A repairer at the British Shrewsbury Repair Café has produced the first audio description of a Repair Café. He recorded it at a live Repair Café session. His intention? Making Repair Cafés more accessible to those with sight loss.

How to make those with sight loss aware of what a Repair Café is and what to expect when visiting one? We are all used to having videos, images, posters and leaflets to promote what a Repair Café is, but these can be hard to access for those with sight loss. Simon Martin is a repairer at Shrewsbury Repair Café (which previously won an award) and sought a solution. Combining his role with the Repair Café and his volunteer work with East Shropshire Talking Newspapers, he has produced what is believed to be the first audio description of a Repair Café.

More confident to make a first visit

Having heard about Shrewsbury Repair Café at a talk given to the Sight Loss Opportunity Group, Lottie Clark then made her first visit with her guide dog Olive. “I had no idea that there was a Repair Café in Shrewsbury, until Pete and Simon came along to my support group. They gave us a good idea of how the café operated, what to do and what to expect, and so I felt confident in turning up for the first time. I think the audio is a great initiative to promote and encourage use by visually impaired people.”

Game changer

Swantje Staar-Slogrove, manager of Sight Loss Shropshire, welcomed the innovative work that Shrewsbury Repair Café has done. “Losing your sight doesn’t come cheap. There is some fabulous, but often expensive equipment out there to assist visually impaired people with daily living. But when it breaks or just needs some TLC, it often ends up in drawers or the bin. Making the Shrewsbury Repair Café more accessible to people with sight loss will be a game changer for many.”

More information

• The audio description can be heard on Shrewsbury Repair Café’s Facebook page using the following link. It may be used by all Repair Cafés!
• Shrewsbury Repair Café has also taken other measures to be more accessible to those with hearing and sight impairments. Like all volunteers wearing name badges that are more legible for those with sight impairment. And having a portable countertop loop system available to support conversations between volunteers and visitors with hearing impairments

In the photograph, from left to right: Liz Evans (coordinator), Lottie Clark & Olive, Simon Martin (volunteer and producer of the audio).