Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

It’s been a valued institution in Llanelli for more than 40 years. Now the Llanelli and District Talking Newspaper Association is searching for more volunteers. The association produces a comprehensive CD local news and information bulletin for blind and partially-sighted members of the community once a fortnight – having never missed a deadline in 42 years. “There’s a great sense of pride in Llanelli as we were one of the first towns in Wales to introduce a talking newspaper service,” said Llanelli and District Talking Newspaper Association chairman Robert Lloyd. “The service was founded during 1976, with the first edition being issued to nine listeners in December of that year. “The inspiration and driving force behind the project was the late Mr Harold Owen, Manager of a Painting and Decorating shop situated in Stepney Street, Llanelli. “The team of volunteers involved in the production and distribution of the newspaper numbers about 25 people at present and it is a credit to t...

RNIB Cymru (Royal National Institute of Blind People) is calling on people in Wales to give up a few hours of their time to help blind and partially sighted people get online. According to the findings of new research about volunteering by RNIB, 80 per cent of people who volunteer say it makes them feel happier. Another 47 per cent of respondents in the UK who do not volunteer said they want to in the future, with more than one in 10 people most keen to share their technology skills. The research was commissioned to mark the start of RNIB’s initiative to recruit more volunteers for its Online Today project to help 6000 people with sensory loss across Wales get online. Since its launch in 2015, Online Today events throughout Wales and the UK have helped thousands of people with sight and hearing loss get online. Now RNIB is appealing to local people to commit a few hours a month to visit blind and partially sighted people in their own homes and help them develop digital skills like bro...

News from RNIB Cymru - free tech help. Chris Hoyle, Digital Inclusion Manager, Online Today, RNIB Cymru, tells me - RNIB Cymru are celebrating the arrival of 2016 by offering free help to people with sight and hearing loss to get the best out of their smart phones, tablets, laptops and e-readers. You may have had a brand new Smart Phone or I-pad for Christmas, or treated yourself to one in the January sales and are now looking at how you can get the best from your new equipment. RNIB Cymru has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund to show how people with sight loss can use the internet, how to use in built accessibility features and specialised software. We know that more than 80 per cent of blind and partially sighted people say that their sight loss is the reason they are not using digital technology or being online at all - but it doesn’t need to be that way. We will be at nine different libraries across West Wales between January 26 and February 5. We are also at key ...

Carmarthenshire County Council and the National Eisteddfod are making provision for an inclusive event at the Carmarthenshire National Eisteddfod in Llanelli between 1-9 August. Carmarthenshire County Council’s efforts include specialist disability sports provision including wheelchair rugby and netball and Boccia sessions in the council’s leisure area. The council’s performance stage will include British Sign Language Interpretation on specific performance such as fair trading dramas. British Sign Language taster sessions will be held at the Council’s main pavilion. The Eisteddfod is providing Parking for Blue Badge holders at Parc y Scarlets and the Shuttle buses to Festival Fields will provide a specialist service. Moving around the Maes is being made easier by a minibus supplied by the council through Ysgol Heol Goffa and is supported by local volunteers. Anyone interested in hiring scooters should contact Byw Bywyd / Living Life in advance through 01286 830101. Using the instan...