RealSam UK

RealSam UK đŸ’« Passionate about supporting the blind & partially sighted community Find out more at www.realsam.co.uk

RealSAM Pocket is the fully voice-controlled mobile phone, media player and assistant for people with sight loss. RealSAM Pocket launched in the UK in 2018, in partnership with the RNIB and O2, as an easy to use mobile phone with features to help Blind and Visually Impaired people. These features include unlimited access to audio books, newspapers, magazines, podcasts and radio stations plus an inbuilt magnifier, navigation support and video access to Be My Eyes. In 2022, RealSAM Pocket launched in the US wth new features including optical character recognition to read printed or handwritten text and object recognition. With a range of contract and pricing options available, there is a RealSAM Pocket product that's right for you.

09/04/2026

Travelling for the holidays? 🏝

Access all your favourite books, newspapers, and podcasts on the go with RealSAM BookClub!

Choose from thousands of accessible titles, stay updated on the latest news, or listen to a podcast about your destination, all available on your RealSAM handset— or any Alexa device!

Don’t miss a thing with RealSAM BookClub.

🌟🌟 Learn more about BookClub here: https://realsam.co.uk/bookclub/

“How do blind people read?” 📚📖It’s one of the most common questions—and the honest answer is: in a lot more ways than mo...
09/04/2026

“How do blind people read?” 📚📖

It’s one of the most common questions—and the honest answer is: in a lot more ways than most people think.

Braille. Talking books. DAISY audio. Large print. Tactile books. Screen readers. Voice-first technology. Shared discussions.

Accessible reading in the UK has a long and genuinely interesting history; from RNIB’s Talking Books Library, started in 1935 to serve war-blinded soldiers, to the voice-first communities that are emerging today. We’ve written a proper guide to all seven formats.

🌟🌟 Read the full guide via this link: https://realsam.co.uk/how-do-blind-people-read-7-ways

Today is World Health Day, and this year we want to remind everyone that health is about more than illness and treatment...
07/04/2026

Today is World Health Day, and this year we want to remind everyone that health is about more than illness and treatment. It's about what allows people to live full, happy, and independent lives.

For the 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss, that often means navigating a health system that's improving but still inconsistent. NHS Low Vision Services vary significantly by region. Waiting times for referrals after an eye diagnosis can stretch for months. And for many people, the gap between diagnosis and the point where they feel genuinely supported is longer than it should be.

If you or someone you care about is newly navigating sight loss and isn't sure where to start, RNIB's helpline is 0303 123 9999. It's a good first call—they can help you understand what you're entitled to and what's available locally.

Happy World Health Day from all of us at RealThing ❀

Hope the long weekend has been good to you.If you spent any of it with a book, or a long phone call with someone you don...
07/04/2026

Hope the long weekend has been good to you.

If you spent any of it with a book, or a long phone call with someone you don't speak to often enough, or just a slower morning than usual, that sounds about right to us.

From everyone at RealSAM, a very warm end of your Easter weekend to you and yours. 🐣

Back to the regular week tomorrow. We'll see you there. 💛

Our April RealSAM BookClub pick is here... This, My Second Life by Patrick Charnley Jago Trevarno is ...
01/04/2026

Our April RealSAM BookClub pick is here...

This, My Second Life by Patrick Charnley

Jago Trevarno is twenty years old when a cardiac arrest changes everything. He goes to stay with his uncle on a small farm near St Ives in Cornwall, and slowly—through the rhythm of the days, the care of animals, the particular steadiness of someone who loves you without making a fuss of it—something like a life begins to form again. Then a local man starts paying unusual attention to a field on the farm near the cliffs. And Jago, wanting to repay his uncle, decides to find out why. It's a recovery story and a thriller at once.

Spare, beautiful writing. A Cornish landscape that feels almost alive. And at its centre, a young man working out what a second life can look like.

Our April BookClub discussion opens on 25 April. Everyone is welcome, whether you've read every page or just the first chapter.

Celebrating 100 🎉Our BookClub community has just reached 100 members, and we wanted to take a moment to say thank you—ge...
28/03/2026

Celebrating 100 🎉

Our BookClub community has just reached 100 members, and we wanted to take a moment to say thank you—genuinely.

What we’ve been building here isn’t just about books. It’s about creating a space where reading can be shared, whether that’s through an audiobook, braille, a screen reader, a tactile book, or something else entirely.

Even if you haven’t posted or commented, your presence here still matters. This group works because people choose to be part of it.

As we keep growing, we’d love to continue shaping this space in a way that feels comfortable and worthwhile for everyone—no pressure, just something to build together over time.

Thanks again for being here. We're excited for what's next!

19/03/2026

Being able to read something yourself shouldn’t be a luxury.

🔚 Expiry dates.
đŸ“© Mail.
💊 Medication labels.
đŸœïž Cooking instructions.
🍰 Menus.

With the right technology, everyday information becomes easier to access independently.

Using the RealSAM Sight Assistant tool, users can simply take a photo and ask questions about what’s in front of them — from printed text to everyday objects.

This clip is from a longer video exploring how our partnership with Samsung, the RNIB, and Virgin Media O2 helps support the blind and low vision community.

Watch the full video via this link: https://realsam.co.uk/realsam-samsung-virgin-media-o2-and-the-rnib-accessible-technology-at-scale/

17/03/2026

Independence often comes down to the small things.

đŸ“© Reading your own mail.
🍰 Checking an expiry date.
💊 Knowing you’ve picked up the right medication.
đŸœïž Understanding what’s on a menu.

Technology can help make these everyday moments more accessible.

With the RealSAM handset, users can take a photo and ask questions about what they see — helping turn visual information into something accessible.

This clip comes from a longer video exploring how our partnership in technology with Samsung is supporting the blind and low vision community.

Find the full video via this link: https://realsam.co.uk/realsam-samsung-virgin-media-o2-and-the-rnib-accessible-technology-at-scale

Spring means gardens waking up again.But gardening isn’t just visual — it’s tactile, fragrant, and full of sensory detai...
16/03/2026

Spring means gardens waking up again.

But gardening isn’t just visual — it’s tactile, fragrant, and full of sensory detail.

Many blind and low vision gardeners experience spring through:

đŸŒ± the texture of soil
🌿 the scent of herbs
🐝 the sound of bees returning

We’ve shared some accessible gardening tips for blind and visually impaired people on the blog.

Because nature can be enjoyed in many ways.

Read the full blog post here: https://realsam.co.uk/spring-gardening-tips-for-blind-and-visually-impaired-people/

Every March, the United States celebrates Women's History Month. Although this is an American celebration, with Internat...
13/03/2026

Every March, the United States celebrates Women's History Month. Although this is an American celebration, with International Women’s Day having also just passed last weekend, we wanted to commemorate these women regardless—to shine a spotlight on the lives of five blind and visually impaired women whose achievements have changed the course of history, often in ways that are still not widely known.

From abolitionist Harriet Tubman to Paralympian Marla Runyan and disability rights lawyer Haben Girma, these leaders challenged expectations and expanded opportunities for blind and visually impaired people.

Their stories remind us how much blind women have contributed—and continue to contribute—to history, culture, and civil rights.

Read the full blog post via this link: https://realsam.co.uk/5-blind-women-who-changed-history-iwd2026/

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The voice controlled smart phone & media player for people with sight loss

RealSAM In Your Pocket is the UK’s first fully voice-activated smart phone, media player and personal assistant for its two million people living with sight loss*.

The result of a two-year collaboration between the RNIB, O2 and Australian Artificial Intelligence developers, RealThing AI, In Your Pocket features a simple accessible voice interface, where users can ask ‘SAM’ for help in everyday life. This includes turning on its inbuilt video magnifier when reading labels while shopping, or its custom-built navigation software that allows users to bookmark landmarks when travelling alone and be guided back with direction and distance. SAM also connects directly to Be My Eyes, an online community of over two million volunteers who help people with sight loss through a live video call.

Recently launched on the Galaxy xCover 4s and now IP68 rated, In Your Pocket is waterproof, with an extended battery life and faster processor. Prices start at £25.99 a month as part of a two-year contract, offering unlimited access to RealSAM In Your Pocket’s entertainment library, UK calls and texts and a choice of data plan with O2.

All customers are offered 121 telephone support with setting up their handset and have access to a UK based helpline staffed by both a sighted and visually impaired team. – Call 0333 772 7708 to reserve yours now or visit www.inyourpocket.net