In Touch - 08/09/2009

Recently there has been a growing murmur against the number of announcements made on railway stations and trains, but how much do those who complain consider the implications for blind and partially-sighted travellers? As Birmingham New Street turns off some of its announcements, we hear the thinking behind Network Rail's decision to run this trial. They found that the 5,000 announcements made at the station every day (equating to at least one every 20 seconds) led to passengers either switching off to 'this constant sound', or missing out on vital information. We also meet the people who say their right to independent travel has been severely compromised and hear the RNIB's view on the legality of the changes. Plus, the golden girls of Goalball. Jessica and Emily Luke have won gold medals as part of the GB team at the European Championships. Goalball is the only sport designed entirely with visually-impaired people in mind, and the sisters tell us about the appeal of the sport, their training regime and their prospects for London 2012.