NCBI has launched an online radio station for blind or vision impaired listeners that broadcasts 24 hours a day. The content covers all aspects of living with sight loss, from technology, to issues affecting the sight loss community, to individuals sharing their own stories and experiences. It draws on the best of NCBI’s most recent audio content from the NCBI Talking Technology podcast and Advocacy Talks on a loop, as well as information about NCBI’s services and campaigns and how to get in touch. The loop runs for three hours in duration before repeating again, so the audio stream runs 24/7. The content is updated regularly.
Ms June Tinsley, NCBI Head of Communications and Advocacy, said: “This is essentially like a dedicated radio station for people who are blind or vision-impaired. We know radio is such an important companion to many to offset feelings of loneliness and to know they are not alone in their diagnosis or experiences. Adding NCBI Live to our offering enables us to reach more service users and encourage them to avail of our services countrywide.”
NCBI Live is the brainchild of two service users, David Redmond and Patrick Hennessy. Presently, the content is all pre-recorded, but this platform has the potential to grow and expand significantly to include live interviews, playing requests, etc.
NCBI Live can be accessed directly through the NCBI website, https://www.ncbi.ie/live/ or through the NCBI Smart Hub, which is activated using a smart speaker such as Alexa or Google Home.
