Special Letters from Santa delivering the magic of Christmas to blind and partially sighted children

With the help of the elves at RNIB, children who are unable to read standard print can receive a very special letter from Santa in their preferred reading format.

As Christmas fast approaches, Santa is once again expecting to receive millions of letters from children around the world with endless lists of what they’d like to receive in their stockings when the big day arrives.

To ensure children living with a vision impairment in Northern Ireland get a reply from Santa, he has teamed up with RNIB to make his letters available in accessible formats, including braille, audio and large print.

Órlaith Brannigan is five years old and lives with her mum Emma and dad Jon in Tullysaran, Co. Armagh.

At aged one, Órlaith was diagnosed with Achromatopsia, a congenital eye condition that results in sensitivity to bright light and loss of colour vision.

Mum Emma explains: “Órlaith has poor depth perception and she’s very sensitive to light.

"Her visual acuity is also badly affected and Órlaith can only see black and white or different shades of grey.

"At the moment she’s learning her colours by associating symbols and shapes with each colour and learning to read by using a larger reading font.

“As parents, we know how important it is to let Órlaith have that little bit of independence when she’s out playing with her friends but she does have difficulty with distinguishing kerb edges and things like that so there would be the odd trip or fall.

"For now, Órlaith doesn’t use a long cane or guide dog but we know that as she gets older, that might change.

“Órlaith’s a bit of a joker.

"The other day we were in her bedroom and I asked her was there anything in her room that she found hard to see. She thought for a moment and said, ‘well I can’t see my back’.

“The Brannigan household are all very excited for Christmas and this year, Órlaith has written her letter to Santa asking for a LOL beauty salon and spa but she also likes everything Barbie too.

“The RNIB’s Letter’s to Santa initiative is such a great way of making sure children like Órlaith, who maybe can’t read a standard print letter, can experience the magical thrill of opening a special personalised letter from Santa.

"It’s magical moments like this that we parents love too. It’s what memories are made of.”

Director of RNIB in Northern Ireland, Robert Shilliday, said: “I’m delighted to be part of a team that enables kids with sight loss, like Órlaith, to experience that magical thrill of excitement from reading a special accessible letter addressed to her by Santa himself.

"We’re determined that no child is left out of the joy of Christmas and we know that it’s special for the parents and families too.

"Even Santa sometimes needs a helping hand to make things accessible and the clever elves at RNIB are only too happy to help. RNIB are passionate about campaigning for change and breaking down the barriers people with sight loss of all ages face.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers, donors and supporters, a very happy Christmas when it arrives.”

This year, Santa’s friends at card company Hallmark have also helped him write replies in braille so every child with a vision impairment can read their letter independently.

Last year, the elves sent more than 1,400 letters from Santa to blind and partially sighted children across the UK, helping them experience the same magic of Christmas as sighted children.

If you know a child who has a vision impairment and who would love to receive a letter from Santa, please send their Christmas letter to: Santa Claus, RNIB, Northminster House, Northminster, Peterborough, PE1 1YN.

Santa can receive letters through his email address. Email [email protected] by Tuesday, December 20 for an email response with a large print attachment.

Letters can also be requested through RNIB’s website at www.rnib.org.uk/santa. Postal letters and website requests need to be sent by Friday 2 December.

There is no cost to receive an accessible reply from Santa but in the spirit of giving, donations can be made via the RNIB website.

BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO REDUCE ENERGY BILLS IN COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS

Contributed by Markettiers

10:41 - 07 Nov 2022

This was originally sent under embargo

*BROADCAST INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE**

The cost-of-living crisis is affecting us all, but for those who are blind or partially sighted, the difficulty in reducing energy bills is significantly greater.

According to new research, 93% of blind or partially sighted (BPS) people are struggling to keep energy costs down or fear they soon will, with almost half (48%) feeling left behind, and 54% feeling forgotten during this difficult financial time.

Furthermore, 44% say they have a condition that requires extra energy use, incurring additional costs which leaves them worried about how they can continue to afford their bills according to the findings from Smart Energy GB.

But many could be helped by new advancements in simple tech like smart meters, to bring their experience in line with others at no extra cost.

When it comes to saving money around the home, 62% struggle with electricity bills, with gas bills (54%) and food costs (52%) also creating areas of difficulty.

For 65% of the BPS community, this anxiety is heightened by their need to ask someone to help them read their gas or electricity meter, with 76% having felt nervous about letting someone into their home to take a meter reading. No wonder 29% describe understanding energy bills as one of the main challenges to them while 26% also list household finances as another concern.

As 79% of BPS people say knowing how much energy they use each day would help them find ways to reduce it, a smart meter equipped with an accessible in-home display (AIHD) is a helpful measure of support for the community.

Created in partnership with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), the AIHD includes features such as high contrast display, text-to-speech, and buttons with tactile feedback to make it easier for people with sight loss to use. Requesting an AIHD, at no additional cost, when booking a smart meter installation will ensure that visually impaired people receive accurate bills and are able to keep track of the energy they use more easily.

No wonder 32% of BPS people are most excited about future advances in managing household energy bills after the success of mobile phones with accessibility functions such as voice notes (45%), smart speaker and voice assistant devices like Amazon, Alexa and Google Nest (39%) and Integrated smart house appliances such as lights and heating (30%). These advances in technology have made a huge impact on the lives of many and led to 61% of BPS people saying they feel more independent with 68% believing technology has enhanced their lives.

Zac Shaw is available to talk about what it’s like to be a BPS person in the cost-of-living crisis and can be joined by David Clarke from the RNIB and Phillippa Brown from Smart Energy GB who can discuss how new technology can help those who need it most as the crisis continues.

Notes:

The research for SEGB was carried out online by Opinion Matters between 31/08/2022 and 05/09/2022 amongst a panel resulting in 1,000 18+ adults responding. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2019) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (2018).

For more information and to arrange an interview, please contact:

[email protected]

07970 2263