# Blind

This year

2023

Voices

Vision-impaired woman: 'Please legislate to keep e-scooters off footpaths'

Anne Marie Kearney is vision impaired and uses a cane. She says e-scooters must never reach a footpath.

12.4k

Updated

Feb 2nd 2023, 3:21 PM

All time

Voices

Opinion: I've been accused of faking my visual impairment - this got worse during Covid

Gillian Stafford outlines what life has been like as a person battling blindness and the further challenges she’s faced during the pandemic.

26.5k

Nov 6th 2021, 8:30 AM

# usher syndrome

'Should I wear a plaque saying I have a disability?': The reality of life with sight loss during a pandemic

Golf champion Carol Brill said daily tasks can be “very, very stressful” for people with sight and hearing loss.

20.2k

May 24th 2020, 8:15 AM

Voices

Forget the Bird Box challenge: Try dealing with automated services when you are blind

It is frustrating that the challenges vision impaired people face are different from what is portrayed in Bird Box – because they are structural, writes Kevin Kelly.

12.0k

Feb 2nd 2019, 7:30 PM

# challenging perceptions

'People always say my dad is amazing. He's not, he's just blind'

A new play aims to challenge perceptions about people with disabilities.

28.9k

Aug 25th 2018, 9:00 PM

# World Sight Day

'It puts holes in the retina': Thousands at risk of blindness due to diabetes-linked eye disease

“People absolutely take their eyesight for granted until there’s a problem,” Stephen Duffy said.

15.7k

Oct 12th 2017, 6:20 AM

# High Court

'Outstanding achievement': High Court ruling paves the way for blind people to vote in secret

The High Court ruled yesterday in favour of a man who had argued for his right to vote in private.

7.4k

Mar 31st 2017, 3:32 PM

# Cork

Blind woman 'heartbroken' after guide dog was taken away for being overweight

The Irish Guide Dogs said they hope to reunite the pair once the dog loses weight.

38.6k

Jul 28th 2016, 10:18 PM

# description

A new feature from Facebook will change how millions experience it

The system, automatic alternative text, will help those who are blind or visually impaired know what is in a photo.

16.0k

Apr 5th 2016, 2:37 PM

# Caught Out

Australian YouTube star caught out faking 'honesty' social experiments

Adrian Gee pretended to be a blind man who stopped people on the street and asked them for change.

23.7k

Nov 20th 2015, 6:01 AM

# second sight

Breakthrough as 'bionic eye' restores sight in blind patients

A new clinical trial has given hope to people with sight loss.

15.3k

Jul 5th 2015, 8:45 AM

# deafblind

As many as 17,000 people in Ireland could have this disability... but no one knows for sure

Activists say more accurate data is needed.

30.0k

Jun 28th 2015, 8:15 AM

# good boy

A guide dog threw itself in front of a bus to save his blind owner

Don’t worry – the heroic pooch is on the mend.

24.2k

Jun 10th 2015, 7:43 PM

# Hero

A guide dog threw itself in front of a bus to save its blind owner

But don’t worry! The dog is on the mend.

4.6k

Jun 10th 2015, 8:49 AM

# Guide Dogs

Bray man Joe Bollard says his guide dog taught him to 'look forward and not back'

‘I trust my dog more than I would trust a human being to guide me.’

12.8k

Jun 9th 2015, 6:15 AM

# art for all

Incredible exhibition helps blind people 'see' artistic masterpieces with their fingers

Visually impaired visitors can now experience the Mona Lisa in an entirely new way.

6.5k

Apr 4th 2015, 4:30 PM

# smart navigation

This headset helps the blind navigate the city they're in

The device creates a 3D soundscape to aid its wearer, providing them with context to their surroundings.

4.5k

Nov 7th 2014, 10:56 AM

# Donegal

Scared of flying? What about piloting a plane blind?

Jennifer Doherty flew a plane to raise awareness of the Donegal Centre for Independent Living.

8.9k

Oct 19th 2014, 10:30 AM

Voices

Opinion: Losing my sight at 23 was traumatic, but my dog is with me every step of the way

What my sight loss has shown me is that we can’t control what happens to us – we can only control how we deal with it.

480

Oct 9th 2014, 8:00 AM

# World Sight Day

In pics: Our guide dogs changed our lives

“With York as my guide, I take in the sea air, listen to the seagulls and fetch my morning coffee.”

5.7k

Oct 9th 2014, 7:00 AM

# compensation

Blind teenager awarded €3.2m in damages after court battle

The family of 13-year-old Noel McCarthy have spoken of their relief after a court battle lasting more than a decade.

8.8k

Oct 8th 2014, 9:48 AM

# Dine in the dark

Could you manage to eat your dinner while wearing a blindfold?

An event doing just that will be held in Dublin, Limerick and Cork on World Sight Day, October 9.

7.5k

Sep 13th 2014, 10:15 AM

# don't turn a blind eye

Calls for measures to be introduced to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020

There are currently more than 220,000 people in Ireland who are blind or vision impaired.

7.0k

Jul 16th 2014, 9:56 PM

# Week in Web

Weird Wide Web: Tweeting during penalties, giant rollable TVs and a shocking exercise tool

All of your essential tech and social media news for the week in one byte-sized portion.

10.3k

Jul 13th 2014, 11:30 AM

# easy reading

This device reads out printed text to the blind in real-time

The FingerReader only requires the wearer to point at the text, and uses a small camera to scan the text before reading it aloud.

8.7k

Jul 8th 2014, 5:54 PM

# Diabetes

'I went to look at myself in the mirror and I couldn’t see my face'

Joe McPhilips has told the story of how he went blind, in the hope of reminding people of the importance of correctly managing their diabetes.

22.5k

Jun 27th 2014, 8:22 PM

# Reunited

Dog who went blind reacts to seeing family for first time after eye surgery

GOT to stop chopping onions at the computer.

6.9k

Jun 15th 2014, 2:15 PM

# Challenge

Blind man walks 132 km in four days to raise funds for the Irish Wheelchair Association

Rahim Nazrali will have two guides to assist him during the trek.

6.2k

Jun 14th 2014, 8:45 AM

# drawing a blank

Blind man attempts to draw things he's never seen

He’s probably better than some sighted people.

5.0k

May 11th 2014, 10:30 AM

# PREVENTABLE

Irish people going blind waiting for cataract surgery

Ireland could save €76 million annually if earlier intervention was prioritised.

10.8k

Apr 3rd 2014, 4:59 PM

# Snizzly Snouts

This book promises to be a feast for the eyes, hands and ears

The book can be used by blind and visually-impaired children.

7.5k

Feb 15th 2014, 10:30 AM

# Guide Dogs

Sligo garda raising funds for guide dog charity after mother's freak accident

Monica Wims lost her sight two years ago but her guide dog Guinness has given her back her independence.

19.0k

Dec 22nd 2013, 8:45 AM

# seeing by touch

Here's a museum that tells blind visitors: Please touch!

Blind and visually impaired visitors are encouraged to get up close to items during their special tours.

7.6k

Dec 8th 2013, 5:30 PM

Voices

Column: Why are over two thirds of blind people in the world women?

It’s unimaginable to many in the developed world that a person could be last in line for medical care and education simply because of gender – but for millions of women this is the stark reality, writes Michael Marren.

465

Dec 4th 2013, 7:00 AM

# dirty streets

VIDEO: Don’t let your dog poo on streets, say wheelchair users

A new video shows the impact that dog poo can have on people of limited mobility.

13.5k

Aug 24th 2013, 8:30 PM

# terry rosema

A partially blind photographer took these stunning images of storms

After Bechet’s disease impaired Terry Rosema’s sight, he left his career as graphic designer to take up storm chasing. Here’s his story and his images.

13.6k

Aug 18th 2013, 6:30 PM