Blind Man With A Vision

UK (SANEPR.com) March 31, 2009 -- It was a simple idea developed by Clive Lever and his sighted friend Don Thompson to take the poems of ‘Folk Laureate’ and professional idiot Les Barker and get famous people to recite them. Their next step would be to issue the results on a CD and see if they could sell a few copies to raise money for a charity that has helped Clive and many other blind people.

The recipient of the funds would be the British Computer Association of the Blind [www.bcab.org.uk"> whose main aim is to promote the use of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) by visually impaired people in education, employment and the home.

Often blind or partially sighted people assume that computers are a sighted medium and not accessible to them! Nothing could be further from the truth because once a blind or partially sighted person is trained in the use of computers it opens up a whole new world to them.

Clive explains what the BCAB does: “Internet access reaches 60% per cent of sighted people, but only 25% per cent of visually impaired people. The BCAB introduces the blind to technologies based around Braille, speech or magnification, permitting them to use computers in a way sighted people take for granted. Most blind or visually impaired people are intimidated by the technology or price, but affordable solutions are available.

In 1982, when I started work as a computer programmer, I knew I would need technical support from other blind computer professionals, so joining the British Computer Association of the Blind seemed the logical thing to do. Back then you hardly saw computers outside of the workplace; the association was a self-help group for blind people working in computers. Since then it has grown into a registered charity that is prepared to give technical help to anyone blind or partially sighted, at home or in the work place.

At Worcester College for the Blind, now RNIB New College Worcester [www.rnibncw.ac.uk">, the school motto was: "they can because they think they can".
When I was there, I didn't care much for the motto, but the message was brought home to me again at a BCAB after-dinner speech given by blind mountaineer and explorer Miles Hilton Barber [www.mileshilton-barber.com">

Inspired by Barber’s words Clive ably assisted by Don set out to turn their money raising idea into reality. First they would need to get permission from Britain’s ‘Folk Laureate’ professional idiot and fashion icon Les Barker who promptly said yes! In fact Les has helped throughout the promotion of Guide Cats. Next they would need to enlist the help of some famous names.

Enter Paul Donovan of the Sunday Times and Hester Neville from the BBC Press Office. Between them they paved the way to some of the UK’s best known voices. This enabled Clive and Don to record the first “Guide Cats for the Blind the Poems and Songs of Les Barker” with amongst others, Sir. Terry Wogan, Johnnie Walker, Charlotte Green, Brian Perkins, Paul Gambaccini, Nicky Campbell, Roy Hudd, Ken Bruce, Nicholas Parsons, Dave Cash, Mike Harding, Ned Sherrin R.I.P. Sarah Kennedy, Brian Matthew, Trevor Peacock and Roger Lloyd Pack.

Flushed with the success of volume one Clive and Don set about releasing another album of Barker’s poems entitled ‘The Missing Persians File’. The first two CD’s have now raised in excess of £30,000 and volume three has now taken the net total to £45,000.

Volume 3, ‘Top Cat, White Tie & Tails’ features Roger Lloyd Pack, Joss Ackland Robert Lindsay, Jenny Agutter, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Edward de Souza, Prunella Scales, Tony Hawks, Tessa Peake Jones, Andrew Sachs, Michael Cochrane, Peter Donaldson, Judi Spiers, Norma Dixit, Gerard McDermott, Christopher Cazenove, Clare Balding & Jimmy McGrath.

Clive and Don are currently putting together Vol. 4 scheduled for release on July 13, 2009 whilst at the same time getting volume five into shape. Amongst those contributing to volume four will be, The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams + King's Singers + Nik Kershaw, Chumbawamba + Norma Waterson + Jeremy Taylor + Jez Lowe + Wheeler Street featuring Roy Bailey + John Benns with Fairport Convention + George Hamilton IV + Bob Harris + Richard Briers + Jeremy Irons + Michael Palin + Susan Jameson + James Naughtie + Mikey Hughes + Isla St Clair + Simon Mayor and Hilary James + Louis de Berniere with Tom Bliss + Alan Titchmarsh + Toyah Willcox + Bernard Cribbins + Jeremy Taylor + Sian Phillips Roger + Lloyd Pack + John Tams with Coope Boyes and Simpson + Elaine C Smith + Shirley Henderson + Reg Meuross with Jackie Oates and Phil Beer. (Working title is “Cat Nav”)