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I’m delighted to announce that I have been commissioned by Accessible Media Incorporated (AMI), Canada, to record a series of radio shows and podcasts titled My Life in Books, with Red Szell.
Each month I will invite a well-known author to let me riffle through their back pages and explore some of the books that have resonated with them in an hour-long, in-depth interview.
You can tune in live on Sundays at 2 p.m. EST, or subscribe through your favourite podcast provider by clicking here.
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For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
Shared Vision continues its world tour!
Despite lockdown, Shared Vision has continued to reach an ever-growing global audience. After its warmly-received premiere at the 2019 Banff Mountain Film Festival, the film has been a finalist at the Wasatch, Bilbao, Trento, New Zealand, London, Dutch, Korean, and Slovenian Mountain Film Festivals.
And a special 30-minute director’s cut version was screened by BBC Scotland on 14th August 2020. It can still be viewed on BBC iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000lrtw/shared-vision
As a teenager in the mid-1980s Red Szell watched a BBC documentary featuring Chris Bonington and Tom Patey climbing the Old Man of Hoy and knew ‘life wouldn’t feel complete until I’d at least tried to follow in their footholds’.
He began to climb and had Hoy firmly in his sights until an eye examination shortly before his 20th birthday revealed that he was going blind. For several years his life went into free-fall and his dreams were obscured by his struggle to adapt to his darkening world. The road to recovery began in 2009 when his daughter chose to hold her birthday party at a local climbing wall and Red saw a way back to the sport he loved.
In 2013 he realised his dream and climbed The Old Man of Hoy, becoming the first blind person to do so. His achievement was televised by BBC Scotland in an episode of The Adventure Show.
The following year Red reassembled the same team of climbing partner Matthew Wootliff, mountain guides Martin Moran and Nick Carter for a successful attempt on The Old Man of Stoer. But the third of ‘The Tom Patey Three’ big Scottish sea stacks, Am Buachaille, eluded him – until last summer.
‘It’s basically an extreme obstacle course’ he says in Shared Vision, the captivating documentary of the expedition by award-winning filmmaker Keith Partridge (who was the specialist cinematographer on the BAFTA winning filmTouching The Void).
The film offers us a glimpse into the restrictions of Red’s everyday life in London and the freedom he finds on barely accessible rock pinnacles.
Keith Partridge has produced an enthralling film with some stunning cinematography. The soundtrack reflects the importance of communication between Red and his companions Matthew and Nick, and with each hard-won metre of progress we learn that this is indeed a shared vision of adventure, camaraderie and challenging the perception of disability. As Red puts it: ‘it’s about seeing what you can do rather than focussing on what you’ve lost.’
The film is dedicated to Martin Moran ‘…who guided so many to new heights’ but was tragically killed on Nanda Devi in 2019.
Watch the trailer here:
I am immensely grateful to my sponsors for sharing my vision and helping to show that blindness should be no barrier to adventure. In particular, I am proud to be an Arc’teryx Ambassador, and enjoy honing my climbing skills at VauxWall, HarroWall and The Castle Climbing Centres. Also thanks to San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind, who gave me the wherewithal to follow the example of James Holman ‘The Blind Traveller’.
“In Your Pocket” Blog – Written and Audio
And just in case you worried that I might have been idle while the climbing walls have been closed due to the pandemic, I am delighted to say that I have been asked to write and record a series of freelance articles detailing my experiences with “In Your Pocket”, a smartphone device developed by RealSAM that enables BVI people to access the services and entertainments that we most want and need. Check out what I have to say here: https://www.inyourpocket.net/news/
Radio News – Latest
Read On is The Audiobook Show on RNIB Connect Radio. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews, and author interviews.
Recorded at The RNIB Talking Books Studio in London, recent highlights include interviews with all the authors short-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, a show recorded live at The Wigtown Book Festival featuring Natalie Haynes, Alan Johnson, Lord Bird and Prof. Steve Jones, exclusive interviews with Lee Child, Joanne Ramos and Dame Stella Rimington and so much more!
Download the podcast free from your favourite provider – simply search for “Read On – The Audiobook Show” or follow the link: https://audioboom.com/channel/readonair
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well as frequent appearances on In Touch both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
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For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
Help Support Your Local Climbing Wall During Lockdown
If like me you are climbing the walls at home and itching to get back to your favourite climbing centre, here’s a great way you can show your support and help them prepare to reopen.
The Association of British Climbing Walls (ABC) has launched a fundraising campaign, through T-shirt sales and crowd funding, to ensure that when lockdown restrictions allow we can all make a safe and swift return to indoor climbing and bouldering. All the money raised will go towards providing walls with a marketing campaign designed to encourage customers back into walls and help guide them safely around the centres, maintaining good hygiene practices and social distancing.
To browse and buy the great items on offer, or to make a fundraising donation, visit the ABC Shop by clicking the link below. And let’s hope we can get back to climbing the right kind of walls again soon!
ABC Shop: https://www.abcwalls.co.uk/association-of-british-climbing-walls/shop/
***Shared Vision continues on its world tour***
Following its world premiere at The Banff Mountain Film Festival last November and screenings at the inaugural London Mountain Film Festival and The Wasatch Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Shared Vision has been selected as a finalist at both The Trento International and New Zealand Mountain Film Festivals.
The 22-minute film was made by award-winning adventure cameraman Keith Partridge and documents my 2019 expedition to climb Am Buachaille, one of Britain’s most remote pinnacles, and so complete my quest to become the first blind climber to summit all of ‘The Tom Patey Three’ big Scottish sea-stacks.
Watch the trailer here:
I am immensely grateful to my sponsors for sharing my vision and helping to show that blindness should be no barrier to adventure. In particular, I am proud to be an Arc’teryx Ambassador, and enjoy honing my climbing skills at VauxWall, HarroWall and The Castle Climbing Centres. Also thanks to San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind, who gave me the wherewithal to follow the example of James Holman ‘The Blind Traveller’.
Radio News – Latest
Read On is The Audiobook Show on RNIB Connect Radio. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews, and author interviews.
Recorded at The RNIB Talking Books Studio in London, recent highlights include interviews with all the authors short-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, a show recorded live at The Wigtown Book Festival featuring Natalie Haynes, Alan Johnson, Lord Bird and Prof. Steve Jones, exclusive interviews with Lee Child, Joanne Ramos and Dame Stella Rimington and so much more!
Download the podcast free from your favourite provider – simply search for “Read On – The Audiobook Show” or follow the link: https://audioboom.com/channel/readonair
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well as frequent appearances on In Touch both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
Listen to this post
For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
***Shared Vision coming to London and Salt Lake City***
Following a sold-out world premiere screening at The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Canada last November*, Shared Vision* is heading to London and Salt Lake City!
The 22-minute film was made by award-winning adventure cameraman Keith Partridge and documents my 2019 expedition to climb Am Buachaille, one of Britain’s most remote pinnacles, and so complete my quest to become the first blind climber to summit all of ‘The Tom Patey Three’ big Scottish sea-stacks.
Wednesday 1st April
Wasatch Film Festival
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
3pm – 5pm: matinee screening for festival finalists. Click here for more details: https://wasatchfilmfestival.org
Saturday 2nd – Sunday 3rd May
London Mountain Film Festival
I’m delighted to announce that Shared Vision has been selected as a finalist at the first London Mountain Film Festival. Although the physical event has had to be postponed, you can still journey into some of the most remote and beautiful adventures by going online: https://www.londonmountainfestival.com/finalists
Watch the Shared Vision trailer here:
I am immensely grateful to my sponsors for sharing my vision and helping to show that blindness should be no barrier to adventure. In particular, I am proud to be an Arc’teryx Ambassador and I enjoy honing my climbing skills at VauxWall, HarroWall and The Castle Climbing Centres. Also thanks to San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind, who gave me the wherewithal to follow the example of James Holman ‘The Blind Traveller’.
Radio News – Latest
Read On is The Audiobook Show on RNIB Connect Radio. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews and author interviews.
Recorded at The RNIB Talking Books Studio in London, recent highlights include interviews with all the authors short-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, a show recorded live at The Wigtown Book Festival featuring Natalie Haynes, Alan Johnson, Lord Bird and Prof. Steve Jones, exclusive interviews with Lee Child, Joanne Ramos and Dame Stella Rimington and so much more!
Download the podcast free from your favourite provider – simply search for ‘Read On: The Audiobook Show’ or follow this link: https://audioboom.com/channel/readonair
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well as frequent appearances on In Touch both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
Listen to this post
For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
***Shared Vision coming to London and Salt Lake City***
Following a sold-out world premiere screening at The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Canada last November*, Shared Vision* is heading to London and Salt Lake City!
The 22-minute film was made by award-winning adventure cameraman Keith Partridge and documents my 2019 expedition to climb Am Buachaille, one of Britain’s most remote pinnacles, and so complete my quest to become the first blind climber to summit all of ‘The Tom Patey Three’ big Scottish sea-stacks.
Saturday 7th March
The London Climbing Festival
HarroWall
Units 2a / 3a Neptune Trading Estate
Neptune Rd, Harrow HA1 4HX
The UK’s Largest bouldering climbing centre is hosting the first ever London Climbing Festival, where I’m delighted to be presenting a screening of Shared Vision followed by a Q&A hosted by top climbing instructor Louis Parkinson of Catalyst Climbing who has played a key role in improving my technique.
Doors open 10am
Film screening 3pm – 4pm
For more information, click here: https://www.harrowall.co.uk/2020/01/09/1060/
Thursday 12th March
Arc’teryx
212 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HJ
7,30pm – 9pm
Arc’teryx’s flagship UK store will host a special screening of Shared Vision, followed by a Q&A with top British climbing instructor Louis Parkinson, after which there will be a raffle in aid of RNIB to win an Arc’teryx Nuclei FL jacket.
Admission is free but please RSVP to: https://community-events.arcteryx.com/sharedvision-filmscreening
Wednesday 1st April
Wasatch Film Festival
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
3pm – 5pm: matinee screening for festival finalists. Click here for more details: https://wasatchfilmfestival.org
Watch the Shared Vision trailer here:
I am very grateful to my sponsors for sharing my vision and helping to show that blindness should be no barrier to adventure:
Radio News – Latest
Read On is The Audiobook Show on RNIB Connect Radio. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews and author interviews.
Recorded at The RNIB Talking Books Studio in London, recent highlights include interviews with all the authors short-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, a show recorded live at The Wigtown Book Festival featuring Natalie Haynes, Alan Johnson, Lord Bird, and Prof. Steve Jones, exclusive interviews with Lee Child, Joanne Ramos and Dame Stella Rimington, and so much more!
Download the podcast free from your favourite provider – simply search for ‘Read On: The Audiobook Show’ or follow the link: https://audioboom.com/channel/readonair
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well as frequent appearances on In Touch both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
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For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
***STOP PRESS***
Shared Vision will receive its world premiere at The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival on Saturday 2nd November.
The 22-minute film was shot on location, edited and produced by award-winning adventure cameraman Keith Partridge, and documents my Holman Prize expedition to climb Am Buachaille, one of Britain’s most remote pinnacles.
My companions on my quest to become the first blind person to summit ‘The Tom Patey Three’ iconic Scottish sea-stacks were my climbing, wild-swimming and tandem partner Matthew Wootliff, and Nick Carter, the calmest Mountaineering Instructor in the business…
Watch the trailer here:
Click here for more info on Banff.
I am very grateful to my sponsors for sharing my vision and helping to show that blindness should be no barrier to adventure:
Along with my family and friends, you have all helped me focus on what I can achieve rather than what I’ve lost – thank you!
For more information about The Holman Prize visit: http://holman.lighthouse-sf.org
Radio News – Latest
Read On is The Audiobook Show on RNIB Connect Radio. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews, and author interviews.
Recorded at The RNIB Talking Books Studio in London, recent highlights include interviews with all the authors short-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, a show recorded live at The Wigtown Book Festival featuring Natalie Haynes, Alan Johnson, Lord Bird and Prof. Steve Jones, exclusive interviews with Lee Child, Joanne Ramos and Dame Stella Rimington and so much more!
Download the podcast free from your favourite provider – simply search for “Read On – The Audiobook Show” or follow the link: https://audioboom.com/channel/readonair
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well as frequent appearances on In Touch both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
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With just a fortnight to go until my Extreme Blind Triathlon style attempt on Am Buachaille I’m climbing well and feeling confident of success – Scottish weather and nesting fulmars permitting.
This is the culmination of weekly training sessions at The Castle (often under the watchful eye of our unofficial coach Dan Clemson) and a four-day expedition to the southern coast of Sardinia last month.
This expedition was a dry run for Am Buachaille. We had planned to go to Skye but a wet and windy Atlantic weather front forced us to make alternative arrangements.
In Sardinia Matthew and I were joined by Nick Carter of Alpha Mountaineering. He was there with me when I summited The Old Man of Hoy in 2013 and will be our guide on Am Buachaille. He will also belay the fourth member of our team, Keith Partridge.
Keith is an award-winning adventure cameraman and film-maker who has worked on movies such as Touching the Void, Bonington: Mountaineer and most recently in extreme locations around The World with Steve Backshall.
In Sardinia Nick, Matthew and I were able to practice our communication on multi-pitch routes and, most importantly our rope skills at belay ledges, where three people can quickly feel like a crowd; and ropes slings and karabiners become a confusing cat’s cradle.
As usual with climbing it’s all about having a system and sticking to it and I was glad again for Dan’s rope-work refresher sessions at The Castle.
We tried, as much as possible, to select routes that emulated the traverses, slabs and steep but juggy overhanging sections we’ll encounter on Am Buachaille. But we stopped short of looking for a 500-metre-long rockfall causeway, strewn with seaweed, to clamber across. Negotiating that part of the approach blind is going to be hazardous enough without tempting fate beforehand.
Something that boosted my confidence was the obvious improvement in my footwork on the rock-face. This is due to a number of factors. The first of which is injury.
In seeking to build stamina for this project, I took up running again, on a treadmill. Although I was careful to work up slowly, I hadn’t appreciated how tight my calves and hamstrings had become, inspite of climbing! The area behind my Achilles quickly flared up making walking down stairs agony.
I was lucky; a sports injury clinic called Isokinetic, had heard about my project. They provided me with expert support and weeks of intensive physiotherapy. I not only made a full recovery but found that the mobility in my feet and ankles improved hugely. Smearing and heel hooks became easier and the strength in my toes, and therefore my balance, was far greater.
Of all the physio exercises I was given perhaps the most effective involves putting a piece of tissue paper under your foot and scrunching it then flexing your toes and repeating 30 times for 5 repetitions on each foot, once-a-day. It’s the foot equivalent to using a Gripmaster ball.
The second factor came with the excellent advice I received from Louis Parkinson of Catalyst Climbing. He gave me some coaching last year after which I was climbing two grades higher! Here are his Top 3 Tips for improving your footwork:
1: Be gentle – placing your feet onto holds as if the holds are incredibly fragile is a great way to force yourself to slow down as you approach your target, instantly improving your precision!
2: “Grab” with your feet – don’t just plonk your feet on the holds and hope they stick; your climbing shoes allow a feeling of sensitivity for good reason! It may sound like a strange tip, but I try to think of my feet as “lower hands”, grabbing holds with my toes and trying to pull them towards me as I climb…
3: This technique, which some people call “hover hands” helps improve where you place your feet. Hover your hand over your next desired handhold for 3 seconds before grabbing. If your chosen foot position has left you unbalanced, you’ll quickly find out and learn to correct it!
The final factor is Matthew’s constant Yorkshire refrain of ‘use yer feet lad’ and ‘keep yer bloody heels down when you smear!’ After 10 years of him being my climbing partner, I think the message might just have sunk in.
So, assuming the Scottish weather is on message, I think we’re all set for a successful ascent of Am Buachaille on midsummer’s day.
Watch this space for news…
Red Szell’s book The Blind Man of Hoy is available from The Castle Shop.
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For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
The Holman Prize – Latest
My training is almost complete and the date of my Holman Prize adventure is nearly upon us…
Project Extreme Blind Triathlon will begin on 18th June, when my climbing partner Matthew and I will board a plane to Inverness. With us, and also travelling courtesy of the generous support of easyJet, will be ‘The Beast’ (our customized mountain bike tandem).
At Inverness, we’ll be met by Nick Carter of Alpha Mountaineering who will act as our guide in The Highlands.
I’m also delighted to announce that award-winning adventure cameraman Keith Partridge will be joining us again to document our attempt on Am Buachaille – as he did with my successful ascent of The Old Man of Hoy in 2013. Let’s hope the weather and the fulmars are as benign this time as they were back then!
You can follow our progress via Twitter @redszell – meanwhile, here are some photos from our recent training climb in Sardinia:
Onwards and upwards!
For more information about The Holman Prize visit: http://holman.lighthouse-sf.org
Radio News – Latest
Read On is RNIB Connect Radio’s weekly show for book lovers everywhere. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews and author interviews.
Recent highlights include interviews with the 2018 Costa Award category winners, including Stuart Turton (‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’); our Christmas Special with Nigella Lawson; an exclusive chat with Sir Derek Jacobi on his 80th birthday; and conversations with Mark Billingham, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, Dame Judy Dench, Dame Penelope Lively, Philip Pullman, Samuel West, Cara Hunter, The Guilty Feminist Deborah Francis White, YA author Candy Gourlay and many, many others.
And, hot off the press… don’t miss exclusive forthcoming interviews with Lee Child, Joanne Ramos and Dame Stella Rimington!
The show is broadcast every Friday at 1pm.
Simply tune into RNIB Connect Radio online, on Freeview Channel 730, or by downloading the podcast from your favourite provide including iTunes, Spotify, or AudioBoom.
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well as frequent appearances on In Touch both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
Listen to this post
For all my latest news follow me on Twitter @redszell
The Holman Prize – Latest
My Holman Prize adventure is underway! You can keep up to date on how my training for Project Extreme Blind Triathlon is going by following me on Twitter.
And applications for the 2019 Holman Prize for Blind Ambition are now open. Click on the video below to meet the 2018 winners and discover how to apply.
‘No one should feel imprisoned by blindness’ – Red, Conchita and Stacy exploring Alcatraz
Apply for the 2019 Holman Prize and help to change the way blindness is perceived by focussing on what we can achieve rather than seeing only what we’ve lost.
My project – ‘Extreme Blind Triathlon’ – should culminate with a film of my summiting Am Buachaille in summer 2019. However, it got off to a rather rocky start in Sardinia, as you can read in ‘Epic Fail’ below.
Onwards and upwards!
For more information on The Holman Prize, and how you could apply for the 2019 competition, visit: http://holman.lighthouse-sf.org
Radio News – Latest
Read On is RNIB Connect Radio’s weekly show for book lovers everywhere. Hosted by me, it’s a blend of book news, reviews and author interviews.
Recent highlights include interviews with the 2018 Costa Award category winners, including Stuart Turton (‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’); our Christmas Special with Nigella Lawson; an exclusive chat with Sir Derek Jacobi on his 80th birthday; and conversations with Mark Billingham, Anthony Horowitz, Alexander McCall Smith, Dame Judy Dench, Dame Penelope Lively, Philip Pullman, Samuel West, Cara Hunter, The Guilty Feminist Deborah Francis White, YA author Candy Gourlay and many, many others.
The show is broadcast every Friday at 1pm.
Simply tune into RNIB Connect Radio online, on Freeview Channel 730, or by downloading the podcast from your favourite provider including iTunes, Spotify, and AudioBoom: https://audioboom.com/channel/readonair
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4’s I**n Touch, both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point-of-view pieces on life as a blind person.
I am also a regular contributor to Radio 4, most recently for Annalisa is Awkward, as well frequent appearances on In Touch, both as a talking head on round table discussions and with my ‘Seeing Red’ point of view pieces on life as a blind person.
To access all the features I have recorded for In Touch, including why Aussie cricketer Shane Warne made me see red and my feature about giving back a guide dog that was included in Radio 4’s Pick of the Year 2017, click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?filter=programmes&q=red+szell
2016 has been another busy year of touring the country with the story of The Blind Man of Hoy. From The Edinburgh International Book Festival to The Petworth Literary Weekend, via disability awareness symposia and broadcast round table discussions I have been delighted to find audiences full of people eager to hear a blind person’s perspective on the world and keen to build a more inclusive society in which those with disabilities can take a full and active part.
It was the ‘can do’ spirit of the London 2012 Paralympics that got me off the sofa and convinced others I could climb The Old Man of Hoy. Just as in London the extraordinary success of Team GB Paralympians like Steve Bate, in Rio this year has caught the public imagination, encouraging people to look beyond the disability and focus on the individual; to see us as differently-abled not dis-abled; dented not written off.
It is vital that we act on this, not just from an equal rights point of view, but for our own physical and mental wellbeing. With a recent study reporting that over 40% of Blind & Visually Impaired (BVI) people suffer from mental health problems (myself included) and bearing in mind the well-documented link between physical inactivity and depression – it is clear that the mobility issues and low expectations associated with sight loss create a toxic cocktail. While it may work for some, there needs to be an alternative to the traditional model of passive stoicism.
So next year I will carry on beating the drum for active involvement by BVI people. Not only do we need to be visible but we need to show people what we can do and how they can help us do it better. With this in mind I am preparing a TED talk aimed specifically at secondary schools that examines perceptions of disability and the need to focus on what you can achieve rather than seeing only what might have been.
In between the book talks and tub-thumping I have tried to keep active with regular climbing and wildwater swimming trips (including a hypothermic attempt to become the first blind swimmer to complete the Henley Classic Thames swim) and a much more successful white-water rafting expedition down The Grand Canyon.
Having just returned from a bruising climbing trip to the white limestone cliffs of Southern Sardinia it is time to plan new challenges for next year and to devote some time to my (rather neglected) next book: a spooky, cautionary tale about a middle-aged couple who abandon their metropolitan life to live the rural dream in Dorset. Provisionally titled The Darkening World of Arthur Rouse.
I am also taking bookings for next year so should you wish me to speak at your literary festival, school, university, bookshop, library, climbing club or WI please do not hesitate to contact me via my publisher (keara@sandstonepress.com) or through the contact link on this website.