There are still real barriers for blind and partially sighted people as they go out and about, shopping, visiting friends and exploring our tourist attractions.
Finding out about the promotional offers to ensure you're getting a good deal can be impossible if you can't read posters and packaging. Enjoying our museums or stately homes can be a challenge without tactile information, a touch tour or audio guide to inspire you.
But there are great things happening. Online shopping can be made easier to use. Posters can be improved to make them easier to read. Staff training can be improved to ensure that the personal touch overcomes other barriers.
Can you help us?
We're working hard to offer services that help you to do more. We also have a team who consult directly with blind and partially sighted people. But we want to learn from you too.
Our new projects are focused on creating real and lasting improvements in the accessibility for shopping. We've also got special projects focusing on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games but these projects are developing quickly so call us if you want to be involved.
Promoting good practice
We want to work with retailers and the leisure industry to promote the good practice that is already out there. And we want to know about new services so we can support accessibility. A lot of our activities are commercially sensitive for most of the project lifetime, but activities have included:
-
advising on the accessibility of a smartphone app
-
workshops with assistants to improve customer service
-
developing accessible packaging technologies
-
production of accessible Christmas Guides for Boots
-
developing a guideline document for best standards
How to make shopping accessible for blind and partially sighted people
RNIB has worked with other visual impairment organisations to produce this guide to support the retail industry. The guide sets out good practice in meeting the needs of blind and partially sighted customers throughout the shopping experience.
Help us to do more
Leisure and retail covers a lot of different organisations. We've worked with a range of companies from Boots to Westminster Abbey but we know we can do so much more with your help.
Although we also have a number of services that we've developed based on business customer need, we want to explore what you already do and how we can help you deliver more solutions to make a real difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted people.
Contact us
If you'd like to work with us on any of our best practice, innovative technology or packaging projects, please get in touch with our Business and Partnership Development Team:
RNIB Innovation and Development
Phone: 01733 37 53 45
Email: busdev@rnib.org.uk
And if you'd like to use our existing services across information, transcription, website audits, building assessments and product reviews to help more people to access your services, then our Commercial Services Team would love to hear from you:
RNIB Commercial Services
Phone: 01733 37 53 70
Email: businesslink@rnib.org.uk