RSBC Unseen

RSBC Unseen Podcast | It's not Us, It's You | S.05 E.05

• Royal Society For Blind Children • Season 5 • Episode 5

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0:00 | 18:25
Everyone:

It's not us, it's you.

Jacob:

How would you feel if you couldn't get from your house to work without any assistance?

Ember:

Welcome to it's not us, it's you.

Scarlett:

We're a group of blind and partially sighted people

Nailah:

And we want to share with you the reality of living our lives independently.

Jacob:

First up, Travel.

Scarlett:

I love going on trains.

Nailah:

I hate it.

Scarlett:

What? You're so wrong. They're perfect. They're fast, and they get you everywhere.

Nailah:

Well, I get left

Scarlett:

Your problem!

Nailah:

My assistants leave me!

Scarlett:

That sounds still like a you problem.

Nailah:

There are barely any accessible stations, and they leave me stranded

Scarlett:

Still kind of a you problem. My experience has been perfect.

Nailah:

I have to leave so much earlier just to be able to get assistance.

Scarlett:

Honestly, though, that still just seems like a you issue.

Nailah:

Oh, sorry, I forgot. The world doesn't revolve around my disability. It's not a me problem. It's an accessibility issue.

Scarlett:

Oh, what?

Nailah:

Okay, listen, I'm on the train, tired, long day, fed up. We get to my station, doors open, I'm left waiting for hours, minutes, seconds, no, no one turns up, no assistance, no help. I'm stuck. I am stuck. Tell me, am I over exaggerating now?

Juliette Parfitt:

So, Scarlet and Nailah have highlighted a very common problem there that we have with getting assistance. So for those that don't know, in order to travel independently on trains, blind and partially sighted people often get assistance. It can be pre booked, or it can be something called turn up and go, but basically what it means is we'll know our route. We will turn up. We will ask someone at the station to let the other end know, or if we're swapping over. They'll let the stations in between know, and we get met and guided on and off the train, between platforms, in and out of the stations, whatever we need. It's awesome when it works. Occasionally it goes wrong, as you heard from this skit. Sometimes we don't get met, and we are stranded in stations and platforms that we don't necessarily know, and we have to rely on the kindness of strangers or not. So I want to open it up to you guys to have a little chat about your experiences, starting with what your biggest frustrations with assistance are. Ember, I want to throw to you to share your experience as a wheelchair user

Ember:

The main problem as a visually impaired wheelchair user are trains leaving before assistance arrive, or assistance just not showing up at all to put the ramp down. This can mean getting stuck on the train for hours if there's no step free access to platforms coming up on that route.

Juliette Parfitt:

Oh, so you've been stuck, like for a long time before,

Ember:

Yeah, sometimes it can be like, two hours. Sometimes it's shorter, though, it depends.

Juliette Parfitt:

God, that must be really stressful.

Ember:

Yeah, it is stressful. Sometimes you have to rely on other people on the train to help out.

Juliette Parfitt:

Are they generally quite helpful?

Ember:

Oh, sometimes

Juliette Parfitt:

Nailah, have you got anything like that? Your kind of frustrations?

Nailah:

I think me and Scarlett speak together on this one, because I think we have very similar experiences on the fact that we just get forgotten.

Scarlett:

Yeah, it's kind of like we go, we ask, and then they'll say they'll radio ahead, we get to the next station and there's no one there.

Nailah:

It actually happened today.

Scarlett:

Yeah, bit of a difficult one, because then also you can't see the people that you need so you can't find them yourself.

Juliette Parfitt:

How does it make you feel when you get off the train? You're like, oh, where is everyone

Scarlett:

Anxious, stressed out? Yeah, makes you stressed out. And then by the time you find assistance, you've got to have someone come up to you first, because you look stressed out.

Nailah:

Yeah, I feel like you really need to plan ahead. I think I could leave sometimes, like around half an hour, like half an hour to plan my travels, but I have to leave an hour just so I can get assistance. Because sometimes it takes so long because they have to hand over different lines. I just wish it was like the same assistance people for all train lines.

Juliette Parfitt:

Yeah, when it works, it works, it works really well, doesn't it? Like, when it's really smooth, like, actually, I had really good assistants on the way here today, and it was perfect. But I do think also sometimes I feel like you have while you're being guided between lines or between trains, there's always the small talk element. I don't know if any of you guys had any, like, funny conversations or weird sort of stories or comments from the people you've been with, ah, go and hit me with them.

Scarlett:

The funniest ones are is when they recognise us, like, because obviously we go to the same stations to go to certain places, they recognise us, and then we follow on with our conversation. So I think that's a bit nice of when you're recognised, it's kind of like, oh, they remember you.

Nailah:

I think it's really funny that. Haven't you often see two blind teenagers?

Scarlett:

I think that's what shocks people.

Nailah:

And then they're like, so how do you want this to work? Do you want us to get two assistance? Do you both want to hold arms? One arm, one arm? It looks like a little army when, like, Oh, we're together, but I find it really fun, and we have this one assistance. And the they know, like me and Scarlett's whole football journey. It's really funny.

Scarlett:

So, I think there's definitely a lot of positives to it, and then there's negatives. I think a lot of it comes down to a lack of understanding.

Juliette Parfitt:

Yeah, yeah. It's a bit like potluck, if you get someone that's like, been trained well and is really empathetic, and then sometimes you don't, but when it works well, again, like I say, when it works well, it works well, it really works well. Ember, have you got any, like, funny stories you want to share?

Ember:

Sometimes people raise their voice when they see that i have a cane. I'm not really sure why.

Juliette Parfitt:

I was like, yeah. Whenever I'm like, No, you've, you've, you've misunderstood that, my friend, sorry. Nice one. So then, what would we want people to know that are assisting us? And is there anything we think might improve it for us?

Nailah:

Definetly.

Juliette Parfitt:

All right, go for it Nailah

Nailah:

I think they need what I've learned is that they're actually not really taught on blindness a lot, blindness is a spectrum. I think they need to understand blindness as a spectrum. And one thing I would want them to improve on is understanding blindness is a spectrum. Because, yeah, it's, it's really annoying.

Juliette Parfitt:

It's strange how people still don't seem to know that yet.

Nailah:

Definitely.

Juliette Parfitt:

Scarlett, what do you think?

Scarlett:

Yeah, definitely with, like, the more training, because even to the point that you'll be accused of faking. But also, on the same end, it's not just people who are blind who use a cane. You don't have to be like, blind to use a cane. People who are partially sighted still use a cane. So I think it's still a lot of like, the lack of understanding, and kind of like, getting called out by assistance, yeah, when you're just there to help me

Juliette Parfitt:

Yeah, yeah, sometimes they'll ask you questions. You'll be like, I didn't need this in my day. I don't actually really want to tell you when I lost my eyesight and how I feel about it, but I like, I know it comes from a nice place, but I just want to go home

Scarlett:

And they don't explain what they're doing

Nailah:

Definitely

Scarlett:

they'd just be dragging you across. Go left.

Nailah:

Can we talk about yesterday she nearly ended up in the tracks It wasn't even the assistance, I recognise. I could hear her cane going off the tactile, I was like, Scarlet, move to your left. Scarlet. Move to your left. I had to pull her. And I was like, that's really wrong.

Juliette Parfitt:

So it's quite patchy. So it'd be nice if there was a bit more consistency. Definitely. Ember, what do you think anything you'd want people to know who are assisting?

Ember:

Maybe just ask people like how they need supporting instead of assuming what they need. Because not every not the same things work for everyone

Juliette Parfitt:

Yeah, so actually, considering individual needs

Ember:

Yeah

Juliette Parfitt:

Love that. All right. Thanks guys.

Nailah:

Thanks

Jacob:

Sports.

Nailah:

Blind people can't play sports.

Scarlett:

Well, of course we can

Nailah:

Blind people can't play sports.

Scarlett:

Yes, we can.

Nailah:

Well, there's no point of you doing it. You can't see it you so you can't do it.

Scarlett:

Well, I hate ignorant people who think they are right all the damn time.

Nailah:

Now, what you trying to tell me

Scarlett:

What I'm saying by that logic, people who can't sing should never sing them.

Nailah:

Excuse me, that's different

Scarlett:

is it really, though?

Nailah:

Well, prove to me that I'm wrong, because it's just useless to stick a blind person in a sports it'll ruin the game for everyone else.

Scarlett:

Ah yes, because we should just sit at home and do nothing and wait for your approval my hobby.

Nailah:

That's not what I meant.

Scarlett:

But you clearly, did we play sports amazingly.

Nailah:

Okay, so why aren't you in sports then?

Scarlett:

Okay, listen to this. I want to play sports. I search online, nothing. I ask around. Everyone looks at me as if I'm crazy. Why would a blind person even be in sports? It's not that we can't play, it's that no one ever gave us the opportunity to.

Juliette Parfitt:

So once again, Nailah and Scarlett have demonstrated some sort of frequent conversations that we have with people who kind of assume we can't do certain things. So sports, in particular, blind and partially sighted sports are adapted in a few different ways. It varies massively between sports, so I won't go into all of them, but often it can be things like blindfolding players, so everybody's kind of working with just playing by ear and using things like sound balls, or it can be like putting tactile markers on pitches or courts that we play on, and different things like that. So those are a couple of the key elements that we can use to adapt. So like, actually, we're not using our eyes at all if we don't want to be. But there are many, many, many other different sports, so it can vary between. But I wanted to get, uhm, Jacob to share, yeah, his experience. So you play goalball, tell us a little bit about your goalball journey.

Jacob:

So my goalball journey has been going on for around three years now. I am currently on the GB pathway. I've been offered for one of their next tournaments to play for GB. So, yeah.

Juliette Parfitt:

So that's like the national team.

Jacob:

Yeah, that's basically highest, highest level

Juliette Parfitt:

Amazing. What's your favourite thing about it?

Jacob:

I'll say, just being around others with the like same understanding as you. I just feel like Blind Sports, they just offer such, like, a unique experience, and it's really good.

Juliette Parfitt:

So you like, you know it's going to be accessible, yeah, that camaraderie of people that understand you. Yep, beautiful. So Scarlett and Nailah, you play a blind football. Tell us a bit about that. How did you guys get into it?

Scarlett:

You go first

Nailah:

I got into it in August 2024 coming up to two years. And I got in for RSBC, actually, and then I started playing for Bloomsbury. I am now on my England pathway, and I play for Bloomsbury football.

Scarlett:

I've been playing for about a year now I play for Bloomsbury, and then I started off in the RSBC sessions because Nailah told me to come to them to start off. And then I join my pathway next week for England. Yay.

Juliette Parfitt:

Oh, wow. So you're both gonna be, like, heading towards playing for, for the home team.

Nailah:

Yeah, lionesses.

Juliette Parfitt:

Oh, that's so exciting.

Scarlett:

Yeah.

Juliette Parfitt:

Oh, awesome. So something I wanted to ask then, because you kind of play adapted sports, are there any skills that you've developed through playing goalball and football that you find you've kind of used in your lives, generally, or like, is anything it brings to your lives that you want to share, like, how it makes you feel, what you enjoy about it, and, yeah, like, things that you're like you use day to day that you didn't expect, maybe,

Scarlett:

Um, especially because when you're blindfolded, you have to use your ears a lot. So it makes you be able to use your ears more in, like, daily life, because obviously, your ears are the most important part when you don't have the eyesight. So I think that also makes it a lot better, also confidence and working with other people who are the same as you have similar eyesights, and it makes it a lot easier, because you're around people who understand, whereas if you went into a normal sports place, you're with people who are sighted and they're not at the same level as you

Juliette Parfitt:

it's like you're not sure how people are going to be.

Scarlett:

Yeah

Juliette Parfitt:

Yeah. Nailah, what do you think?

Nailah:

I think I have found a very big part of myself in my sport. I found a big joy. I've improved my confidence amazingly, and I found a passion. And I think me like I've had a really good time, especially with me and Scarlett's friendship. It's really bounces from football, I'd say, a lot. And you meet other people who are interested in the sport you, you find your passion, definitely for it.

Juliette Parfitt:

Find your passion. Find your people.

Nailah:

Find your passion. Find your people.

Juliette Parfitt:

Love it. Jacob, what about you?

Jacob:

Yeah, so I would say with goalball, especially critical thinking is something we pick up a lot, because with goalball, you've got a lot of times where you need to be like, on point. You, you can't like. It can be very fast paced, and you just need to keep up with it.

Juliette Parfitt:

So you've got to be like, paying attention and ready for anything,

Jacob:

yeah. Ready for anything, yeah.

Juliette Parfitt:

So and I can see how it makes everyone gel as team, because you're all listening to each other, you're all kind of aware of each other, and you've got to build, like, work together to to beat the other team

Jacob:

Exactly.

Nailah:

Yeah

Jacob:

That's the whole point.

Juliette Parfitt:

Something that was highlighted in your skit, Scarlet and Nailah was like a real kind of lack of awareness of, oh my god, do people even do blind people even play sports. Nailah, I know this is something you're quite passionate about. Is this lack of awareness? Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Nailah:

Yeah, it's definitely a lot of lack of awareness. Because if you search up, you don't really find many and it's a lot about the men's team. Yeah, I just wish we had a lot more female representation,

Scarlett:

because also, when you do find a group, it tends to be more towards the little children.

Nailah:

Definitely

Scarlett:

like, I think, especially some, some blind sports are more acknowledged than others, but some are still down there when there's a wide, like, variety of many sports that people wouldn't know about.

Nailah:

Yeah

Scarlett:

like, I only found out about Blind Sports last year

Nailah:

I only found out about it in 2024 I just wish that it was highlighted more. And I think if it was highlighted more, the community would definitely accept it more. And it's like, when you tell someone first you're playing Blind Sports, they're quite interested. It's not like they're gonna go and, like, be rude, say stuff. They might make a few comments, but at the end of the day, they actually want to learn. And I actually believe, I wish they put parasports in school learning systems, because you learn every single sports in PE but you don't learn parasports.

Juliette Parfitt:

That's a really good point, actually, Nailah, I think that would be super helpful.

Nailah:

I think it isolates you a lot, especially when you go to a mainstream school

Scarlett:

and also anyone can lose their vision at any point. So I don't get why it's not added to the curriculum to at least do like at one point in secondary to tell you that there are sports because visual impairment is very invisible. No one you can't always tell someone's got a visual impairment, and anyone at any stage of their life can lose their eyesight, so knowing that it's there can also bring that independence to them.

Nailah:

Yeah, I think I've only done para sports when the Paralympics was around, and I that's when I kind of learned about it. It's very unknown, definitely

Juliette Parfitt:

So, for young visually impaired people who maybe are thinking about trying a new activity, or maybe they're a bit nervous, or they're not sure, what would you guys say to encourage them to like give it a go?

Scarlett:

Um, you don't know if you like it until you try it. Like, there's so many sports out there to do that you don't know if you won't like it unless you try it. And also, no one's there to judge. We're all in the same footsteps. We're all there to do the same thing, and we've all got vision loss. So there's no one there to judge you.

Nailah:

Yeah, I will agree. I think just go, give it a go. If it's a distance, just go, because you never know that could be your dream to go to the Paralympics, play for England, you never know. Just have the go. And if people are stopping you, just ignore them and just continue. There's so many charities that can support you to get into sports.

Juliette Parfitt:

Jacob, any any advice, any words of wisdom for anyone looking to try some new activity?

Jacob:

I would say, Yeah, give it a go, because it's like with these sports, no matter the distance, no matter like how it's played, sometimes you just have to ignore all of that. So then you can just fully focus on the sport, and then eventually you will understand how the sport is played, what it's like, how it represents you as a person. Yeah.

Juliette Parfitt:

Amazing. Thanks, Jacob. Wise words to leave us on

Everyone:

Yeah.

Juliette Parfitt:

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the RSBC Unseen podcast. You can catch all our other episodes in all the normal podcast places, plus on the RSBC Youth Voice YouTube channel, where you can also check out our video content. This podcast was made by RSBC Youth Voice in collaboration with Roundhouse featuring

Scarlett:

Scarlett

Nailah:

Nailah

Jacob:

Jacob

Ember:

Ember

Nailah:

Thank you so much for listening and catch you in the next one!