Blind and partially sighted adults of working age in Swindon will have new opportunities to meet others, share experiences and discuss everything from artificial intelligence to travel and Christmas.
Sight Support West of England, Wiltshire Sight and Insight Gloucestershire have launched a new programme of local and online meet-ups after people with sight loss said they wanted more opportunities to connect with others at a similar stage of life.
The sessions are aimed at people who are working, studying, raising families, looking for work, taking time out or unable to work.
While many existing social activities take place during the daytime, the new programme includes evening gatherings and online sessions that can be joined from home.
The idea is to provide informal opportunities to have a drink, chat and meet other people, alongside monthly online discussions centred on subjects chosen to encourage conversation.
The first online session, The AI Frontier: Exploring Tools for Independence, takes place in October and will look at the growing range of artificial intelligence tools available to people with sight loss.
The discussion will cover everything from apps that can read menus and describe surroundings to smart glasses designed to provide additional visual information.
It will also look at the limitations of the technology, including situations where AI gets things wrong, privacy concerns and whether supposedly accessible products always deliver what they promise.
November’s session, Pack Your Bags: Let’s Talk Travel, will focus on holidays and the experiences of travelling with sight loss.
December’s Festive & Fearless session will turn to Christmas, including cooking, present shopping, dealing with the extra activity and finding ways to enjoy the festive season.
The programme began with a monthly meet-up in Bath, while the first Bristol gathering takes place on Thursday 17 September, from 7pm to 9pm, at Future Inns Hotel on Bond Street.
Meet-ups in Salisbury, Swindon and Gloucester are due to be announced shortly.
Marc Gulwell, Advice Team Manager at Sight Support West of England, is leading the development of the new meet-ups.
Having been blind for 20 years, he said he understood the value of being able to meet people with similar experiences.
“Sport and social groups have given me opportunities to spend time with other blind and partially sighted people, share experiences and make connections with people who understand,” he said.
“I know how valuable those opportunities can be, which is why I’m really pleased that we’re creating more of them across our region.”
People can attend the local gatherings, join the online sessions or do both, with no requirement to attend every month.
The first online meet-up, The AI Frontier: Exploring Tools for Independence, takes place on Monday 19 October, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on Zoom, with a different topic planned for each month.
The Bath group meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 7pm to 9pm. The Bristol group will meet on the third Thursday of each month, with a new venue to be announced for future dates.
Further information about the Swindon meet-up and other local and online sessions is available from Sight Support West of England’s meet-ups page, or by calling 0117 322 4885.
