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大象传媒 Radio 4 In Touch |
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Listen to this programmeFactsheet of this programmeTranscript of this programme Print this page FactsheetPROGRAMME ADDRESSIN TOUCH 大象传媒 Radio 4 Room 6084 Broadcasting House London W1A 1AA Email: intouch@bbc.co.uk Web: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/intouch.shtml AIR TRAVEL This weekend a new directive from the EU promises an improved era of assisted air travel for disabled people. The Directive has placed the onus for helping a passenger from airport entrance to plane with the airport authorities, as opposed to the airlines, who take over during the flight. CONTACTS DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT Information on the British Government鈥檚 consultation on air travel for disabled passengers. EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HELPLINE (England) Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRX Arndale House Arndale Centre Manchester M4 3EQ 0845 604 6610 - England main number 0845 604 6620 - England textphone 0845 604 6630 - England fax Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am-8:00 pm (last call taken at 7:45pm) EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HELPLINE (Wales) Freepost RRLR-UEYB-UYZL 3rd Floor 3 Callaghan Square Cardiff CF10 5BT 0845 604 8810 - Wales main number 0845 604 8820 - Wales textphone 0845 604 8830 - Wales fax Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am-8:00 pm (last call taken at 7:45pm) EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HELPLINE (Scotland) Freepost RRLL-GYLB-UJTA The Optima Building 58 Robertson Street Glasgow G2 8DU 0845 604 5510 - Scotland Main 0845 604 5520 - Scotland Textphone 0845 604 5530 - Scotland 鈥 Fax Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am-8:00 pm (last call taken at 7:45pm) CRICKET Guests: Team Manager, Andy Dalby-Walsh; young player, Hassan Khan The programme report on a group of visually-impaired cricketers who have recently set off for the West Indies, for a tournament which will prepare them for the forthcoming Blind Cricket World Cup. DAB RADIOS Guest: Leen Petre, RNIB The Royal National Institute of Blind People is trying to find out just how accessible, DAB digital radios are. It is looking for a hundred volunteers to interview over the phone about their experiences. CONTACTS The research project will be conducted by Dr Jonathan Freeman and Dr Jane Lessiter at i2 media research. If you are interested in taking part in this project you can either phone or email the researchers directly. If you prefer to get in contact by phone, please call Jonathan or Jane to let them know you would be interested in taking part. You can reach them on 020 7717 2201 Alternatively, please email Jonathan Freeman J.Freeman@gold.ac.uk with the subject heading: 鈥淩NIB digital radio research鈥. Please let Jonathan or Jane know your name, sex and age, and a contact telephone number. They will call you back. RNIB 105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NE Helpline: 0845 766 9999 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) Tel: 0207 388 1266 (switchboard/overseas callers) Web: The RNIB provides information, support and advice for anyone with a serious sight problem. They not only provide Braille, Talking Books and computer training, but imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges. The RNIB campaigns to change society's attitudes, actions and assumptions, so that people with sight problems can enjoy the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as fully sighted people. They also fund pioneering research into preventing and treating eye disease and promote eye health by running public health awareness campaigns. INSIGHT Insight radio, based in Glasgow, is Europe鈥檚 first radio station for blind listeners. Insight is due to start broadcasting on DAB and the 大象传媒's new Freesat service in the next few weeks. CONTACT INSIGHT RADIO Centre for Sensory Impairment 17 Gullane Street Partick Glasgow G11 6AH THRIVE The charity Thrive, which is co-organising the Blind Gardener of the Year award with the RNIB, has also released a CD featuring 'a collection of inspirational stories' from blind and partially-sighted people who have continued gardening. Closing date for entries for Blind Gardener of the Year is 15 September 2008. The award ceremony will be at the RNIB head office, in London, on 6 November 2008. For further information contact: THRIVE The Geoffrey Udall Centre Beech Hill Reading RG7 2AT Tel: 0118 9885688 Email: info@thrive.org.uk Thrive is a national charity, founded in 1978, whose aim is to research, educate and promote the use and advantages of gardening for those with a disability. Thrive鈥檚 vision is that the benefits of gardening are known to, and can be accessed by, anyone with a disability. Thrive has been supporting blind gardeners for over 30 years, and established the Blind Gardeners鈥 Club with RNIB in 2006 to help gardeners share information and techniques. Membership of the club costs 拢9 a year and includes: GENERAL CONTACTS RNIB 105 Judd Street London WC1H 9NE Helpline: 0845 766 9999 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) Tel: 0207 388 1266 (switchboard/overseas callers) Web: The RNIB provides information, support and advice for anyone with a serious sight problem. They not only provide Braille, Talking Books and computer training, but imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges. The RNIB campaigns to change society's attitudes, actions and assumptions, so that people with sight problems can enjoy the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as fully sighted people. They also fund pioneering research into preventing and treating eye disease and promote eye health by running public health awareness campaigns. HENSHAWS SOCIETY FOR BLIND PEOPLE (HSBP) John Derby House 88-92 Talbot Road Old Trafford Manchester M16 0GS Tel: 0161 872 1234 Email: info@hsbp.co.uk Web: Henshaws provides a wide range of services for people who have sight difficulties. They aim to enable visually impaired people of all ages to maximise their independence and enjoy a high quality of life. They have centres in: Harrogate, Knaresborough, Liverpool, Llandudno, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Salford, Southport and Trafford. THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION (GDBA) Burghfield Common Reading RG7 3YG Tel: 0118 983 5555 Email: guidedogs@guidedogs.org.uk Web: The GDBA鈥檚 mission is to provide guide dogs, mobility and other rehabilitation services that meet the needs of blind and partially sighted people. ACTION FOR BLIND PEOPLE 14-16 Verney Road London SE16 3DZ Tel: 0800 915 4666 (info & advice) Tel: 020 7635 4800 (central office) Web: Registered charity with national cover that provides practical support in the areas of housing, holidays, information, employment and training, cash grants and welfare rights for blind and partially-sighted people. Leaflets and booklets are available. NATIONAL LEAGUE OF THE BLIND AND DISABLED Central Office Swinton House 324 Grays Inn Road London WC1X 8DD Tel: 020 7837 6103 Textphone: 020 7837 6103 National League of the Blind and Disabled is a registered trade union and is involved in all issues regarding the employment of blind and disabled people in the UK. NATIONAL LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND (NLB) Far Cromwell Road Bredbury Stockport SK6 2SG Tel: 0161 406 2525 Textphone: 0161 355 2043 Email: enquiries@nlbuk.org Web: Trustees from the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) and the National Library for the Blind (NLB) have agreed to merge the library services of both charities as of 1 January 2007, creating the new RNIB National Library Service. EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HELPLINE (England) Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRX Arndale House Arndale Centre Manchester M4 3EQ 0845 604 6610 - England main number 0845 604 6620 - England textphone 0845 604 6630 - England fax Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am-8:00 pm (last call taken at 7:45pm) EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HELPLINE (Wales) Freepost RRLR-UEYB-UYZL 3rd Floor 3 Callaghan Square Cardiff CF10 5BT 0845 604 8810 - Wales main number 0845 604 8820 - Wales textphone 0845 604 8830 - Wales fax Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am-8:00 pm (last call taken at 7:45pm) EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HELPLINE (Scotland) Freepost RRLL-GYLB-UJTA The Optima Building 58 Robertson Street Glasgow G2 8DU 0845 604 5510 - Scotland Main 0845 604 5520 - Scotland Textphone 0845 604 5530 - Scotland 鈥 Fax Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm; Wed 9:00 am-8:00 pm (last call taken at 7:45pm) DISABLED LIVING FOUNDATION 380-384 Harrow Road London W9 2HU Tel: 0845 130 9177 Web: The Disabled Living Foundation provides information and advice on disability equipment. THRIVE The Geoffrey Udall Centre Beech Hill Reading RG7 2AT Tel: 0118 9885688 Email: info@thrive.org.uk Thrive is a national charity, founded in 1978, whose aim is to research, educate and promote the use and advantages of gardening for those with a disability. Thrive鈥檚 vision is that the benefits of gardening are known to, and can be accessed by, anyone with a disability. Thrive has been supporting blind gardeners for over 30 years, and established the Blind Gardeners鈥 Club with RNIB in 2006 to help gardeners share information and techniques. The 大象传媒 is not responsible for external websites聽 General contacts Back to top TranscriptIN TOUCHTX: 29.07.08 2040-2100 PRESENTER: PETER WHITE PRODUCER: CHERYL GABRIEL White Good Evening. Tonight, when one air passenger's blissful silence is another's total loss of independence. As the EU introduces new rights for disabled air passengers generally, we'll be looking at what some think is a glaring gap in the rules. We'll also be talking to the blind and partially-sighted cricketers who've just set off to play in the Caribbean, and who have social as well as sporting targets on their minds! And Mani Djazmi will bring us the latest news of special interest to visually-impaired people from all over the country. This weekend a directive from the EU promises a new era of assisted air travel to disabled people. It's put the onus for helping a passenger from airport entrance to plane firmly in the hands of the airport authorities, as opposed to the airlines, who only take over during the flight. But will it really cover the needs of visually-impaired travellers, who more than most rely on good information and announcements to tell us what's going on, and which flight is departing from which gate? It's an aspect which frequent flyer Tom Walker thinks has been overlooked in these new rules and he told me from our Merseyside studio about the journey which had convinced him how important audible information was. Walker Well Peter I like to travel as independently as possible which includes flying independently, where possible, and in December 2006 was with a group of friends going to [indistinct word] - visually-impaired friends. We checked in and were told that the flight was delayed by five hours so we thought well, you know, we'd go and have a couple of drinks, something to eat. I continued to check that the flight was going to be delayed by five hours and I did that three times - they said oh yes, yes it'll be twenty past eight it'll be departing now. But then at twenty past six rather worryingly we got a final call. We weren't through security, which I accept was our fault, but it did mean that we had the hell of a job to get through security, get to the aeroplane. When we sat down the doors literally did just close behind us, we were that close to missing the flight. And that was just caused by the absence of announcements at Manchester. Had they said now boarding or whatever, the usual sorts of announcements you get at other airports, we'd have had no problems, been through security and then on the flight. But it just didn't happen. White Just to get it clear: they did make an announcement but it was only the very last boarding announcement giving names of people who they still wanted to board? Walker Yes mine was the lead name Peter, so yeah I kind of picked up on that fairly quickly. It was the final call and I think they call it announcement by exception. White Right and what your query is, is this going to be covered by the new EU regulations? Walker Well I'm more hoping it will be covered because it will make flying a little less stressful, particularly from airports such as Manchester. White Right. Well also joining us is Clive Wood who's the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's transport policy officer actually at Cardiff Airport where the regulations are being launched. Clive, first of all, your reaction to that - the idea really of announcements and consistency of announcements for blind people. Wood I think that it's an important issue and as Tom says it's having the opportunity to travel independently but if you want independent travel you need the facilities in place and having announcements. Now to give you an example at Cardiff Airport today I've just been told that they make announcements for all their flights as part of the policy and they make at least five announcements for each flight - so that's a fantastic thing. And this is where there's an inconsistency between airports. If you go to other airports they won't make regular announcements - they call it a silent airport. So the only time they will make announcements is for final call, basically the name and shame announcements. White Right, the ones where they actually name Tom Walker by name specifically? Wood That's exactly right. White Yeah, but you have the view that that may not be as unreasonable as perhaps Tom thinks it is? Wood Well I'm not saying it's unreasonable but if the airports are saying in their view it is unpractical to them at some of the larger airports to make announcements for all their flights. Now okay if that's the case they need to look at what they're going to put in place to ensure that people who can't see the display screens have a facility to find out when their flight's taking off. So I'll give you a good example, I heard the other day of - at Belfast International Airport where if you wanted to you could ask for a pager. Now when you had the pager you could go off, do whatever you want - go to duty free, sit in the bar - and then the pager will go when your flight is just about to board. White A personalised service? Wood A personalised service and this is what the regulation says - we need to look at what individuals need. White Just to go back to Tom on this. What about that point that at a really busy airport that announcements of every flight may be four, five, six of them, as they seem to be doing at Cardiff, that that's unreasonable, that they're trying to provide, what they call, a silent service because otherwise it drives everybody nuts? Walker I've flown for years Peter and I recall when there were regular announcements at Manchester and other airports. I don't understand their argument, I have to hear why they think it's impractical. I don't think it is. The pager isn't a bad idea, maybe they could call you on your mobile, there are probably other solutions but I would guess - I could be wrong here - but there are probably quite a lot of people who prefer to hear that their flight is being announced rather than have to rely on display screens. White Because of course you do, if you don't hear, you have to rely on the reliability of the people who said they're going to help you and we know of cases of people who've been sat down, told to wait, told it'll all be alright, told somebody will come and get you and then they don't. Walker And Peter busy train stations make announcements all the time and again I travel by train quite a lot and they make announcements. I don't really buy into this, I think they could reinstate announcements and I think it would be the most inclusive way of ensuring that an overwhelming majority of people know when their flight's due to depart. White Just one more point Tom on this - the EU regulations say that it will now be the airports responsibility to take care of you from the moment you go in the airport to the moment you board the plane, now if they're doing that and you've asked for that then you wouldn't need the announcements would you, because you would presumably be told when the flight was due? Walker It's a matter of personal choice though isn't it, I mean I prefer to travel as independently as possible. I don't generally need the all embracing help that that tends to entail. You lose your freedom effectively and I flew to St Petersburg from Heathrow last October and I was put in a dull room - which is almost as dull as this studio I'm in - I couldn't do anything at all and I sat there for two hours and I don't want that, I want to be able to wander around the departure lounge, wait for my announcement and I'm ready to go. White Clive Wood, just before we come on to the issue of guide dogs and the regulation, what about that - Tom's point, essential point - that this should be a service that you choose to have or not and that it should be as comprehensive as possible? Wood I totally agree with Tom and the important thing and the exciting part of the new regulation is now that individuals have the teeth to go to the airports and say you're not offering the service that I need as a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility you need to address that. White Can we just ask you: there have been inconsistency in the past about the airports which can and cannot offer a comprehensive service, so that for a guide dog owner who wants to take his or her dog with them, what's the latest on that and what do the regulations have to say about this? Wood Well the regulations are very clear and basically the airports need to ensure they have the facility to allow a recognised assistance dog to travel through their airports and for airlines to facilitate guide and other assistance dog owners flying on their aircrafts. Now on the international routes the guide dog does have to have a pet passport, under the pet travel scheme. The dog can travel in the cabin with their owner. Now we've been working with all the airports that don't have that facility in place at the moment and we only have five airports that have the facility. Now what we're doing is we're working with all the regional airports where the low fare airlines travel from. And at the moment if you're a guide dog owner you have to travel from a large airport and you have to pay an additional amount of money because often from larger airports the flights are more expensive. The new regulation will mean that other airports are now going to introduce the scheme. So we'll get nine more airports that hopefully by the end of this year the rest will come on line. White Clive Wood of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and before that Tom Walker, talking about the problems of announcement free airports. So just how many British airports do and don't make announcements? Well Mani Djazmi is going to be here in a moment with his round-up of news, but what was the picture when you rang round the airports Mani? Djazmi Well very patchy. I've spoken to 25 UK airports, 13 say they announce departures while 12 have a silent terminal policy. Even those that do announce flight information vary. Some make their announcements throughout the building while others only in the boarding lounge. Airports with silent terminal policies use their public address systems mainly for security information and to hurry along really latecomers. White Latecomers like Tom, for example, in our piece. So it sounds as if the airports can do more or less what they like. I mean what did BAA say? Djazmi Well we spoke to a spokesperson from BAA, which is the airport operator in charge of places like Heathrow and Gatwick, and they encourage visually impaired passengers to make the most of the disabled assistance which is tailor made for us. White But of course if people like Tom Walker had their way what they'd like is to see announcements made mandatory, I know we've been talking to the British Airports Authority, what did they say about that idea? Djazmi Well they say that they will take a look at it. White Well we will take a lot at them taking a look at it and you can rest assured we'll come back to this story. Mani will be with us a bit later on. Now, as money pours into cricket as never before, and every day seems to bring a new, dollar-drenched competition, it's rather refreshing to find that there are still some people who play the game just for fun. A group of the UK's visually-impaired cricketers has recently arrived in the West Indies, for a tournament which is very serious and which will prepare them for the forthcoming blind cricket World Cup, but which will also give them a taste of another culture. Before they went I was joined by the team's manager, Andy Dalby-Walsh, and one of the squad's younger players, Hassan Khan; they told me more about the trip. Dalby-Walsh Blind cricket in this country is a bit of a complicated beast because we play using a size three football in this country but our players who want to play international cricket have to use a different ball, which is small, white and plastic and is quite a different game to look at. White Which must be really quite difficult because you must - so you train with one ball in this country and then you play with another one when you're playing abroad. Dalby-Walsh Absolutely. So it's almost like mastering two games. So that has led us on to this sort of trip in a sense because young people get a lot of exposure to the first ball I mentioned, size three, and it looks very much like cricket with over arm bowling and normal sort of batting shots. Whereas with this little white ball if you want to be an England cricketer you've got to get to grips with underarm bowling and slightly different batting style. White So you're going there for practise but is this also the kind of equivalent of say a Test Match tour, if we were making the parallel with say the main England team, is it like going abroad for a Test Match tour? Dalby-Walsh It is, I mean in a sense because we play one day internationals as opposed to sort of the five day test match set up we will play three one day internationals out there but we'll be playing against the West Indies blind cricket team, so there'll be international fixtures for the young people we're taking. White Right. Well also with us is Hassan Khan, who's one of the players who's going, 21 years old. You've actually played quite a lot of international cricket haven't you Hassan? Khan Yeah I've been quite lucky to play for England, I played World Cup for England in Pakistan in 2006, I've also toured Sri Lanka, so yeah I've been quite lucky to play for England. White And you're originally from Pakistan? Khan I am yeah, I was born there and lived there for eight years, so to play against them in the World Cup in Pakistan was absolutely fascinating. White Did you get a bit of grief over that because quite often Pakistan and Indian nationals who end up playing for us they do get a bit of grief, does that happen in the blind cricket world as well? Khan Oh absolutely, absolutely, I mean a couple of things were said I couldn't even repeat on the 大象传媒 but yeah, no absolutely I got a lot of grief. White What are you most looking forward about this tour, obviously the cricket but presumably there's a social side to it as well. Khan Absolutely, I mean I'm really looking forward to experiencing the Barbados culture, I've never been to Barbados or the West Indies, it's going to be fascinating. I'm also really interested to see how our - the team we're taking - how they develop as a team because we've put a lot of hard work - well Andy has and the cricket will change, so I'm hoping that something positive comes out of it. White What about this ball because it does really sound quite extraordinary to have to play with a size three football, which I was holding one only the other day, it's quite a big beast by cricketing standards and this other little ball - it must be a completely different technique isn't it? Khan Absolutely, I mean for a total blind person, which I am, a B1, with the smaller ball I'm having to sweep every ball which is getting low right on to the ground and sweeping my bat ... White Sort of getting your knee on the ground. Khan Yeah, yeah one knee on the ground and putting the bat on the ground. Whereas with a size three you're standing up and trying to hit it. There is a lot of differences - with the smaller ball you bowl it underarm, with the bigger ball you bowl it over arm. White How good are the West Indies, what's your opposition going to be like? Khan The West Indies are a really good team, they're coming on nicely. They're not the best team in the world but I think they've got good talent and they've got pretty good youngsters. White And what sort of a cultural experience is this, I mean it could be very male couldn't it - all you chaps going off to play cricket - are you going to be socialising more - and I gather you do have one woman player? Khan Yeah absolutely, I mean we have Sarah playing for us and she's a pretty good cricketer, very keen cricketer, so yeah and I think the West Indies blind cricket team also have a woman playing for them by the name of Cheryl. So I think she might be playing, so yeah - I wouldn't say it's all male domination but you know. White And what about the kind of things you're going to do - I mean how much will you be actually having a chance to mix in the communities, go to entertainment, that sort of thing? Khan I think we're planning on going to a blind and deaf school in Barbados, just mixing with the locals, it's going to be a good change. White We're rather hoping you will perhaps gather some material for us and keep an audio diary for us and it'll be a way of spying on you while you're away. So you'll do that for us? Khan Absolutely, I'd love to do that. White Hassan Khan, and Andy Dalby-Walsh; and on their return, as we said, we'll be hearing some extracts from Hassan's Caribbean Diary. And now back again with a round up of news of special interest to visually-impaired people here's Mani, what have you got for us? Djazmi Well we begin with research which was released earlier this month by the charity Action for Blind People which has revealed that a quarter of us still aren't going for regular eye tests and the same amount of people are unaware that an eye test could save their sight by picking up problems early on. Cath Birchall hadn't had an eye test for 30 years before last October because she thought that being totally blind, there was no point. But the visit to her local optician led to an appointment at her local eye clinic and this startling news: Birchall My pressure got to such a high level they'd actually never encountered anyone with a pressure that high before. So in the end between myself and the specialist we decided to go ahead with an operation. Djazmi And if you hadn't gone for that eye test in the first place what would have happened eventually, do you have any idea? Birchall It could have damaged the eye beyond repair and the eye may have had to be removed. Djazmi So you're an advocate for an early and regular eye test? Birchall Definitely and the fact that you are blind does not make a difference, you should always go for the eye test. It's only every couple of years, it only takes a few minutes and it's definitely worth it because you don't know what's going on, if you've no sight you've no signs that there's a problem. Djazmi Cath Birchall. The Royal National Institute of Blind People is trying to find out just how accessible, DAB digital radios are. It's looking for a hundred volunteers to interview over the phone about their experiences. Here's the RNIB's Leen Petre: Petre We're asking people whether they were able to switch their radio on for the first time independently, we're also asking people whether in day-to-day use, for example, whether they can use presets, if there's a clock function on the radio whether they can use that. So we're going over a whole range of features really to try and identify what the features are that blind and partially-sighted people have difficulty with. And we're doing this against a control group of sighted people, so we'll also be able to spot the differences there. Can I just make clear - we're really looking for people who are blind and partially-sighted and who are already using digital radios, so not people who haven't used it but people who are willing to share their experience of using digital radio already. Djazmi Well if you're a seasoned digital radio listener, then stand by for a new station on the DAB landscape. Insight Radio, which is based in Glasgow, is Europe's first station for blind listeners. It's due to start broadcasting on DAB and the 大象传媒's new Freesat service in the next few weeks. It's also announced plans to open studios throughout the UK which will offer training to aspiring broadcasters. And finally a follow-up note to last week's feature on blind gardening. The charity Thrive, which co-organises the Blind Gardener of the Year award with the RNIB, has also released a CD featuring a collection of inspirational stories by visually-impaired people who have continued gardening despite losing their sight. White Mani, thank you very much indeed. And that's it for today. Do call us or e-mail us with your views and your suggestions about other topics that we should be covering, we really welcome that and we follow up as many as we can. You can call our Actionline on 0800 044 044, or e-mail the programme via the website. And there's a podcast of today's programme as from tomorrow. From me Peter White, my producer Cheryl Gabriel, and the rest of the team, goodbye. Back to top |
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