The podcast for the blind and visually impaired

NCBI podcast is something you can listen to at your most convenience through your phone or computer. Listen to it wherever you go or whatever you do, even while cooking, cleaning your home, or lying in bed.

• Breandan Ward chats about his life in London and New York as a banker and now consultant on leadership development and disability empowerment. He chats openly about the struggles he faced when adjusting to his sight loss and the importance of having time and the right people and supports to help him through this process.
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• Dave Sheehan: chats about how technology has made life much easier for him and how he enjoys teaching others how to use technology to its full effect.
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• Kyran O’Mahoney, NCBI Chief Technology Officer talks about his passion for technology and how he uses it in his everyday life to overcome his impaired vision. He brings this passion to his role in NCBI and talks about the breadth of technology support and online technology tutorials available to support people with sight loss in making technology work for them.
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• Katheen Donnelly, mum to Annie aged 11, chats about how participating in Vision Sports activities has changed Annie’s life in introducing her to sport and increasing her confidence. Also how NCBI Children’s Team have taught Annie vital life skills to maximise her independence. Kathleen speaks how Covid19 lockdown has affected their life, Annie’s education and what they are looking forward to once restrictions are eased. May 2020.
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• Dr David Keegan, Ophthalmologist chats to June Tinsley, Head of Communications, NCBI about how eye health services are going to be delivered now that Covid19 restrictions are easing and social distancing practices are here to stay. May 2020.
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• Interview with Dr. Donal Fitzpatrick: Dr Donal Fitzpatrick, a lecturer in DCU talks about the important role Braille plays as a form of communication for people who are blind or visually impaired. And how he is working to make communication between braille users and their teachers more accessible.
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• Interview with Shane Ryan: Shane Ryan, from Limerick is Ireland’s first blind rower to cross the Atlantic Ocean. He’s just back from completing a gruelling and exhilarating 54 day Atlantic Rowing Challenge from Portugal to French Guiana. He tells how they overcame rough seas, exhaustion and an encounter with a hungry shark on this extraordinary journey.
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• Interview with Leaving Cert Student 2: Patrick Hennessy, a vision impaired student from Waterford is was due to sit his Leaving Certificate exams this June. We speak to Patrick to find out how he is finding remote learning and staying motivated during this time.
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• Interview with Leaving Cert Student 1: Caitlin Heffernan, a sixth year student from Tipperary with a vision impairment talks about her experience during the Covid19 pandemic. Caitlin talks about working at home, staying motivated and using technology all the while being in the dark about if and when the exams will take place.
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• Interview with Alan Breathnach: Alan Breathnach, NCBI Chief Services Officer speaks about how  NCBI and its staff have responded and adapted services to the Covid19 crisis and its legacy will be the provision of more of NCBI services being offered remotely either by phone or online.
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• Vision Australia Interview with NCBI: Kevin Kelly interviews Karen Knight Head of Client Services with Vision Australia to find out how Vision Australia are dealing with the Covid-19 health crisis.
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• Derek Walker – Kevin Kelly interviews entrepreneur Derek Walker about his Natnoot business and how NCBI and others helped him on his sight loss journey.
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• Dr David Keegan – answers specific questions regarding eye health during Covid19 pandemic, how the eye health services are coping, the risks associated with the virus for those who are visually impaired, and many other questions.
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• Jason Smyth talks to Kevin Kelly about how he’s surviving Covid19 and the deferral of the Paralympics until 2021.
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