Century-old charity launches new brand, as research reveals people with sight loss missing out on mental health benefits of tech
Visably logo – Your sight loss tech team
Too many people with sight loss are missing out on the incredible possibilities of tech, despite 85 per cent of blind and partially sighted people reporting that technology has positive impact on mental health, research released today reveals.
The findings are published as 98-year-old sight loss charity British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF) launches its new identity and name – Visably – and reveals ambitious plans for new services for the sight loss community.
Their report, ‘Until It Clicks’ (opens window), is kickstarting that new phase for the charity. More than 400 people took part in the study conducted by nfpResearch on Visably’s behalf. The results paint a picture of tech as a powerful force for good in the lives of blind and partially sighted people. The vast majority of people living with sight loss agreed it improves their mental health – peaking at 95 per cent among those with no useful vision.
But it’s a double-edged sword, and 65% of people with no useful vision reported that they frequently or very frequently feel frustrated with tech, with one interviewee describing how a bad tech experience can go as far as to make them feel “inadequate”. Costs and problems accessing personalised training and support were repeatedly cited as barriers stopping people from reaping the potential benefits of tech.
Visably’s transformation strategy will see the re-branded charity respond directly to the findings by building a nationwide network of new personalised services to address key gaps in support.
Sophie Jones, Chief Executive of Visably“We know technology has the power to boost the every day. It can mean bedtime stories read, family recipes cooked, homework aced. But it runs so much deeper, and this research shows that tech really is integral to the mental health of so many people living with sight loss.
But, for some, costs, lack of confidence and gaps in support still put all that potential is out of reach. These are the people Visably exists for. The 1 in 4 who said they waited more than four months for help with their tech. The 71 per cent who said that high costs put tech out of their reach. The significant majority who said that—despite all the progress society has made—tech still frequently leaves them feeling frustrated. As Visably, we are excited to grow and enrich our offer in direct response to what people have told us they want and need, giving our community the right tech and the confidence to use it."
The re-brand marks a significant moment in BWBF’s century-long history. Founded by a group of friends who crafted a makeshift braille-dial radio (or ‘wireless’) for blinded war veteran Sir Ernest Towse, for nearly 100 years the charity has helped tens of thousands of blind and partially sighted people with free specialist and sight-loss friendly technology.
Under the new people-powered brand identity and over the coming months, Visably will launch a series of volunteer-powered pilot projects offering support to the community. Starting in Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow, and working in close collaboration with the wider sight loss sector, the charity will aim to fill service gaps and answer need identified in its research.
Developed in partnership with brand strategists at Sonder & Tell and creative studio Belief Machines, Visably’s brand was co-created with people living with sight loss who’d used the charity’s services. The brand strategy focussed on developing a new identity that brings to life human stories about what tech enables, and how the people Visably supports widen and brighten the world for everyone, while framing accessibility as something joyful and optimistic.
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