Reference Webpage about Service for Visually Impaired, and Blind People

10/23/2026

When a bus driver switches off the announcements, they’re switching off someone’s independence.

Today, I watched a bus driver switch the automated stop announcements into diversion mode, meaning passengers could no longer hear which stops were coming up.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve experienced it.

As someone living with a vision impairment, these announcements aren’t just helpful. They’re essential for travelling independently, knowing where I am and getting off at the correct stop.

And here’s the thing: they’re not optional.

Under the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023, most local buses are legally required to provide audible and visible journey information. Another major compliance deadline passed on 1 October 2026.

Yet drivers are still switching these systems off.

For someone with sight loss, missing a stop can mean ending up somewhere unfamiliar, feeling vulnerable or losing confidence in travelling independently.

These announcements also benefit people with learning disabilities, dementia and those unfamiliar with an area.

Accessibility only works when it’s actually being used.

Bus operators need to ensure their drivers understand that accessibility features are there for a reason.

Have you experienced bus announcements being switched off or not working?

Image description: Cartoon showing a woman with a brown bob haircut and glasses, wearing a pink Blind Mum hoodie, sitting on a bus. The driver is switching off the announcements. Text reads: “When a bus driver switches off the announcements… they’re switching off someone’s independence.”

10/13/2026

"Blindness is not best understood by closing one’s eyes and trying to cross a room," Gary Wunder wrote.

"It is understood by listening to people who live with blindness every day. It is understood by learning from blind people who work, raise families, travel, read, cook, teach, lead, worship, vote, love, argue, build, and contribute. It is understood by recognizing that we are not symbols of tragedy, courage, helplessness, or inspiration. We are human beings."

Read more of "The Golden Rule, the Platinum Rule, and the Right to Speak for Ourselves," in the Braille Monitor: https://buff.ly/ApyvLAn

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! We understand that access to quality employment helps people who are blind or have low vision live more independent lives. is a great time to check out ACB’s employment-related resources, including ACB Job Connection, which lists nationwide job announcements.

Check out ACB Job Connection here: https://www.acb.org/jobs

10/13/2026

Tuesday’s Top Tip - small changes to the language we use can make a huge difference to someone with sight loss.

Instead of saying “over there”, try giving clear directions using clock or compass references - for example, “the door is to your left, at 9 o’clock.”

Describing the layout of a room can also help someone feel more confident and independent.

A little more detail can make a big difference!

10/13/2026

In this encore episode, hear from people with vision loss about their experiences with white canes, the hesitations they had at first, and the difference using one has made in their lives.

10/13/2026

For many, picking up the cane isn’t easy. Vision loss is a spectrum, and the cane can invite personal uncertainty and public misunderstanding. Yet our members often share how it becomes a source of freedom and connection. Hear their stories in honor of World White Cane Day on October 15.

04/07/2024

The National Federation of the Blind champions collective action. One fundamental way to exercise collective action is through voting privately and independently. Blind people are often deprived of this right, especially in vote-by-mail systems. In some cases, even when there is an accessible way to electronically mark a ballot, we must still print, sign, and mail it. We must therefore rely on non-blind people to assist with this process, and we must trust them to do so in the way that we ask. The Federation fights for our right to vote privately, independently, and accessibly.

Yesterday the National Federation of the Blind of California and others filed a lawsuit in the state of California. The current paper vote-by-mail system is inaccessible, and deprives blind Californians of exercising their fundamental, constitutional right. Our lawsuit does not seek money damages but simply aims to ensure that the 2024 election (and all future elections) have accessible vote-by-mail systems for blind and low-vision voters. Find out more in our press release, and support our effort to be treated as first-class citizens. https://nfb.org/about-us/press-room/coalition-disability-groups-demand-immediate-action-ensure-accessible-ballot