Discover some of the ways you can read and write using Braille, by going on a journey with Alice, who talks through the Braille devices she has used.
Tag: Blind
Top tips for spring for people with a visual impairment
Read our top tips for getting out and about safely in spring if you are visually impaired.
Chinese New Year activities for children with a visual impairment
Discover activities to do with children and young people to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Welcoming service users back to our Bolton Community Hub
Our Enablement Officer for Bolton, Carlton Milenkovic, discusses what it has been like welcoming back service users to the Bolton Community Hub.
Introducing version 8 of the Synapptic software
This blog gives an introduction to Synapptic, and introduces some of the features of Version 8.
A descent into darkness: 10 rules of engagement
Simon Mahoney, a totally blind military veteran, talks through is 10 rules of engagement, his top tips for anybody coming to terms with sight loss.
Welcoming service users back to our Tameside community hub
Our Enablement Officer for Tameside, Kathryn Riding, discusses what it has been like welcoming back service users to the Tameside community hub.
Meet Matilda-Henshaws service user takeover
Meet Matilda, a Henshaws service user who shares her experiences of living with a visual impairment. Learn about her work as an artist.
Meet Geoff-Henshaws service user takeover
Meet Geoff, a Henshaws service user who shares his experience of living with a visual impairment.
Nina’s Day-A day in the life of a Henshaws service user
Meet Nina, a Henshaws service user, who shares her experiences of visual impairment through a life in her day.
Henshaws and MADE: Museum accessibility top tips
Read about a project our children and young people were involved in, in partnership with MADE, in which they shared their top accessibility tips for museums and galleries. Find out
AirTags: Helping you find your items
Find out about AirTag, Apple's answer to item tracking. Find out how it compares with Tile, another item tracking solution.
Accessible TV Guide on Freeview Play
Find out all you need to know about Freeview Play's accessible TV guide, designed for people with all levels of vision.
Diagnosing autism in a child with a visual impairment
A child born with congenital blindness is 30 times more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our blog discusses the issues with its diagnosis.
Envision Glasses: AI for your eye
Learn about the features of the Envision Glasses, AI-enabled smart glasses designed specifically for visually impaired people.
Mindfulness activities for children with a visual impairment
Mindfulness is a practice where you use your senses to physically engage in the world around you. We've put together some useful activities to support visually impaired children.
Supporting mobility with a Sunu Band
We took the Sunu Band, a wearable assistive device, on a test drive to see how it can support people with sight loss with their mobility and independence.
Henshaws staff meet with HRH The Earl of Wessex
Henshaws were invited to meet with Prince Edward via a Zoom meeting to discuss how our charity has been continuing to support people living with sight loss during the pandemic.
Introducing the RealSAM smart speaker
RealSAM, the people behind the 'In Your Pocket' accessible phone, have developed a smart speaker skill so that you can access audiobooks and podcasts on a Google smart speaker.
Our guide to the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI)
Read our handy guide to find out everything you need to know about the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI).
TV catch-up services: how accessible are they?
Find out how accessible the TV catch-up services BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My5 are to visually impaired people.
New Sight Loss Sector Charter launched
A new Sight Loss Sector Charter was launched in November 2020 which puts blind and partially sighted people at the heart of the work of charities in the sector.
Pregnancy test re-designed for people with sight loss
The RNIB have launched a prototype pregnancy test for visually impaired people, making it possible for the first time to find out results independently.
Recognising money if you have a visual impairment
Find out how to recognise money if you are visually impaired, and learn how the process has become easier since the introduction of polymer banknotes.
Sensory gift ideas for children and young people with a visual impairment
Our Children and Young People's team have put together some great suggestions for sensory gift ideas for young people who have a visual impairment.
Sensory activity ideas for Christmas
Our Children and Young People's team have put together some sensory activity ideas to try out at home over the Christmas period with blind or visually impaired young people.
Tech Talk’s Top Tech of 2020
Find out what our Trafford and Oldham Tech Talk members voted as their favourite piece of technology in 2020.
10 Gift Ideas for people with a Visual Impairment
Find out 10 of our gift ideas for somebody with a visual impairment.
Laundry Lens: An app to help with clothes washing
Find out about Laundry Lens, an app that can help you to interpret laundry labels when washing your clothes.
Henshaws helps university students with ‘The Future of Work’ project
Henshaws staff were asked to support undergraduate students from Manchester Metropolitan University on a project focussing on workplaces of the future for disabled employees.
Using Pingit if you have a visual impairment
Find out about Pingit, an accessible solution for managing your money.
Top tips for making websites and apps accessible for people with sight loss
Top tips for making websites and apps accessible to people living with sight loss and other disabilities, providing equal access and equal opportunity for all.
Using the Wetherspoons app with a visual impairment
Richard from our Digital Team visited his local Wetherspoons pub to try out their food and drink ordering app and assess how it would work for a person living with sight loss.
Visiting Manchester Central Library post-lockdown
We offer digital technology assessments at Manchester Central Library, so we went along to check out what's changed at the building since the COVID-19 lockdown.
Using the NHS Test and Trace COVID-19 app if you are blind or visually impaired
The new NHS COVID-19 app for Apple and Android devices launched yesterday. Our Digital Team checked it out to see how blind and visually impaired people will be able to use it.
Top tips for visiting an eye clinic with your child
Appointments of any kind can cause worry and stress, especially when the appointment is for your child. Our top tips will hopefully help when you visit the eye clinic.
Getting out and about: Using a smartphone to navigate independently
Hear from Lynne Nicholson, who is visually impaired and uses her smartphone and navigation apps to travel independently.
Guide to COVID-19 scams
Commonly during crisis situations, fraudsters create lots of new ways to defraud their unsuspecting victims. We've put together a guide to current COVID-19 scams.
Track and Trace: An example of how it works
From 14 September, venues such as pubs and restaurants will be legally required to request contact details of customers as part of the Track and Trace initiative.
A day in the life of a sight loss Enablement Officer
Our Enablement Officer for the borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, talks about her day-to-day duties supporting people living with sight loss in the local area.
Dictation solutions put to the test
There are a number of dictation solutions available, but which one is the best? We thought we would try some of the most common versions side by side to see how they performed.
Out and about on the high street after lockdown
Mark discusses how shops and services have changed since lockdown restrictions eased, in order to help better inform visually impaired people of what to expect when they go out.
COVID InSights: Nina’s story
'COVID InSights' is a new series from Henshaws in which blind and visually impaired individuals share their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic through videos and blogs.
Introducing the Orcam Read
The Orcam Read is a handheld smart device that identifies, captures and reads text aloud. Richard from our Digital Team puts it to the test with some visually impaired people.
Coming out of lockdown if you are visually impaired (Part 2)
As the pandemic lockdown restrictions across the UK are eased, we discuss tips for how people with sight loss can prepare themselves for the 'new normal' in our towns and cities.
Life as an Enablement Officer at Henshaws
Kate, our Enablement Officer based in Oldham, explains her role in supporting the local sight loss community and the services that she delivers on a daily basis.
Coming out of lockdown if you are visually impaired (Part 1)
As lockdown restrictions across the UK are eased as part of the roadmap to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, we discuss how people with a visual impairment may need support.
Blind and partially sighted COVID-19 survey report published
A survey of 955 blind and visually impaired people from the first 10 weeks of the lockdown evidences the unique issues they are facing; a final report highlights key concerns.
Our Digital Enablement Service helps visually impaired people get connected with tech
Our Digital Enablement Service is helping people living with sight loss to get connected through tech, and offers training with a wide variety of products and skills.
Henshaws feature on BBC North West Tonight
Henshaws were featured in a report by BBC North West discussing the issues facing blind and visually impaired people during the Covid-19 pandemic, including social distancing.
Back to school after lockdown: A guide for parents of children with a vision impairment
Parents of children with a vision impairment may have concerns over the return to school during Covid-19; this guide is designed to give peace of mind during uncertain times.
A counsellor’s guide to the stages of grief associated with sight loss
Our counsellor discusses how primarily, working with blind and partially sighted clients is rooted in supporting the issues connected to bereavement and its stages of grief.
Top tips for social distancing if you are blind or visually impaired
Our Senior Rehabilitation Officer, Simon, shares his top tips for social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic if you are blind or visually impaired.
Our response to Covid-19 in Greater Manchester and changes to our service delivery model
The response by charity staff in Greater Manchester to the Covid-19 pandemic and changes to the service delivery model to meet the needs of the sight loss community.
Getting connected and keeping informed using technology
Getting connected with family and keeping informed has never been as important as it is during the Covid-19 lockdown. Read our blog about the technology that can help.
12 tips for keeping your visually impaired child entertained and educated at home
Most children will now be learning from home during this period. Follow our tips to find out what is right for you and your visually impaired child during this time.
The Theatre of the Mind – living with Charles Bonnet Syndrome
Hear from the founder of Esme's Umbrella, a charity who support people living with Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) - a condition in which people with sight loss have hallucinations.
How travel training can change lives
Nic, Disability Support Officer shares her top tips for promoting independent travel for people with disabilities.
Inspirational 10 year old Alicia, raised over £2500 for Henshaws by walking 60 miles, blind-folded
10 year old Alicia Wright walked from Blackpool to Manchester, and amazingly raised over £2500 for Henshaws. Alicia's mother Lisa Wright tells us more.
Why Daredevil is important
As with many fellow superhero fans I am currently hooked on Netflix’s latest release, Daredevil, and I discuss why it's so significant to have a blind superhero.
Top 10 tips on keeping your work environment safe for people who are blind or visually impaired
This week, we run through our top 10 tips on keeping your work environment safe for people who are blind or visually impaired.