Sight Loss Councils
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slcouncils.bsky.social
Sight Loss Councils
@slcouncils.bsky.social
250 followers 480 following 250 posts
Sight Loss Councils are groups of blind & partially sighted people working to drive transformative change & raise awareness across the UK. #VisionForChange
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slcouncils.bsky.social
Two awards ceremonies in one day - and SLCs were part of both! 🎉

Our Vision Awareness Training for Bus Drivers, developed with @pocklington.bsky.social, has been Highly Commended at the UK Bus Awards. Huge congrats to everyone involved!

#MakeTransportAccessible #InclusiveTravel
pocklington.bsky.social Thomas Pocklington Trust @pocklington.bsky.social · 6h
Big news! Our Vision Awareness Training for Bus Drivers, created with SLCs & partners, was Highly Commended at the UK Bus Awards 2025! Proud to equip drivers to make travel safer & more inclusive for blind & partially sighted passengers.
Alison, Sussex SLC member, her guide dog, Jen Sweeny, Corporate Engagement Manager for TPT, and Lauren Eade, SLC coordinator for South East England Sight Loss Councils being photographed by a photographer against the UKBA backdrop , holding their Highly Commended certificate.
November 26, 2025 at 4:16 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Proud to support last nights #CiTTiAwards25 - celebrating innovators shaping the future of urban mobility.

SLC volunteer Nikki and Engagement Manager Dave judged and presented awards, ensuring accessibility is part of key transport conversations. 🎉

#MakeTransportAccessible
Dave Smith, Engagement Manager for South East England, and Nikki, South West London SLC member, are stood in front of a dark blue CiTTi awards banner before the awards ceremony. Dave is wearing a tuxedo, Nikki a long black dress with leopard print scarf. Both are holding their canes and smiling at the camera.
November 26, 2025 at 12:41 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Huge luck to @pocklington.bsky.social, SLCs, & partners at the UK Bus Awards! Our Vision Impairment Awareness Training is up for the 'Partnership for Excellence' award, today!

We're so proud of our team, whose lived experience is helping make bus travel safer and more inclusive 🎉#VisionForChange
November 25, 2025 at 10:03 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Today, London SLCs will meet Alex Maher MP, Chair of the Micromobility APPG, to discuss the impact of e-bikes & e-scooters on blind & partially sighted people. Insights from our Reflect & Engage report and work with operators to improve street safety will be shared, as well as LSLCs #EBikeCharter.
Haren, SW London SLC member, walks with his guide dog Addy along a pavement beside a row of parked e-bikes, highlighting the challenges blind and partially sighted people face navigating London’s streets safely.
November 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
1/2 A big moment for #Staffordshire SLC yesterday 🎉

After attending a recent SLC meeting where she heard directly from SLC members, Dr Allison Gardner MP raised #PavementParking in the House of Commons, giving Staff SLC a shout-out too!
Five Years Waiting: Campaigners Celebrate a Birthday No One Wanted - Thomas Pocklington Trust
bit.ly
November 21, 2025 at 2:28 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Join SE London SLC & #GoviaThameslinkRailway for a hands-on Try a Train event on Friday 5 Dec 🚆

Build confidence, explore #LondonBridge station, take a guided trip to East Croydon, and join a Q&A with staff.

Spaces are limited - book now: bit.ly/4qTIcYd

#Railway200 #MakeTransportAccessible
Antony Merlyn, Accessibility Engagement Manager, at GTR is talking to a group of attendees at a previous Try a train event on a platform at Sutton Station.
November 20, 2025 at 10:02 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
A great day at #SightVillage London, and what a fantastic event it turned out to be. Our London Engagement Manager had a brilliant time - meeting new people, reconnecting with familiar faces, and sharing the work of #London SLCs across the capital. Thanks to all who stopped by!
Liam O'Carroll, interim Engagement Manager for London Sight Loss Councils, standing at the TPT information stall, talking to a male passer by. Liam O'Carroll, interim Engagement Manager for London SLCs, standing at the TPT stand, in front of their 'Education Service' banner. He is wearing his white Sight Loss Council hoodie, holding his long cane, and smiling at the camera.
November 19, 2025 at 4:08 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
South Yorkshire SLC invited @sheffielduni.bsky.social Architecture students for a sim-spec walk, giving future designers a chance to see the barriers BPS people face.

Their takeaway: include lived experience from the very start of projects.

Learn more about our work: 👉https://bit.ly/41VStrR
A group shot of South Yorkshire Sight Loss Council on a train station concourse.. From left to right: Tony, Toby, and Vicky Thompson, SLC Coordinator for Yorkshire and Humberside. The participants of the walk pictured together in the city centre, in front of a historic stone building. They're wearing sim-specs, and smiling at the camera.
November 19, 2025 at 10:30 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Merseyside SLC has been working with Arriva to help blind and partially sighted people feel more confident when travelling by bus.

This video shows how we’re improving accessibility together, including new driver training materials created with @pocklington.bsky.social 

Watch the video here 👇
November 18, 2025 at 5:34 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Today’s the day! #SightVillage London is underway.

We don’t have a stall this year, but our London Engagement Manager will be out and about, networking and spreading the word about London SLCs.

If you’re attending, do pop by and say hello to @pocklington.bsky.social! 👋
pocklington.bsky.social Thomas Pocklington Trust @pocklington.bsky.social · 9d
In #London tomorrow? Want to experience the latest low vision and sight related tech? Join Sydney and team at the free Sight Village event in the #ILEC Conference Centre in the Earl’s Court area of London today.

For more info or to book your free tickets visit: https://f.mtr.cool/sxelvabsyn
November 18, 2025 at 9:52 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Sight Loss Councils are proud that our Vision Awareness Training for Bus Drivers - created with @pocklington.bsky.social and partners - has been shortlisted for a UK Bus Award!

Huge thanks to our volunteers whose lived experience shaped the training. Fingers crossed for the 25th! 🤞
Social media grpahic. Heading - We’re Finalists for the UK Bus Awards 2025! Main Text, on a white background – TPT and our partners are shortlisted in the Partnership for Excellence category, recognised for our Vision Awareness Training for Buss Drivers. Fingers crossed for 25 November! TPT and Sight Loss Councils logo are placed at the top of the text and a cartoon of clapping hands are positioned at the bottom framing the UK Bus Awards Finalist 2025 logo.
November 17, 2025 at 1:03 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Great to see #Merseyside SLC back at @liverpooluni.bsky.social for the third year, helping nursing students gain the skills to support blind and partially sighted people.

This work is key to our #MakeHealthAccessible campaign to embed inclusive care from day one.
Two female nursing students during the vision awareness session. One is wearing sim-specs, and being guided down the stairs in the lecture hall. Fellow students are looking on from their seats.
November 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Join South East London SLC & #GoviaThameslinkRailway for a hands-on Try a Train event on Fri 5 Dec 🚆

Build confidence, explore accessible features at #LondonBridge, take a guided trip to East Croydon & join a Q&A with staff.

Spaces are limited, book now: https://bit.ly/4qTIcYd
A group of people stand inside a train station, listening to a man in a suit speaking. A white cane is visible in the foreground. Text underneath the image reads: “SE London Sight Loss Council. Build Confidence, Try a Train. A free event for blind and partially sighted people living in London.” A light blue date stamp says “5 Dec, 10am,” and the Sight Loss Councils logo appears in the bottom right corner.
November 13, 2025 at 5:10 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Happy 4th Birthday to Northumberland & Cumbria Sight Loss Council! 🎉 

A year of real progress in the #NorthEast, from sim spec walks and accessibility improvements to VI Awareness sessions, and more inclusive transport.

Huge thanks to our brilliant volunteers and partners. #VisionForChange
Jack, Engagement Manager for the North East, sitting at the ‘Go North East’ Bus Driver Academy, with four Go North East staff members. The yellow and black wall behind them reads ‘The Elite Bus Driver Academy.’ Jack, EM for the North East, and volunteer Matty, standing outside Abbeyfield Care Home in after a VI Awareness session. They are standing next to the care home sign, surrounded by daffodils and spring greenery.
November 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Building confidence on the rails 🚆

Join #Lancashire SLC, Galloways & Community Rail Lancashire at their Try a Train on 18 Nov at Accrington Station.

A free event for blind & partially sighted people looking to increase confidence & travel independently.

Book now: https://bit.ly/3LeyOxW
A promotional graphic for Lancashire SLC's “Try a Train” event. A man with a white cane presses a button to open a train door with high-contrast yellow and red panels. Symbols above the windows show wheelchair and bike spaces. Text reads: “Try a Train with Lancashire Sight Loss Council, Galloways and Community Rail Lancashire. Free event for blind and partially sighted people.” Sight Loss Councils logo and date: 18 Nov 2025.
November 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
For #PurpleTuesday, Greater Manchester & London SLCs helped retailers see shopping through the eyes of blind & partially sighted people 💜 

From chats at Manchester Arndale to a panel at Battersea Power Station, members shared lived experience to make shopping more inclusive.👉 https://bit.ly/43i8zwI
Anthony, GM SLC member, is shopping with a female staff member. He is looking at clothes on a clothes rail. Liam O'Carroll, Acting Engagement Manager for London SLCs, smiling during the panel session, as he holds up the Mindful Shopper Poster to the audience. Battersea Power Station at night, with four chimneys illuminated in purple, surrounded by modern white buildings under a cloudy sky.
November 7, 2025 at 10:03 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
A great example of local collaboration driving national change! Yesterday, #Merseyside SLC worked with #ArrivaBus to help drivers understand BPS passengers' needs.

Across the UK, SLCs are building understanding and creating positive change.

Learn more: bit.ly/3zwOF5u #MakeTransportAccessible
Four people in high-vis at Arriva bus garage, crossing a zebra crossing. Kelly is in the middle, walking with her pink cane. Members of Arriva Bus Garage and Merseyside SLC are sat on a bus. A male staff member is wearing sim specs glasses and navigating down the aisle, whilst holding a long cane.
November 6, 2025 at 4:23 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
🚌 At #Runcorn, #ArrivaBus drivers learned what it’s like as a #blind or #Partiallysighted passenger using simulation glasses, canes & our lived experience. Drivers then shared ideas for more inclusive journeys. Want to increase access? Free training materials: bit.ly/3zwOF5u #MakeTransportAccessible
Inside a bus, several people wearing bright orange safety vests are seated and standing. One person (pictured left) is SLC Engagement Manager Kelly Barton. She is holding a pink mobility cane near the front. SLC member Mick sits with a guide dog lying on the floor on the right. The other three people are from the bus depot. The bus interior has blue patterned seats and yellow handrails. Three bus drivers in orange safety vests are gathered in a break room, two seated and one standing behind them with arms resting on their shoulders. A fourth person is at a table in the background. On the table in the foreground is a case containing simulation glasses, along with a cup and saucer. A bus driver wearing an orange safety vest and simulation glasses is stepping onto a bus using a white mobility cane. Several others in orange vests are behind, and a guide dog is visible near the doorway. The bus entrance has a red floor ramp, and another bus is parked outside.
November 5, 2025 at 10:02 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
💜 Happy #PurpleTuesday!
We’re working to #MakeRetailAccessible for blind & partially sighted (BPS) people.
✅ 70% of disabled customers don’t return after poor service.
Learn more & access our free retailer resources created by BPS sighted SLC members: https://bit.ly/47AnUdp

#AccessibilityMatters
Graphic with a white background featuring purple quotation marks. A quote from Anthony Gough, Greater Manchester Sight Loss Council volunteer, says: "Shopping is not just about buying, it’s about participation in the community and feeling valued."
November 4, 2025 at 9:30 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
🚔 Partnering with West Midlands Police, Sight Loss Councils have delivered another VI Awareness session, after joint work tackling illegal e-bikes. Officers learned about barriers, safety & sighted guiding, & we received excellent feedback. #InclusiveCommunities #StreetsForAll #MakeStreetsAccessible
A group photo of West Midlands Police Officers stood alongside sight Loss Council (SLC) Senior Engagement Manager Lu (6th from right), SLC Co-ordinator PJ (far right), and volunteer SLC member Paul (second from right) with his guide dog Prygo. They are smiling at the camera. The SLC banner and a presentation screen with the SLC and Thomas Pocklington Trust logos can be seen in the background. Empty chairs are in the foreground where the delegates were sat.
November 3, 2025 at 10:02 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
🚆 Try a Train with Lancashire Sight Loss Council, Galloways & Community Rail Lancashire
📅 18 Nov | 🕘 9:45am–3pm | 📍 Accrington Station
Build confidence travelling by train. Free event with guides & refreshments.
🔗 Book: https://bit.ly/3LeyOxW

#MakeTransportAccessible #Railway200 #Accessible Travel
Promotional graphic for “Try a Train” event. A man with a white cane presses a button to open a train door with high-contrast yellow and red panels. Symbols above the windows show wheelchair and bike spaces. Text reads: “Try a Train with Lancashire Sight Loss Council, Galloways and Community Rail Lancashire. Free event for blind and partially sighted people.” Sight Loss Councils logo and date: 18 Nov 2025.
October 31, 2025 at 1:03 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
🏅 Nearly 80 blind & partially sighted people joined Lancashire Sight Loss Council’s first Let’s Get Active Day - trying new sports, building confidence & meeting new people, and already it's creating a legacy. Learn more: http://bit.ly/4355nEy

#LetsGetActive #InclusionMatters #SportsForAll
A child stands on an outdoor sports court holding a red-and-white ball in one hand, with the other arm extended as if preparing to throw. The child is wearing a green hoodie, black pants, and sneakers. Behind the child, an adult in a grey and red hoodie and jeans stands on the court. The background shows a fenced area with markings for multiple games and a few people seated near the fence. The sky is overcast. Sight Loss Council Engagement Manager, Kelly Barton (left), and SLC Co-ordinator, David Parfett (right), are stood in the foreground wearing white hoodies with the SLC logo printed on them. They are smiling at the camera. Kelly is holding a blue navigation cane. In the background, six event participants are spaced out on an outdoor sports court, throwing a ball to one another that is visible mid-air. A grassy embankment and fence line the background. Three event participants and a sports coach stand on an outdoor court holding tennis rackets upright. They are dressed in casual sportswear and positioned close together. Behind them is a tall wire fence and a grassy area. A participant wearing gloves stands at a wooden showdown table, ready to play. Several others are gathered around faced towards the showdown table. They are pictured in an indoor area of the school, which has red and cream walls, stairs, and posters on the walls. A guide dog is in the background.
October 30, 2025 at 10:03 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Inclusive Design in Action - London Sight Loss Councils shared their lived experiences & took @hounslowcouncil.bsky.social on a sim-spec walk to experience challenges first-hand. This session is already shaping safer, more accessible streets.🔗 Learn more: http://bit.ly/4oa0rqd 

#StreetsForAll
October 29, 2025 at 10:02 AM
slcouncils.bsky.social
Driving Change: Sussex Sight Loss Council has partnered with Connected Kerb for a simulation walk to highlight the challenges #blind & #PartiallySighted people face when navigating streets with EV charging points. Connected Kerb is reviewing charger placement & app design as a result

#StreetsForAll
A group of around 20 people standing outdoors in a park, smiling together after the walk. The group includes Sight Loss Council volunteers, staff, and members of the Connected Kerb team. Two individuals in the photo are holding navigation canes. Sight Loss Council volunteer Clinton stood holding a cane talks to a Connected Kerb team member wearing simulation glasses and holding a phone. Clinton is holding a large print instruction guide for an accessibility test on accessing the company’s app. A Connected Kerb team member wearing simulation glasses closely examines an EV charging point.
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM
slcouncils.bsky.social
🌟Small changes, big impact. Adding white bands to bollards in Berwick-upon-Tweed is improving safety and visibility for #blind & #PartiallySighted residents, and this is just the beginning. Sight Loss Councils are continuing our work with Northumberland County Council to #MakeStreetsAccessible. 🦯
Row of all-black bollards lining a paved street in a town centre, with no contrasting markings. Shops and buildings are visible in the background, along with colourful bunting strung across the street. The word “BEFORE” is printed in white letters inside a grey box at the bottom centre. Row of dark bollards along a cobblestone street, each with two white painted bands, one near the top and one near the base, creating strong colour contrast. Parked cars are visible on the right, and a wooden planter is in the background. The word “AFTER” is printed in bold black letters at the bottom left.
October 28, 2025 at 10:35 AM