Come and join us for our first Summer Coffee Morning on Saturday 13 July from 10am to 1pm in the Lena Anderton Meeting Room, 31 Scott Street Keighley.
We will have a New 2 U Stall, Second Hand Equipment Stall, Raffle and Audiobook Sale.
You will also have the opportunity to look round and order items from our Daily Living Shop which houses products designed to make life living with sight loss easier.
Welcome to the June 2024 edition of seefact. This year, we will host our annual open day in July to take advantage of the summer weather. So join us on Saturday, July 13, from 10 am to 1 pm.
On Saturday, September 14, we will be holding a sight information day. More information to follow,
With the Government announcing a General Election on July 4, we’ve compiled a guide on how to vote—see page 3. If you care for someone and work from April 2024, you gain additional employment rights; learn more on page 3.
If you want to take advantage of the Summer weather and get out, see our article on Page 4 about travel concessions for the visually impaired.
If you want to know what all the fuss about AI or Artificial Intelligence is, read our article on page 6 to learn how it can help visually impaired people.
So we hope you all have a great summer, and we will see you in the October edition of seefact
Registered Office: sight airedale, 1 Albert Street, Keighley, BD21 2AT.
The government have announced that a General Electrion will take place on 4 July 2024. Since May 2023 you will need to produce photo ID to vote in person. The following type of Photo ID will be acceptable. Passport, Driving licence (including provisional licence), Blue Badge, Certain concessionary travel cards
If you don’t have any of these ID items, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate from Bradford Council. An alternative is to apply for a postal vote which is now open to anyone over 18 and on the electoral register. For more information, contact Bradford Council Electoral Services at 01274 432287.
You can also get the following help when you are at the polling station, this includes:-
someone to read out the candidates on the ballot paper to be shown a large print ballot paper to use the Tactile Voting Device someone to help mark the ballot paper with your decision, either someone who has accompanied you or the polling station staff to be assisted in moving around the polling station
If you would like to make a request for additional support please email electoralservices@bradford.gov.uk or call 01274 432287.
From April 2024, if you work and care for someone needing long-term care, you’ll gain new rights under the Carer’s Leave Act 2023. You’ll be entitled to 1 week’s carer’s leave every 12 months, paid or unpaid, at your employer’s discretion. The leave is for planned events like hospital appointments.
The Act covers caring for a spouse, partner or civil partner, child, parent, household member, or someone reasonably relying on you for care. The person must have a disability or illness/injury requiring at least three months' care, or age-related needs.
Additionally, from July 2024, flexible working rules change, making it easier for carers to negotiate arrangements.
For more information, contact Carers Resource on 0808 50 15 939 or visit www.carersresource.org/carers/employment-education/employment-advice/
O ver the past few years, you will have heard the term AI or Artificial Intelligence. But what is AI, and how can it help people living with sight loss? In this article, we will look at some of the applications of AI and how it is helping people with sight loss regain their independence.
AI or Artificial Intelligence is a technology that allows computers to learn from data, recognize patterns, and make decisions or recommendations based on what they have learned. Products such as Alexa or Siri use AI to recognise human speech and carry out commands. For people living with sight loss, AI can help identify objects in both images and the real world, read text aloud, and help navigate surroundings.
If you have to ask a friend or relative to read letters to you then AI can help. Seeing AI, an app for both Apple and Android phones, allows you to take a photograph of a document and then have it read out to you. Or you can chat with your documents, for example you can ask a hospital appointment letter what time your appointment is, or an electricity bill how much it is and when you need to pay it. AI can also summarise long documents such as magazine articles.
In addition to reading printed documents, seeing AI can also read handwriting, this is not as accurate as reading printed materials and depends on how neat and legible the persons handwriting is to start of with. But does allow you to get the gist of a document.
Imagine you have an assistant permanently on hand who can tell you what things are. Is the tin you’re holding Cat Food or Baked Beans? Or have a photograph described to you. The latest generation of AI apps allow you to take a photograph of an object, or scene and have it described to you. You can even ask questions, for example you could take a photograph of your desk and ask where your glasses are. Object recognition is available in both seeing AI and BeMyEyes.
While artificial intelligence has advanced rapidly over the past few years, there are still potential problems with it.
Inaccuracy and Errors - AI systems can make mistakes. Sometimes, they might misinterpret voice commands, provide incorrect information, or fail to recognize objects correctly. For example, a voice assistant might misunderstand a request to call a friend and instead call the wrong person. This is known as Hallucinating. Privacy Concerns - When you use an AI tool you are also helping to build the AI tool, it will upload your data to its servers for processing. It may also use the data or information you give it to help expand its knowledge. So you should think carefully about using such tools for sensitive data such as bank details.
BeMyEyes is a free app for iOS and Android that connects visually impaired users to sighted volunteers or customer service reps. Users can call for on-demand assistance by sharing their phone’s camera view, allowing the sighted person to describe the user’s surroundings and provide guidance.
If you’d like to see a demonstration contact Antony on the helpline.
With summer approaching, you may be looking forward to a day out. This article will explore the travel concessions available to blind and partially sighted people living in North and West Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Eligibility: Available to West Yorkshire residents who are (or are eligible to be) registered Blind or severely Sight-Impaired. Entitles you to travel free anytime in West Yorkshire and free off-peak travel anywhere in England.
Eligibility - West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Lancashire residents who are (or are eligible to be) registered blind or partially sighted.
West Yorkshire—Free off-peak travel within West Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire—Free travel within North Yorkshire and York any time of the day except between 6 am and 9 am. Some journeys are exempt from this restriction; you should check with NYCC before travelling.
Lancashire - Free off-peak travel within Lancashire - A flat fare of £1 per journey on local bus travel within Lancashire before 9.30 am.
Note: All local authority passes allow free off-peak travel on a bus anywhere in England. Off-peak is defined as 9.30 am to 11 pm on a weekday, all day Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays. Certain journeys or services are subject to different rules; you should check with your local authority before travelling.
Eligibility: Available to West Yorkshire residents who are (or are eligible to be) registered Blind or severely Sight-Impaired.
The Blind Persons Travel Pass entitles you to free train travel at any time of the day within West Yorkshire.
Eligibility: Available to West Yorkshire residents who are (or are eligible to be) registered sight-impaired or Partially-Sighted.
Half-fare, off-peak train travel within West Yorkshire. Off-peak train travel is Monday to Friday after 0930 until 1600, then from 1830, and all day on weekends and public holidays. If you are travelling by train during the weekday evening peak - 1601 to 1829 - you will need to buy an Anytime Day Single or Anytime Day Return ticket.
Note: The Blind/Disabled Persons travel pass covers journeys within West Yorkshire. For cross-boundary travel, you must pay the fare for the non-West Yorkshire section at the start of your journey—usually the full Adult fare. You should check with WYMetro before travelling.
Eligibility: National - Be registered Blind or Partially Sighted
Visually impaired people receive discounts on National Rail Travel in England, Wales, and Scotland, including 34% off first class/standard anytime singles or returns and 50% off first class/standard anytime day returns. A Disabled Railcard costs £20 for one year or £54 for three years. Options include a physical plastic card or a digital card on your phone.
Mode of Travel: Bus and Train
Eligibility:
A companion is entitled to the same concessions as the Blind/Disabled Travel Pass holder, but only when they travel together. The companion does not receive their own card and cannot use the disabled person’s card to travel without them being present. The companion does not need to be the same person for each journey; however, they must get on and off the bus or train at the same time as the pass holder.
Mode of Travel: Bus
Eligibility:
Certain local authorities have reciprocal agreements that allow cross-boundary bus travel but not travel within that local authority. North and West Yorkshire have reciprocal agreements with North Yorkshire and York, West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull, and North and North East Lincolnshire (North Yorkshire).
Your companion can travel for free on a return journey from Keighley to Skipton but not from Skipton to Grassington. If travelling to a non-participating authority, such as from Leeds to Manchester return, your companion is entitled to free travel for the Leeds to Manchester part of the journey but not the Manchester to Leeds part.
Lancashire does not offer a companion pass.
Mode of Travel: Train
Eligibility:
The standard Disabled Persons Rail Card automatically entitles a companion to the same discounts as the holder. However, registered sight-impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight-impaired (blind) people can also buy one adult Season ticket that enables a companion to travel with you on National Rail services only at no extra cost (so two people travel for the price of one). It doesn’t have to be the same person travelling with you on every journey.
Phone: Bradford Council Travel Concessions Department - 01274 438723
Email: transport.concessions@bradford.gov.uk
Online: https://www.wymetro.com/tickets-and-passes/blind-disabled/
Phone: 0300 131 2131
Phone: Now Card - 0300 123 6737
Online: https://www.nowcard.org/apply/disabled-persons-application/
Phone: 0345 6050 525
Email: railcardhelp@nationalrail.co.uk
Online: https://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/
Like many charities we have seen a fall in income due to the pandemic
To make a one off or regular donation visit our website at www.sightairedale.org.uk or call our helpline to learn how to set up a standing order
For details on future performances at the playhouse visit
www.keighleyplayhouse.co.uk
To renew you can either:- Renew at our open day on Saturday 26 November Call into the office, Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 12.30pm or Post a cheque made payable to sight airedale Renew via bank transfer - Please call the office for our bank details.
Drawn on the 2nd Monday of the month, winners will be notified.
Small change makes a big difference.
Our three Sight Support Groups in Keighley and Bingley, and Talking book library with over 2,000 titles on MP3/CD and memory stick help alleviate isolation and loneliness.
We provide support to local sight support groups in Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and the Airedale Macular Society
We help people retain their independence through our daily living shop, magnifier assessments and technology information service*.
We give people the opportunity to learn new skills through our one-to-one computer classes and Braille for Beginners course.
We keep sight impaired people informed about important issues, through our free newsletter, available in five different formats.
We want to be sure that there is someone available to give you the best service we can. Please ring our Helpline to make an appointment for the shop, magnifier assessments and technology information service.
Donations can be made in cash, cheque monthly standing order or Online. You can help your donation go further by signing a Gift Aid form.
Take home, a Home Box and fill it with spare loose change.
Join the 100+ club £10 per year and the chance to win a £15 monthly prize and entry into the Christmas draw
Our volunteers provide an invaluable service in allowing us to deliver our services. We are always interested in hearing from people who want to join our team of volunteers.
Be a Bucketeer at our Store collections
Do you know a business that would take a Humpty Dumpty counter box?
Remember us in your will so that future local sight impaired people may benefit or consider a in “memoriam” donation in remembrance of a loved one or friend.
If you would like more information on any of these groups, please call our helpline.