A New World Opens Up for Carol Ann

A blind woman from Bristol has been given a new state-of-the-art internet radio which allows her to listen to broadcasts from all over the world.

 

Carol Ann Eddon, 65, from Patchway is now using the Sonata Internet audio player thanks to the charity British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF).

 

The small black and yellow box is changing the way people with sight loss like Carol access radio, news, books, magazines and even shopping catalogues.

 

“I love it,” said Carol. “I’ve always enjoyed radio and now there are so many more stations I can listen to. I’m usually a big Radio 2 fan but now I can listen to broadcasts from all over the world.

 

“I particularly like listening to the Canadian stations. It’s interesting to see how different broadcasting is there compared with over here.”

 

Carol, who is a trustee and volunteer for blind charity Torch Trust, lost her sight as a baby. Born prematurely, it was later found the high levels of oxygen used in incubators at the time caused some babies to go blind.

 

But, Carol says she’s never let her condition hold her back. “I’m just grateful I survived; I love the work I do for blind charities, particularly proofreading and editing Braille books which later go into the Torch Trust library.

 

“I’m delighted to have received my Sonata set from the British Wireless for the Blind Fund. I find it very relaxing and I’m enjoying streaming different magazines. The radio is so easy to use. It’s a great help and really makes a difference to blind people like me, and it’s a life-altering tool.”

 

David Loveridge, Regional Development Manager for the British Wireless for the Blind Fund, said: “It’s great that Carol is enjoying using the Sonata so much.

 

“It is the first Internet audio player specifically for users with sight loss and we’ve had a really good response from it. This is partly because it’s one piece of kit instead of individual cassettes, CD’s and the radio which can sometimes be problematic to manage. It’s so simple to use also, plus there’s nothing to post back to people like talking books so it’s lightened the postman’s load too.”

 

The BWBF charity spends around £475,000 per year providing audio equipment for blind and partially sighted people in need.

 

As an independent charity it receives no government funding or lottery money and exists entirely on the kindness and generosity of its supporters.

 

For further information or to support the BWBF with a donation visit: www.blind.org.uk or call: 01622 754757.