I decided to switch to a Mac from PC in late 2023, and I must say that I wish I had made the move much earlier…. However, there are a few adjustments I needed to make and thought I would note them down to help others. How does the Mac Differ? I found this short video by MacVince a fantastic overview of the key changes between a PC and Mac. Keyboard Layout The keyboard on a Mac is different to a PC. Control, Option and Command Keys The Command key on a Mac is the equivalent to Control on a PC – despite it being located where you would expect an Alt key on a PC. The Option key on a Mac is the e ..read more

Overview This is a series of posts exploring my sight loss journey, in the hope that it raises awareness and helps just one person. If you missed Part 1, read My Sight Loss Journey – Part 1. Surrendering My Driving Licence In late 2015 I reduced my driving, especially at night, when I felt I was doubting myself. I decided that I would need to stop driving when I didn’t feel safe and not to wait until something happens. I was still legally ok to drive, but I had noticed I was doubting my eyes and not always seeing what I thought I was seeing. Deciding to give up driving was never going to be ea ..read more

In December 2023, I made the move to a Macbook Pro after being a Windows guy for decades. I want to share my learnings as I get used to the Mac. In this post, I focus on Mac App installs with Homebrew. What is HomeBrew? Homebrew is a package installer, it is a command line utility that helps to install and update applications. How to get HomeBrew? Homebrew is easy to install. Go to brew.sh for the latest install instructions. Below are the steps as of Jan 2024. Press Command Space to open ‘SpotLight’ Type Terminal Select terminal Copy the code below and paste into terminal. Press Enter and fo ..read more

After publishing my blind tech setup last year and receiving great feedback, I thought I would update. it for 2023. So, I am sharing what I use in my Blind Tech Setup this year, I hope you find it useful. Phone and Watch No change here, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Apple Watch Ultra are my tools of choice. The increased screen size on the Watch Ultra has helped me with seeing the time. However, I started to use VoiceOver on the watch, especially for telling the time in the middle of the night. The longer battery life of the Ultra means I don’t need to worry about the any additional power consumed ..read more

Overview This is a series of posts exploring my sight loss journey, in the hope that it raises awareness and helps just one person. Growing up While growing up, I recall my Grandad having a sight issue, I was a child and really didn’t think much of it. He had adapted well and while he used a white cane while out, the only time I recall him making a noticable adaption was playing snooker, where he couldn’t tell the difference between some of the balls. I was probably around 9 or 10, and it didn’t strike me as being different. When I was in my teens, my mum ran into a parked pick up truck. No on ..read more

Travelling on trains can be stressful for everyone, but I want to talk about the challenges a Blind person faces while traveling on trains and how they can be overcome. I will share a recent trip I took to London, so you can understand how I, as a Blind person, travel on trains. Planning and Buying Tickets For anyone with a disability, planning is key. For this trip I found out I needed to travel two weeks before hand. I start by finding the trains I want to travel on. For this, I personally use trainline.com to find and buy the tickets. Once I have the tickets booked, I need to book Passenger ..read more

Finding gifts is hard, it is even harder when buying for blind and low vision friends and family. The Blind and Low Vision Gift Guide is here to help with some inspiration. Cards Most cards have fancy fonts and poor contrast, making them hard for blind and low vision recipients to enjoy, that’s where specialist cards come in. Hayley is visually impaired with a rare genetic condition that runs through her family. Hayley set up Dotty About Braille to provide custom handmade cards for low vision and blind recipients at a price comparable to sighted recipients. Check out the amazing range of cards ..read more

The Lego Group started shipping their Lego Braille Bricks (40656) to consumers on the 1st of September 2023 amidst widespread excitement. My set has arrived, and I wanted to provide a short Lego Braille Bricks review. The Box The box is embossed with braille to detail the set title ‘Lego Braille Bricks’ and to advise you where to scan for instructions. On scanning the barcode, you are taken to the dedicated Lego Braille Bricks site with six video clips detailing games you can play with the set. Inside the box The box is sealed with three stick tape tabs, once cut the lid folds back to provide ..read more

While on Scotland, I took the opportunity to ride on the UK’s first Autonomous Bus being operated in Edinburgh by Stagecoach. The bus is a single-decker Alexander Dennis bus that has been fitted with LIDAR and cameras to track its environment, along with a computer and mechanisms to drive the bus. The bus is part of a trial and currently operates with two drivers. One driver remains behind the wheel at all times and the second is there to welcome you onboard and provide tickets. The seat backs encompass a wireless charger, USB A charging port, Stop button with S in braille, a downward facing l ..read more

Reading to your kids is one of the parenting pleasures parents take for granted. So, how do you read to kids when you are blind? In the Sight Loss Tip: How to Read to Kids article I posted some time ago, I covered the techniques I used for reading to my kids. After posting it on Mastodon recently, Sarah Matthews reached out to let me know about a technique she had picked up from other VI parents, which is too good not to share. With kids’ books often having unsual fonts and poor colour contrast, and being read in dimmed rooms, it is hard to use apps to OCR the text. The solution many parents a ..read more