Dear all,
I hope you all had a good summer and that you are enjoying the fresher weather?!
There are lots of TAVIP and other sector events taking place during the Autumn so here is a quick summary for you.
TAVIP Events coming up
TechABreak 2025, 12th to 14th September, Harrogate
Our annual conference is taking place this weekend and we have a great line up of speakers … and delegates 🙂
Last year we had 45 attendees and this year we have 64, and more people would have joined if we had room. The good news is that this year we are recording the main sessions so we will be able to share those after the event. We are also looking at options for increasing delegate numbers in 2026 so more members can attend in person.
We have some great sessions including Braille 200: Past Present and Future, a session on the Future of Mobility Tech, a remote presentation from Amos Miller at Glidance, a look at the use of SMART devices in the home and a look at Innovations in AI. Exhibitors include Humanware, Sight and Sound Technology, Bristol Braille, dotInc, Purview and Ashirase. We are also running some Masterclass Live sessions looking at Programming and Mastering Microsoft Outlook.
We’re looking forward to a great weekend and we’ll share highlights in due course.
TAVIP Career Talk with Patrick Moran, Wednesday 17th September at 7.30pm
This webinar will take the form of a ‘fireside chat’ between Patrick Moran and Tony Stockman who is Chair of Trustees for TAVIP. Patrick is visually impaired and has until recently been working in cyber security, principally for Citi where he was the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) for EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa). He is a global leader in strengthening support for and access to assistive technology.
The conversation will cover how Patrick got into Tech as a career, his thoughts on applying and interviewing for jobs as a visually impaired person, his experience of taking a number of different roles, and his use of Access Technology. The latter part will focus on how Patrick coped with large volumes of information, and how he managed teams and collaborated with numerous external organisations to formulate and operationalise strategy for Cyber Security management. The zoom link has been shared as a separate email, and I’ll send a reminder next Wednesday.
TAVIP Masterclass – The Nuts and Bolts of Programming, Wednesday 22nd October
Do join us to find out more about programming, and how to get into programming. Details to follow.
TAVIP Trip to TNMOC – The National Museum of Computing, Wednesday 29th October
A TAVIP member has kindly helped to organise a visit to The National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes. This will be a two-hour tour of the museum giving you the opportunity to explore the world’s largest collection of working historic computers with one of their expert guides. I will send out booking details in due course once timings have been finalised.
TAVIP TechChat zoom session on the first Thursday of each month
Do join us for an informal conversation about tech with other members, hosted by a TAVIP trustee. The next sessions will be on Thursday 2nd October and Thursday 6th November.
Do tell us what you would like to hear more about
We are a member-led organisation and want to focus on the issues that matter to you, so do drop us an email at info@tavip.org.uk with your suggestions for future Masterclasses, Career Talks, Trips or for TechABreak 2026.
Other sector events
The Visionary Conference
Visionary Conference is taking place on the 24th and 25th September and brings together local sight loss organisations from across the UK and a host of other sight loss organisations. TAVIP is a Visionary Partner and we will be attending to contribute to conversations on tech, AI, employment and other related topics.
Techshare Pro
The TechShare Pro conference is hosted by our friends at AbilityNet and runs on the 12th and 13th November 2025 as a hybrid in-person and on-line event.
Key themes for 2025 include: Accessibility Leadership and change management, AI and Accessibility, European Accessibility Act, Neurodivergence and accessibility, and Accessible Customer Experience (CX).
Tickets and further information are available from this Techshare Pro Link.
Sight Village London
Sight Village London has moved to a new venue for 2025, and will be at the ILEC Conference Centre on Tuesday 18th & Wednesday 19th November 2025. The Centre is near Earls Court and the nearest tube is West Brompton on the District Line. Further details are available from this Sight Village London link.
Sight Tech Global
Sight Tech Global is run by The Vista Centre in Silicon Valley and positions itself as “the first global, virtual conference dedicated to fostering discussion among technology pioneers on how rapid advances in AI and related technologies will fundamentally alter the landscape of assistive technology and accessibility.” It takes place online on the 9th and 10th December. You can pre-register from this Sight Tech Global Link. You can watch recordings from Sight Tech Global 2024 event here.
Other TAVIP Programmes and Resources
Recordings of TAVIP Masterclasses and other webinars
If you miss any of our webinars, such as the latest one on the Envision Solos Glasses, then you can access recordings in our TAVIP Knowledgebase.
Technology for Work and Technology for Learning
Our Technology for Work and Technology for Learning Programmes offer members up to 5 hours of free one-to-one training to help them gain the IT skills needed in the work place so that, with other pre-employment support, they are ready to make the step into paid work. Depending on people’s learning goals, the course can cover topics including an overview of assistive technology and access features built into Windows and Microsoft Office, use of screen readers such as JAWS or NVDA, using Microsoft Office applications, using Zoom and Microsoft Teams, web browsing, using Apple and Android phones and apps. If you know of anyone who could benefit do ask them to contact us on info@tavip.org.uk.
Sound without Sight
TAVIP is delighted to host the Sound Without Sight Project, which provides information and support to visually impaired people wanting to progress in the audio and music industry. Led by Jay Pocknell, ‘Sound Without Sight’ is a network and knowledge hub for blind and partially sighted musicians and audio engineers, and a platform to showcase this community to the sighted world. To find out more about the project, and to listen to interviews with the two new Community Leads Sam and Tilly, head over to the Sound Without Sight website.
The TAVIP Directory
The TAVIP Directory lists a wide range of organisations and resources which support visually impaired people to get the most out of technology. It includes links to online resources, podcasts, national events, research reports, equipment suppliers, grants and local services. Here is a link to the TAVIP Directory. Send us recommendations for additional content as well.
The Tech Selector Tool
TAVIP has played a key role in the design and development of the new Tech Selector Tool, a website platform which showcases the best and latest assistive technology and mainstream products for visually impaired people. It is a project which comes under the leadership of the Vision Partnership Technology Group with content contributions from an Expert Panel of visually impaired people. It is being hosted by Guide Dogs on behalf of the sector.
Donate to support our work
Membership of TAVIP is free, but if you like what we do and would like to support our work, head over to our donation page where you can make an online donation. All donations go towards providing training for young people on using technology as they embark on higher education or moving into the workplace and would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
And further afield
For updates on the latest VI tech also check out RNIB Tech Talk, Doubletap, and The Blind Life. Which are your go-to sources for the latest tech news and reviews? Drop us an email with your recommendations.
That’s all for this Autumn update.
Best wishes to you all, and speak soon,
Julian.
Julian Garner.
TAVIP Chief Executive