BBC Radio Gloucester Interview: Ines and Alun talk social distancing

Engagement Manager Alun Davies, and Gloucester Sight Loss Council Member Ines Higgins, have been on BBC Radio Gloucester talking about the challenges and solutions to social distancing when visually impaired.

 

Queueing and running

Ines talked about her experience of going shopping.  She said,

“If you are in a queue how do you know you are standing too close to a person?” She also spoke about the challenge of using a long tether with a guide runner.

“It would be difficult for the blind person to feel where the guide is going.”

 

Gloucester VI Forum

Alun Davies was up next. He talked about our #DistancingBlind campaign, the work the Sight Loss Councils have done with local businesses and service providers, and he also talked about our VI forum.

It’s happening on Tuesday 28 July. Blind and partially sighted Gloucestershire residents are invited to discuss their Covid19 experiences, network and pick up social distancing tips. You can register here: https://bit.ly/2CgTUs9

 

Social distancing guidance

Presenter Anna King, rounded off the interviews by highlighting tips from our social distancing guidance. The leaflets, written by blind and partially sighted people, provide businesses with practical guidance to support their visually impaired customers. For example, using 48 point font to make signage more visible, and using black and yellow and black and white floor markings, to mark out one-way-routes in shops. You can download our guidance here.

 

Listen to the interview

You can listen to Alun and Ines interview on BBC Sounds. Skip forward to 1hr 14 minutes and 30 seconds to listen.

Publication date: 15 October 2020