Insight helps JDRF staff
Talking book
By Conor McKeever
New service in Gloucestershire
‘Hello My name is Conor McKeever,
and I’m the Research Communication
Officer at Juvenile Diabetic Research
Fund (JDRF) – a global charity that
funds research to cure, treat and
prevent type 1 diabetes. It’s my job
to ‘translate’ the science behind the
condition into something you don’t
need a PhD in biology to understand.
This role means I have to know a lot
about type 1 diabetes. But, because
I don’t have type 1 diabetes
myself, one thing I can never fully
understand is what it’s like to live
with the condition and its effects.
That’s why I asked to borrow a
pair of Simi specs from Insight
Gloucestershire. Simi specs are
specially-adapted goggles that
simulate what it can be like to live
with particular eye conditions – in
this case, diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy is,
unfortunately, a common
complication of diabetes. It’s
caused by damage to the retina,
at the back of the eye, and can be
brought on by consistently high
blood sugar levels.
When I tried on the Simi specs, I
was shocked at how much they
impacted my vision. Reading my
notes, trying to use a computer
screen, or even working out if my
colleagues were looking at me was
tremendously difficult. Even with
Pre-loved equipment for sale
We currently have the following pre-owned equipment available at great
prices (all sold as seen and in good condition),
Cobolt Speechmaster Talking Microwave, with every button spoken
aloud to you, you will find using this microwave a breeze. RRP £225
donations in the region of £70.
Cobolt Speechmaster Talking Combination Microwave Oven - this
version is the same as the talking microwave but packed full of extra
features including a grill and a convection oven. RRP £299 donations in
region of £85.
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2014 · Issue 11
the screen zoomed in and the fonts
made large, I could barely make
it through reading a news story,
let alone a research paper with
intricate diagrams. The experience
made me appreciate just how hard
it must be for people living with
diabetic retinopathy every day.
Showing my colleagues the
glasses, I found that even some
of the most experienced staff
members were surprised at the
challenge faced by people living
with the condition, with many
mentioning that they were pleased
that we funded so much work into
retinopathy. It’s now also been
suggested that we make more of
our information available in large
print, which would help many of
our supporters.
Calibre have been awarded the
contract to supply a Talking
book service to residents in
Gloucestershire who are new to the
service. This service is funded by
Gloucestershire Library service, but
free to the user. If you would like
to join the scheme, please speak
to one our ever-helpful Information
Officers on 01242 22 11 70 who
can make the referral for you.
Calibre Audio Library has recently
celebrated its 40th anniversary and
has come a long way since the first
book, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s
Anne of Green Gables was
recorded around a kitchen table;
now members can enjoy a selection
of 7,200 digital recordings available
on MP3 CD, USB memory sticks or
via streaming.
I’m glad to have helped introduce
a real change, albeit a small one,
and I’m very grateful to Insight
Gloucestershire for giving me the
opportunity to learn more about
what it’s like to live with a visual
impairment.’
You can check out the titles via
the free online catalogue and also
listen to an audio clip of each book:
www.calibre.org.uk. Alternatively,
you can order large print category
catalogues covering 60 genres for
a small charge.
If you would like any more
information on this or any other
eye condition please contact the
helpline on 01242 22 11 70.
You can borrow up to 3 USB sticks
and/or 8 CDs at a time in addition
to limitless streaming titles for your
smartphone, tablet or MP3 player.
2014 · Issue 11
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