RNIB Scotland

27/11/2025

It's Ian here from the RNIB Scotland team. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had the chance to try out the much-talked-about Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Although these glasses aren’t built specifically for people with sight loss, they’re proving highly accessible and effective.

There are various types and styles of AI glasses available, but the pair I tried had transition lenses- sunglasses outdoors, clear lenses indoors. Everyone’s experience may differ, but here’s my take.

Setup was straightforward. After downloading the Meta AI app (available on iOS and Android), I logged in via Facebook, created a profile, chose voice and reading preferences, and connected the glasses to my phone via Bluetooth and to my home Wi-Fi. I found all of this very intuitive especially as the glasses paired with Voiceover to help me navigate the instructions. There’s also a step-by-step tutorial to help you learn the available features.

To give you some idea of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses capabilities, here’s a quick summary.

Reading: Using the “Hey Meta” voice commands, the glasses can read almost any text- menus, books, letters, signage and more. Commands are listed in the app tutorial.

Listening: You can listen to content like audio books, music, directions on Google Maps and other vocal instructions all via the bone conduction earphones built into the leg of the glasses. The sound quality is excellent, and you can adjust the volume by swiping along the end of the right leg of the glasses- forward for volume up and back for volume down. The volume also automatically adapts to background noise. A quick tap pauses the audio.

Using AI: You can say, “Hey Meta, what am I looking at?” and after it has described your surroundings, you can ask follow-on questions and receive an answer in real time.

Photo & video: You can take a photograph or video recording by clicking the button on the right leg of the glasses that can be transferred into your smart device photo/video library via the Meta Cloud.

Translate: You can translate written text or have spoken language interpreted live using commands or in-app options- useful when you’re on holiday!

Connecting to apps: You can connect directly to almost any app on your smart device for example, such as ‘Be My Eyes’. Just give the command “Hey Meta, Be My Eyes”, and you’ll be connected with a volunteer who can use the camera on your glasses to tell you what you are looking at, or help you find your lost keys.

After nine years with OrCam, and as someone living with a sight loss condition who still uses MyEye and Read 3, I was genuinely impressed by the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. For people with sight loss, dyslexia, or reading-related challenges, these glasses could be a game-changer.

That said, there are limitations that some blind and visually impaired individuals will experience and be frustrated by. I didn’t find an instant automatic reading feature, and switching the glasses between devices wasn’t seamless. So, if you’re thinking about buying a pair, I would advise you to try before you buy, to make sure they meet your needs.

You can try out the Ray-Ban Meta glasses at our Product Centre. Please note they are for demonstration only, but can be purchased elsewhere. Make an appointment for a Tuesday or Thursday via edinburghproductsstore@rnib.org.uk.

[Image description: 1. Ian wearing the glasses at home. 2. A blue poolside with palm trees and deck chairs on a sunny day, snapped by Ian while trialling the glasses on holiday.]

25/11/2025

Are you still looking for the perfect Christmas gift? 🎁

Let Samantha walk you through our yummy, accessible hamper - complete with a range of delicious treats in a festive red and gold gift box.

Need even more convincing? By buying this gift, you'll get a great present whilst supporting the work we do at RNIB to make every day better for people affected by sight loss.

We've got more hampers and goodies available at our RNIB Shop- check it out!

https://shop.rnib.org.uk/search?filter.v.availability=1&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&page=2&q=hamper&sort_by=price-ascending

21/11/2025

Don’t forget to check out some pure brilliant Scottish titles in the RNIB Library as we wrap up Book Week Scotland!

From modern favourites like Ian Rankin and Val McDermid to classics by Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, our accessible collection is packed with homegrown talent.

If non-fiction is more your style, we’ve got you covered with titles like Neil Oliver’s History of Scotland, Alan Massie’s The Royal Stuarts, and Bella Bathurst’s Lighthouse Stevensons, among many others.

Take a wee browse: https://readingservices.rnib.org.uk/

[Image description: A woman sitting and listening to a Talking Book.]

20/11/2025

Looking for the perfect Christmas cards, 2026 calendars or diaries?

Pop into our Product & Advice Centre in Edinburgh and pick up your festive favourites while supporting people with sight loss.

Open every Tuesday & Thursday, 10am- 4pm, from now until 18 December! Drop in, browse, and get set for the season.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch:
EdinburghProductsStore@rnib.org.uk

In the New Year, we'll be back on 6th January.

[Image description: A Christmas tree with lights, baubles and gingerbread and reindeer decorations.]

19/11/2025

Happy birthday to The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland and a huge thank you for your continued support of Haggeye!

Haggeye is RNIB Scotland's campaigns group for blind and partially sighted young people (16–27) in Scotland. Support from the Young Start Fund is helping them shape change by sharing their lived experiences.

This year, thanks to the funding, Haggeye members have:

- Taken part in creative art workshops at Fruitmarket
- Continued their advocacy as Haggeye MSYPs with Scottish Youth Parliament
- Completed first aid training
- Learned new skills behind podcast production
- And published new editions of Haggazine- sign up here! http://eepurl.com/inmma6

Thank you for empowering young people to make their voices heard. 💛



The National Lottery The National Lottery Community Fund

[Image description: Some of our Haggeye members standing together smiling- Eilidh, Georgea, Nic, Kerry, Luke, Jemima, and Reece.]

19/11/2025

We're continuing to celebrate Book Week Scotland, this time with a visit to Orkney Library & Archive by Simon and Jean!

They took part in the Share the Vision challenge earlier this year, showcasing the brilliant kit, collections and services designed for visually impaired users in libraries.

[Video description: Simon introduces the video sitting in a hotel room. At the library, he meets Jean and Sue, and they walk around the library shelving. They head to the archive which is another room with lots of books, shelving and statue busts.]

18/11/2025

HumanWare will be at our Edinburgh hub on Tuesday 25 November to showcase their latest range of electronic magnifiers for reading labels, menus, letters, books and magazines at home. They'll also have the new Hark AI which reads aloud all kinds of reading materials, including handwriting!

Pop by 10am - 1pm, 12-14 Hillside Crescent.

[Image description: Someone holding a handheld electronic magnifier up while they play Scrabble, so the viewer shows a close up of the letters on the board.]

17/11/2025

It's Book Week Scotland!

We've partnered with Scottish Book Trust to produce a free audio version of their book which explores the theme of friendship through the true stories of people across Scotland.

Among the stories featured is ‘We Need Tae Get a Pint’ by Scott Ferguson. The short story captures a reunion of two friends meeting for an overdue pint. Scott recently spoke to RNIB Connect Radio about the inspiration behind his story and the importance of connection: https://audioboom.com/posts/8807078-celebrating-book-week-scotland-with-friendship

You can listen to a short excerpt from Scott's story in the video below. Enjoy! 🎧

Find out more about the book and Book Week Scotland at: https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/book-week-scotland/scotlands-stories-friendship

[Video description: A waveform moves as Scott reads aloud. The words appear on screen. A small icon of the Friendship book, with a red cover and yellow lettering, is in the bottom right corner.]

14/11/2025

Access to transport is consistently one of the biggest barriers blind and partially sighted people tell us they face. Innovations like autonomous vehicles won’t solve everything, but they could open important new possibilities for safer, spontaneous and more independent travel.

Fantastic to hear Robin, RNIB's Head of Inclusive Design, bringing the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people directly into discussions about emerging transport technologies like Waymo.

As we continue to explore smarter, more inclusive mobility solutions, it’s vital that people with sight loss are at the table from the beginning.

[Video description: The video begins with an eye opening, and people walking with white canes. The Waymo and RNIB logos. As Robin introduces himself, there are different photos of him with family, in front of a propeller plane, kayaking, and speaking our our IDS conference. He describes an eye chart and one appears, showing just the top letter 'E'. Quick timelapses of transport like trains, tubes, and traffic on roads. A white Waymo car, travelling on the road. Robin books it on his phone, then climbs in. Robin in the back seat, enjoying the ride as the car drives along sunny streets. The steering wheel turns itself. Robin arrives at his destination.]

13/11/2025

We were delighted to welcome the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to our community hub at Hillside Crescent today.

The Lord Provost was given a tour by one of our volunteers, Daryl - who earlier this year received the Special Recognition Award for Young Volunteer of the Year at the Inspiring Edinburgh Awards, presented by the Lord Provost himself.

Daryl showcased the range of products and support available in our Products and Advice Centre, and the Lord Provost also had the opportunity to meet members of our Hillside Visually Impaired Art Group, and even joined in a game of showdown!

[Image description: 1. Beside an RNIB Scotland banner, Director James Adams, The Lord Provost, and Daryl pose for a picture. 2. The Lord Provost greets volunteer Daryl with a handshake outside the Products and Advice Centre. 3. The Lord Provost tries on a pair of green eye shields while Daryl looks on. 4. Daryl shows the Lord Provost magnifiers in the Products Centre. 5. The Lord Provost and his colleague wear blindfolds to play showdown- they are batting away a yellow ball. Showdown is a game similar to air hockey but on a sold wooden table, with a divider in the middle. Players wear a blindfold, and use wooden bats to knock a yellow ball which rattles, into their opponents net. 6. Kellie demonstrates her ukulele to the Lord Provost who looks on smiling. 7 The Lord Provost speaks with Scott from the Hillside Art Group about his artwork. 8. The Lord Provost leans over to Alex from the Hillside Art Group as she holds and looks closer at his ceremonial Badge and Chain of Office. 9. Christine and Richard from our technology team talk to the Lord Provost as they are sat around a table.]

11/11/2025

If you know a child with a visual impairment, why not brighten their festive season with a magical surprise?

We've teamed up with Santa to send letters in braille, audio or large-print formats so every child can receive their own personalised reply from him.

Get in touch with us before the end of November: http://rnib.org.uk/Santa 🎅

[Link preview image description: Keira, a young girl in a red Christmas jumper, smiles while holding a braille letter from Santa.]

If you're affected by sight loss, we're here for you

10/11/2025

What's alt-text and how do you include it?

Alt-text is a really simple way to make your posts more accessible. It helps to describe what an image is of, and whether there's any text within it. For those using screen-readers to read aloud posts, they'll hear what an image is of, rather than a computer's guess, or just the word, 'image'!

On Facebook, you can add alt-text by first uploading your image, and then using the edit button, usually at the top left of the image. Select the alternative text option, and write a useful description of what is in the image. Don't forget to click 'Save'.
It can also be useful to write an image description within your post or image caption as we've done below.

[Image description: A box of eye shield glasses, with different coloured filters to help manage light sensitivity. The shields come in green, yellow, blue, and orange varieties. Beside the box, are some other Product Centre items including tips for end of a white cane.]