Audio Tours of Popular UK Destinations Presented by RNIB

In an attempt to both serve blind tourists, and to educate the public about eye conditions such as Age Related Macular Degeneration AMD, the Royal National Institute of the Blind RNIB has created audio tours of 3 destinations in the UK. So the next time I find myself in London, Edinburgh, or NewCastle I'll be sure to utilize this great service.

On my trips in the past I have participated in guided tours. Some have been better than others, but I think that having a tour with the blind in mind would be the best. There are a lot of visual cues that tour guides rely on. Also, by having the tour be self guided, blind and sighted patrons can take as much time as they need.

Here is an example of a passage from the London tour that helps educate listeners about AMD. "On the other side of the river is the famous London Eye, one of London’s top attractions that will be celebrating its 10th birthday in March. If you were to experience the common sight condition Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), you would find that your vision slowly deteriorates by gradual central blurring, and that the colours fade away like the colours fading in an old photograph. If you were looking at the London Eye for example, the middle section of the wheel would be blurred by a dark spot."

To find the downloadable Mp3 and transcript files, please visit the RNIB's website. Happy travels.