) a brief look at its presentation and history).
- Exclusive on-lime coaching for blind and partially sighted pianists.
- What happens when you mix a vacuum cleaner, a Hollywood actress and Doctor Who?
- TFL Fact Sheet 1 December 2025
Greetings from Suzie,
This year we have delivered around 200 Zoom events including:
concerts, ‘Inspiring Speakers’, Bookworms, dance, Zumba, creative writings, poetry appreciation, improv drama along with our “Living Well With Sight-Loss’ and not forgetting our twice monthly grief therapy sessions with Jo Williams.
At the heart of all our activities is you. Your continued participation in these events is crucial to ensuring their delivery. Equally if you have a suggestion for future Zoom sessions, we would like to hear from you.
Please check out our Zoom schedules sent to your mailbox or posted on our Facebook page.
We look forward to seeing you at our next Zoom event.
Forthcoming Eye Matter Zoom events
Highlights include:
“Turning Surviving into Thriving” with Joanna Williams
Integrating Grief These days we recognise that for most people, grief is not a linear process which you eventually ‘get over’. It’s more likely you’ll move from acute grief to a place of letting go of who you were before the loss, and embracing the person you are now. In this zoom we’ll discuss what integration means for you.
Keep up to date with our activities here.
Bounce session for December is cancelled.
Please catch up with our last Bounce here.
Eye Matter Outings
Find all of our events here
The Eye Matter Singers Christmas concert
- WHERE: St. Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre,150, Ossulston Street, London. NW1 1DF
- WHEN: Saturday, 6th December
- TIME: 4pm Meet and greet at 3:30pm at St Pancras Station, Midland Road Exit, near the Thameslink barriers.
- Tickets: £5 donation.
Come and join us for some festive cheer and to eat, drink and be merry!
An audio described performance of “Friends, The Musical Parody”
New Wimbledon Theatre
93 The Broadway, London SW19 1QG
On Wednesday 21st January 2026 7:30pm
Touch tour time tbc
Tickets: £12
Please bring a picnic.
FRIENDS! The Musical Parody, the hit New York and Las Vegas sensation, is a side-splitting musical comedy packed with iconic moments from all ten seasons of the beloved television series. Featuring an entirely original musical score, the show follows the escapades of the world’s most famous group of twenty-somethings.
From the Producers of Hairspray and the Director of The Full Monty, this humorous take on the beloved TV show blends iconic moments with laugh out loud comedy. Join Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—as they navigate love, friendship, and life’s ups and downs in 1990’s New York City.
Whether you’re in a love triangle, trying to make it as an actor, or just can’t quit your day job, you’ll be laughing, crying, and quoting your favourite lines all night long!
Warning: May cause spontaneous PIVOT-ing!
Run time: Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes incl. interval
To book your tickets, please email suzie@eyematter.org.uk with the subject “Friends”.
Eye Matter in collaboration with Tate Modern
A private audio described tour of Máret Ánne Sara: Goavve-Geabbil
Wednesday 18th February 2026
Please join us for an audio described tour of this year’s Hyundai commission. Experience a new site-specific work by Máret Ánne Sara in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.
Máret Ánne Sara is a Northern Sámi artist and author known for her work exploring global ecological issues through the lens of her lived experience within the Sámi community.
Through her multidisciplinary practice, Sara highlights the impact of Nordic colonialism on Sámi ways of life, exploring the importance of preserving Sámi ancestral knowledge and values to protect the environment for future generations. Often using materials and methodologies derived from reindeer herding, Sara creates powerful sculptures and installations which uphold the reciprocal relationship between animals, lands, waters, and humans.
Tickets to this private AD tour are free, we ask that you make a £5 voluntary donation.
Eye Matter’s volunteering opportunities
- Eye Matter encourages peer support amongst its members.
- No experience is necessary
- Provides work experience within a safe, supportive environment.
- All work takes place via Zoom or by phone (unless otherwise stated).
- You will learn to work both independently and as part of a team.
- These roles are for anyone who wants to support others or upskill for future employment opportunities
- Training is provided
Voiceover training
- Required participation of six (one hour) sessions over six weeks.
- An alternative number is required (preferably a land line).
We are seeking confident iPhone and Android users within our membership who are interested in sharing their skills with other members.
We are delighted to introduce our brilliant Volunteer VoiceOver Training Manager, Charu Bansal, who will facilitate a short training program designed to enhance your teaching abilities.
Click here to read the testimonials of members who have benefitted from this project.
Members Outreach Programme
Would you like to join us in an exciting new volunteering opportunity to engage in our community callout programme?
Eye Matter has a member outreach programme with volunteer opportunities, coordinated by our wonderful volunteer liaison manager, Irena Valchera. We are seeking volunteers to assist Irena in reaching out to our membership to see how they are, confirm their continued interest in membership, to ensure they are able to access our Zoom sessions and to ask whether they have any suggestions for future Eye Matter events or opportunities.
If you would like to support Eye Matter, even committing to making one call per week will make a difference. If you are able to contribute more time, that would be greatly appreciated too. Volunteers will receive basic training for this role.
To join our member outreach team, please email suzie@eyematter.org.uk with the subject “Outreach Volunteer”.
Special features
Richard raises over £2000 for Eye Matter.
The 42nd Authentic Athens Marathon took place, November 9, 2025, amongst its 70,000 athletes there was only one blind marathon participant – Richard Simpson and his guide Theo. The pair achieved this amazing challenge in around 7 hours. Throughout the marathon Richard and Theo received so much encouragement from fellow participants, crowds lining the route and a standing ovation once they entered the stadium. Their success was featured in a range of Greek media outlets including newspapers. If you wish to add a kind contribution:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/richardsbigblindwaddle?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL
If you would like to take up the baton for next year’s fundraising or if you have an idea to support our activities, please contact Suzie.
Sign the RNIB’s new rehabilitation petition.
Eye Matter’s member and RNIB’s volunteer, Charmaine who took part in this event said, “I was delighted to be part of this presentation about the importance of ensuring early access to rehabilitation. There were so many MP’s who expressed an interest in taking part in the RNIB’s ‘Guided Walks’ using sim specs. The important message is for more people to sign this petition to make a change.”
https://change.rnib.org.uk/page/176328/petition/1?locale=en-GB
On Monday 17th November, Ninety MPs and Peers, attended a special event with the RNIB at Westminster. They engaged in practical activities, heard personal stories, and discussed the ongoing challenges facing vision rehabilitation services across the UK. The event emphasised that, despite a legal right to support, too many people with sight loss are left waiting for help—sometimes for over a year—due to under-resourced services.
Dr Marie Tidball, Labour MP for Penistone and Stockbridge, who sponsored the event, spoke about her life growing up as a disabled woman. She said:
“As RNIB’s latest report shows, too many people are being left to cope alone. 85 per cent of local authorities were not able to complete vision rehabilitation assessments within the RNIB recommended 28 days. The message today is clear: we must ensure that every person with sight loss gets the emotional and practical support that they need, when they need it. Not months or years later, as some of those in the room have already talked to me about.
The solutions are there, and they play an important part in achieving the government’s mission for national renewal, providing people with the skills and training to find or stay in work, shifting our approach to health and care to one of prevention, and creating a more equal society built on dignity and respect.”
Life On Pause is the RNIB’s latest report into vision rehabilitation provision across England shows that thousands of blind and partially sighted people are unable to access the vision rehabilitation they need to live independently. A fifth of local authorities in England left people waiting over a year for an assessment in the 2023 to 2024 financial year, with 85 per cent missing recommended timeframes for support.
To read the full article please click here.
From her role as a Commander in the Royal Navy to commanding her wooden spoon in baking, this Superwoman is unstoppable.
- Read Penny’s festive ideas.
If you are scrolling around for ideas for your festive menu then look no further – Penny Melville-Brown OBE (from ‘Baking Blind’ has provided some scrumptious treats for Eye Matter:
https://www.pennymelvillebrown.com/christmas-made-easy
In a career spanning nearly 50 years, beginning in the Royal Navy, Penny Melville-Brown has become one of the UK’s leading disability rights advocates, a published author, You Tube blogger and blind baker. She has survived various life changing events: becoming visually impaired (1995) which led to being registered blind and medically retired four years later; surviving a near-fatal road traffic accident in France (2017); further spine fracture (2023). Penny was featured in this year’s RNIB’s ‘Seen’ photography exhibition created by world acclaimed photographer journalist, Joshua Brat. (please click the link below for a review of this exhibition).
Penny joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service in 1977and, was the first woman to win the Lieutenants’ Greenwich Course prize, went on to become the Royal Navy’s first woman Barrister, and achieved the rank of Commander. Her other responsibilities (until her medical retirement 1999) included Southern NATO naval intelligence plus national home defence and war planning.
After leaving the Navy Penny was determined to dedicate the rest of her working life, “to helping other people with life-changing conditions to fulfil themselves, especially through work – after all, what we do is part of how we define ourselves.”
Penny became aware that many perceptions of disabled people were limited to sporting achievements, explaining “I wanted to show that you didn’t have to become a Paralympian to make a difference.” ‘Baking Blind’ (2016) began when winning an international competition (200 entries from 27 countries), when she decided to use cooking across six continents “to show that blindness (or other disabilities) doesn’t limit ambition or capability.” Determined to change perceptions nationally and internationally, she wrote an accompanying world recipe book ’A cook’s tour – Baking Blind goes global’, published nearly 200 on-line videos and blogs, engaged with other organisations and delivered monthly live on-line cooking sessions during the Pandemic (including some rather tasty ginger biscuits!).
Her latest book, “It could be You…” (2025), captures Penny’s personal and professional learning from 25 years promoting the interests of disabled people, from the impact of life-changing conditions through possible survival steps to regaining fulfilment and purpose. Penny Melville-Brown has also published: ‘Diversity Means business manual’ and ‘Accessible Communications’. Please click here for the full article.
Click here for Penny’s blog:
https://pennysddblog.wordpress.com/
The changing landscape of Sight Village (a brief look at its presentation and history).
It has been thirty years since my first experience of a Sight Village in its original Kensington venue, where an assortment of organisations offered handfuls of leaflets, demonstrations of a needle threader and large pieces of equipment seemed the only option to read again. How this landscape and its orbiting organisations have changed!
Fast-forward to 2025. Sight Village was in a brand-new location (the ILEC Conference Centre, Lillie Road, London SW6) as a two-day event on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th November. The atmosphere was positive and welcoming in a much larger, well-lit venue. Although we all still bumbled around, some familiar stalls clinging to the bastions of sight-loss, there was a marked difference with the continued growth of visually impaired (VI) lead organisations such as VI Safety, Metro Blind Sport, Eye Matter, See Ability, the Braillist Foundation and Blind Ambition. Whilst others including VocalEyes, RNIB and Thomas Pocklington Trust proudly waved their visually impaired employees.
Technology continues to bring our vi community together and we were delighted to meet Facebook friend Esmee, from See Ability and chat to Stephen Scott presenter on the Double Tap podcast. Stephen was curious about the increase of mainstream technology amongst the visually impaired community rather than specific assistive technologies as demonstrated at Sight Village. This year it was great to meet the ‘Be My Eyes’ team and thank them for sorting out my kitchen cupboards via their app. Wandering around we were confronted by an array of different innovations from a German glove attached white cane, a buzzing directional shoe device” trialled by over 100 Japanese people” and best of all, an independent voting machine.
The first ever Sight Village (1994) was a collaboration between the RNIB and Queen Alexandra College (QAC) held in Birmingham. Since then, QAC has delivered regional exhibitions to thousands of visitors yet, its roots extend much further. Queen Alexandra College (QAC) traces its origins back to 1847 when the General Institution for the Blind founded by Mary Badger and Elizabeth Bache-HarroL opened a specialised school in Birmingham.
Their first pupil was John Dale, aged ten, the son of a tobacco-pipe maker living near Holloway Head, who lost his sight through smallpox. Queen Alexandra College (QAC)located in Harborne, Birmingham, was established in 1904, to offer training for young visually impaired men, focusing on skills that would enable them to secure employment and lead independent lives. In 1958, the Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind’ (formerly known as the General Institution for the Blind) established the Queen Alexandra Technical College for the Blind, which later evolved into the current Queen Alexandra College. In 1997, QAC became an independent charitable company, marking its formal establishment as a separate entity. This was the same year that they benefited from the legacy of the ‘Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind’ (BRIB) who were forced to close. Continuing to develop their provisions beyond vocational training to include a broader range of academic courses, life skills programmes, and therapies tailored to the diverse needs of its students, like other once specialised blind colleges, by the end of the 20th Century, welcomed other disabilities.
The charity provides four distinct service areas: College, Community, Residential and Enterprises. QAC Enterprises Ltd is a trading subsidiary of QAC who manage a number of businesses including accessible print services, distribution of Graphite Canes, Facilities for hire and Sight Village. By adopting a not-for-profit model, it can partially support the other areas of the charity’s operations.
QAC Enterprise Limited has already announced six dates for Sight Village 2026 including Glasgow, Exeter and London, where workshops and seminars will be part of these important exhibitions and peer support opportunities:
https://www.qac.ac.uk/exhibitions/sight-village-events-2026–dates–venues/1080.htm
Exclusive on-lime coaching for blind and partially sighted pianists.
Payman Fiuzat is an on-line piano teacher. He has created the “Major” YouTube channel. (In this link you can see a sample of Major channel episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HmtfW4ylqo )
Please note, the Major channel does not claim to teach music. Proper instruction should be given by a music teacher. However, the channel can be useful for those who have already gained some basic familiarity with music. On this channel, piano scores are read out for blind and visually impaired individuals interested in playing the piano. In each episode, a piano piece is performed, and the sheet music is read aloud.
Payman explains, “Six years ago, I experimented with this method with one of my students, and she was able to play nearly seventy piano pieces. Gradually, with her guidance and that of another blind student, my approach to reading scores has become more structured and practically useful.”
What happens when you mix a vacuum cleaner, a Hollywood actress and Doctor Who?
So, for the past couple of years November produces a range of audio described festive adverts designed to tempt our pennies. This year we learn how a Hollywood actress is wooed over the cheese counter of John Lewis:
But have you ever wondered when Christmas adverts first appeared and what year they became audio described (AD)? The first Christmas advertisement on British television is believed to be from Woolworths in 1955. This 30-second ad featured a housewife receiving a Hoover vacuum cleaner as a Christmas gift!
Sixty years later Sainsbury’s (2016) created the first ever audio described Christmas advert. This animated film featured James Corden from Gavin and Stacey (whom Eye Matter members may have met at one of our events). In 2019, due to an RNIB Campaign to increase audio description the following companies produced their own AD Christmas adverts: Amazon, eBay, John Lewis, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sky. Although it is difficult to source these audio described videos on YouTube, I discovered Sainsbury’s (2021) festive film featuring the eccentric John Cleese enjoying his Christmas food was described by David Tennant (AKA Dr Who).
TFL Factsheet 1.
- December 2025
This document contains information provided by TFL as part of Eye Matter’s “Living Well With Sight Loss’ programme, where members are supported and provided with a range of resources. This content contains details of accessibility, independent travel, a special mentoring scheme and much more. TFL is the world’s leader in providing a ‘Turn up and Go’ service for disabled people and is a much-appreciated lifeline for many of us now able to travel independently (yet supported throughout our journeys. These services can be accessed (excluding Dial-A-Ride) even if you a visitor to our capital.
Information for people with sensory impairments
People with sight or hearing loss – Transport for London
Contacting TfL
Customers can contact TfL about accessibility via this webform
Contact Accessibility – Transport for London
Alternatively:
- customers can call 0343 222 1234 (call charges may apply)
- Message on Facebook or Twitter
- Textphone – 0800 112 3456
Staff assistance:
This includes details of how to access staff assistance, TFL’s turn up and go service, journey planning, finding staff, travel support cards and more. Details of the support available from staff on Transport for London networks can be found here:
Help from staff – Transport for London
Travel support card
A travel support card has been produced to help people communicate any assistance or information requirements they have with staff. There is space on the card to write down what assistance or information you need. You can use a travel support card on all our services.
Order your Travel Support card
Alternatively:
download and print your own copies.
Travel mentoring service
Details of TFL travel mentoring service can be found here.
Travel mentoring – Transport for London
‘Please offer me a seat’ badge. Details of how to order a ‘please offer me a seat’ badge can be found here:
Please offer me a seat – Transport for London
Dial-a-Ride
there are no distance limits on trips which can be booked, however, as Dial-a-Ride is a multi-occupancy service, customers are more likely to be successful in securing a booking within their local areas as most people travel within their local area. Customers can request longer journeys, but these are less likely to be successful as it isn’t effective for a vehicle to travel a long distance for one customer vs taking multiple customers to locations within a closer area. TFL recommend Taxi card as an alternative for trips which Dial-a-Ride cannot accommodate. Information on the Dial-a-Ride service can be found here: