Conference Live Stream 2026

By registering to join us online, you will have access to watch the keynote panel session and two specified workshops per day. Please note this is access to watch the below sessions only; it is not interactive access.

Please note: The live stream will not be recorded.

Online Programme

Online attendees will be able to watch the following elements of the conference:

Wednesday 23 September 2026

• Opening Address and Panel Session, 10:30 – 12noon

Our opening panel looks at navigating uncertainty and volatility, locally, nationally and globally, and how we keep people with lived experience at the centre of decision-making.

Panel: The panel is hosted by Debra Allcock Tyler, Chief Executive of the Directory of Social Change, with panellists Chloe Joyner, Founder of Usher Kids UK, Harbi Jama, Philanthropy and Partnerships Leader, Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, Sandi Wassmer, CEO of Onvero and Tilly Dowler, The Blind Stylist.

• Workshop one, 13:30 – 14:45: From Outcomes to Impact: Preparing for Social Return On Investment

Many organisations want to better understand and demonstrate their impact, but may not yet feel ready to undertake a full Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis. This practical workshop is designed for charities and community organisations that already think about outcomes and want to strengthen the foundations needed for future SROI work.

The session will explore key building blocks including theory of change, impact mapping, stakeholder engagement and proportionate, pragmatic data collection. Delegates will consider what “SROI readiness” looks like in practice, identify strengths and gaps in their current approach and leave with practical steps to strengthen their impact practice.

Facilitators: Aditi Mehta, Senior Analyst (Pro Bono and Publications), Costello Medical and Seth Francis-Graham, Consultant (Real-World Evidence), Costello Medical.

• Workshop two, 15:15 – 16:30: Progressive Sight Loss: Meeting the Needs of Affected Families

Join Usher Kids UK to explore the type of support needed for families and individuals who have received a diagnosis of progressive sight loss for their child or themselves, as well as the particular challenges and needs associated with this type of vision loss.

Facilitator: Chloe Joyner, Founder and Chair of Trustees, Usher Kids.

Thursday 24 September 2026

• Welcome and Panel Session, 09:00 – 10:10

Our second panel gets honest about what it really takes to sustain ourselves and each other in demanding roles, from mindfulness and movement to balancing work and family life.

Panel: The panel is hosted by Clare Burgess, CEO of Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey, with panellists Dr Beverley Duguid, Freelance Mindfulness Teacher, Mark Upton, CEO of MyVision Oxfordshire, Steven Johnson, Founder and Developer of Black Lens App and Susanette Mansour, A Catalyst for Transformation.

• Workshop three, 10:30 – 11:45: Commissioned Services: How Did We Get Here, and What Can We do to Safeguard Essential Services for Blind and Partially Sighted People

Across the UK we are hearing stories of multiple organisations having to prop up local authorities through underfunded commissioned services. As financial pressures on governments are likely to only get worse, this session will explore not only how we got to this point, but how both the sector as a whole can adapt and change, along with practical advice for organisations that are struggling with the viability of providing commissioned services now and into the future.

Facilitators: Craig Spalding, CEO, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans and Lowri Bartrum, CEO, Vision Support. Sponsored by Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans as well as Vision Support.

• Workshop four, 12:15 – 13:30: AI and Inclusion: Rethinking Support in a Changing World

How AI is reshaping life for blind and partially sighted people. This panel session explores how AI is transforming everyday experiences for blind and partially sighted people, moving beyond the technology itself to examine impact on daily life. It will highlight emerging opportunities alongside persistent challenges, including bias, accessibility barriers, and gaps in digital inclusion.

Through shared experiences and examples, such as image description, navigation tools, and AI wearables. The session will show how AI is already changing how people access information and the world around them. Crucially, it will explore how these advances are beginning to blur traditional boundaries of support, reshaping expectations of habilitation, vision rehabilitation and sight loss charities. As AI becomes embedded in daily life, services will need to adapt, rethink their roles, and respond to new, evolving demands. The workshop emphasises co-design as essential to ensuring future services are relevant, inclusive and fit for a rapidly changing landscape.

Panel: Panel host Mark Owen, CEO, Outlookers and panellists Jamie Bruce, Vision Rehabilitation Specialist and Tech Champion, Guide Dogs, Jemma Brown, Independent Living Advisor – Smart Technologies, OpenSight and Steven Johnson, Founder and Developer of Black Lens App. Sponsored by the Tech Hub Project, a Vision Partnership project led by Guide Dogs UK

• Closing Remarks, 13:35 – 13:45 With Mark Upton, Visionary’s Chair of Trustees and CEO of MyVision Oxfordshire.

Read more about this year’s panellists

Cost

Live streaming of the conference is funded by Fight for Sight, meaning there is no charge for the content itself. Visionary charges a registration administration fee of:

• £20 per attendee for Visionary members and partner organisations.
• £50 per attendee for non-member/partner organisations.
  

How to book

Please use the link below to register. If there is more than one person attending from your organisation, select “Add Another Delegate” for each person attending, to ensure everyone joining is registered:

Visionary Annual Conference: Livestream Booking Form

Access link

Online attendees will receive their access link on or before 16 September 2026.

If you have any questions, please email visionary@visionary.org.uk (opens email)

#VisionaryConference26