Eye Matter invites ‘Inspiring Speakers’ from a range of backgrounds and organisations to a regular Zoom meeting.
Our next Inspiring Speaker is Jamie Beddard – Joint Artistic Director of Diverse City and Lead Artist in Extraordinary Bodies. He is a Clore Fellow and a qualified RD1st coach.Join us on 12th April 2024, at 11am.
Please email suzie@eyematter.org.uk with the subject title ‘Inspiring Speakers’ to receive the link.
Take a look at our past speakers and if you have any further suggestions, please email us.
2024
1st Mar: Fern Lulham – public speaker, broadcaster, audio description narrator, disability awareness trainer and a qualified psychotherapist.
19th Jan: Jilly Shaul Speaking about the inspiring women from WW2, who were ferry pilots.
2023
10th Nov: Shadeen Rose “Seeing Things Differently”
Shadeen Rose, Community Connection Coordinator, Royal National Institute of Blind People – RNIB.
15th Sep: Ishan from Travel Hands – Travel Hands charity relieves the needs of people with visual impairments by facilitating safe, convenient, and inexpensive outdoor travel so they can attend formal appointments, recreational activities, and community events.
3rd Jul: Haren Thillainathan – Blind professional in the UK energy sector, passionate about disability rights, climate change, healthcare & para-sports. Part of the South West London Sight Loss Council.
19th May: Sunethra Goonewardene – In 1993 I was invited to join a steering group to create and launch, a self-help and campaign group for people with a visual impairment in Barnet. In the autumn of 1994 BBSI was successfully inaugurated. During this year and for a long period after, I worked as the secretary of the organisation, which was then followed by the Vice Chairmanship and then the Chairmanship.
31st Mar: Andrew Hesser from Byan’s Quest – Bryan’s quest is an independent, not for profits, social enterprise dedicated to developing ways of enjoying and learning about the natural world. The emphasis is on experiences that do not just rely on the sense of sight.
17th Feb: Ashrafia Choudhury, Beyond Sight Loss – Beyond sight loss started in 2014 with an initial grant from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to help us get started with activities and outings.
Our main aim is to reduce isolation, increase self-dependence and enhance the quality of daily life as well as to participate in society socially, economically, and politically.
2022
2nd Dec: Andrew Hesser from Byan’s Quest – Bryan’s quest is an independent, not for profits, social enterprise dedicated to developing ways of enjoying and learning about the natural world. The emphasis is on experiences that do not just rely on the sense of sight.
11th Nov: Niall McMurtry – Part of the RNIB volunteering team and co-chair of VIBE, the staff and volunteer blind and partially sighted network.
21st Oct: Jessica Beal has worked in the charity sector for 10 years and prior to joining VocalEyes worked as Activities Project Coordinator for South East London Vision, supporting blind and visually impaired people to access arts and culture among other activities.
30th Sept: Martin Symcox – Was CEO of Metro Blind Sport, now moving to Thomas Pocklington championing accessibility of opportunities for blind & partially sighted people.
2nd Sep: Mike Brace CBE DL – Former paralympic skier, social worker, and leader of disabled charities. He was Chief Executive of Vision 2020 UK and served as Chairman of the British Paralympic Association.
26th Aug: Lord David Blunkett – Baron Blunkett, PC. He is a British politician, now in the House of Lords, who was MP for the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency for 28 years. He was the UK’s first registered blind Home Secretary appointed in 2001-2004.
12th Aug: Anthony Camu – Designer of handheld robotic guide dog.
29th Jul: Roy Smith MBE – Represented Great Britain in 1980 at the Paralympics.
8th Jul: Seema Flower – CEO of Blind Ambition who have just taken over the Working Age Forum.
17th Jun: Baluji Shrivastav OBE – Multi instrumentalist and leader of the largest orchestra for blind and partially sighted musicians in the UK.
13th May: Andrea Begley Winner of 2013 Voice UK.