[00:00:00] and somebody said to me, oh Linz that's some squint you've got going on there. And it was just a normal comment. But that was something that made me take a little bit of a check with myself of how much this was now affecting me. So a lot of the times I find, I leave my club when I'm going away again with like Jofor or Jofi's script commentary. They'll either come back and say no sorry we don't. So I just say thank you for being honest. Is it something you're looking into?
[00:00:28] S6 Ep3 and it would really help and send them a little bit of jargon of how to help and stuff. Other times they might come back and be like no we're off a local radio and I'm like okay thank you that's no good for me. The one thing that kept me going through that time through everything was the football. Coming here, being with friends, seeing yourself. I know that voice. Down Tilton Road. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 I've had a guy comment on my social media. There's been a few points that I'll discuss but
[00:00:56] I was wearing sunglasses and a photo. Obviously I'm disgusted about being visually impaired and he commented and said, you're not blind. I can see your eyes open. And I was like, okay. S6 Ep3 Wow. S6 Ep3 Wow. S6 Ep3 2026. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Why is this? S6 Ep3 I've had people as I'm walking through the fan park, see the cane. You're not blind. You don't look blind.
[00:01:27] S6 Ep3 I haven't quite got to the point yet but in the visual impairment community they're like, you need to reply back. Well you don't look ignorant but here we are. S6 Ep3 Before we get into this, we're doing over a million engagements a month but most of you aren't subscribed. If you enjoy the content, hit subscribe and follow us on socials. It'll make such a massive difference. Cheers. S6 Ep3 Welcome along. We'll do it properly. Welcome along. How are you? S6 Ep3 Thank you. S6 Ep3 Thank you. S6 Ep3 Thank you. S6 Ep3 Lindsay. I'm good. Thank you.
[00:01:54] S6 Ep3 Good. We're down your beloved blues, my beloved blues. S6 Ep3 Yeah. Down the church. S6 Ep3 Down the church. Tell me about your experience about getting into blues. What got you into football? S6 Ep3 I was born and bred blues. My nan, bless her, she's no longer with us. She was the heart of the family, my dad's mum. I believe her parents were blues as well. But I didn't really know them.
[00:02:22] S6 Ep3 But she was, when we were younger, she'd always come down like with my uncles and my cousins. They were all season ticket holders. A lot of my cousins still are now. We didn't really have the money for us to have that. But if a ticket come available, my nan would be like, you're coming? So I'd come down. S6 Ep3 What area did you grow up in? S6 Ep3 Chamsley Wood. S6 Ep3 Chamsley Wood. S6 Ep3 Still live there. S6 Ep3 Chamsley Wood. Love it. S6 Ep3 Love it. S6 Ep3 Respect to Chamsley Wood. S6 Ep3 It's got a bad rep, but I love Chamsley. Chamsley's like blues. It's got a community. S6 Ep3 Yeah.
[00:02:49] S6 Ep3 And if somebody needs people or somebody needs, you know, fundraising things, if there's somebody who's poorer, everybody comes together. S6 Ep3 I think it gets a bit bad rep for people who aren't from the area and even from Birmingham, really. Some people think Chamsley Wood's this and that, but if you know, you know, don't you? S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Especially if you grow up there and stuff like that. And a big blues follow in there. S6 Ep3 Obviously you've got filler mates and stuff like that, but raw and honest, I think, isn't it? S6 Ep3 It is. A bit like the blues.
[00:03:17] S6 Ep3 It is. It is. I love where we live. And it's helped as well, staying in the area that I've grew up in with my sight loss. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Because I know the paths, I know the roads. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Ironically. S6 Ep3 So familiarity. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Any standout moments for you, Dania? S6 Ep3 I think there's a few. So I'll always, my earliest memory is, it's not really that early on,
[00:03:40] but it was when I was about 12. We was walking along the COP concourse here with my nan. We'd got in late because there was loads of queues at the turnstiles. And I was with my nan and my cousin Adam. And as we were walking along, blues scored in the tiltern. So we're all shouting that. But then my cousin's grabbing me down. He's like, no, no, no, it was offside. Maybe I was a bit blown back then. But yeah, that was always one.
[00:04:09] S6 Ep3 There's a few. I walked the team out about 10 years ago. That was a good day. I was in a hospitality in the Jasper at the time and I wanted to walk the team out. That was a really good day. I had my heels on. I was a little bit drunk. S6 Ep3 Yes. The best way. S6 Ep3 The grounds not going to happen. S6 Ep3 Grounds and shuming as you're taking up the turf, as you're walking through. S6 Ep3 Yeah. I met a few of the players that day as well in the tunnel. That was good. I met Duke. It wasn't about eight, 10 years actually. Memory's
[00:04:36] really bad. It's when Duke was playing, Camp was here. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. I'm sure you'll hear lots about them. S6 Ep3 Well, I don't even need, I didn't even put it on here, but any favourite players? S6 Ep3 Yeah. I don't think it's any secret. So, Lukas Dukovic, Lee Camp, Carter as well, Darren Carter. S6 Ep3 Good lad down. S6 Ep3 Yeah, he's a good bloke. They're all good bloke. And I think this is why I like them as well. Not only as players, they're really generally lovely guys
[00:05:05] off the pitch. And I think that's what was like, what's your favourite player? That's something I always think of as well. I was like, yeah, but I'm glad Lukas is still here. S6 Ep3 And we've just, Matt, you'll be happy to hear that we've just made a connection with Lee Camp and yeah, we're going to all go into some finer details. You might need a second camera off or something just to... S6 Ep3 Yeah. I actually messaged him about a week ago about an event for Love Brum, which I'm hoping he says yes to. S6 Ep3 Yeah.
[00:05:34] S6 Ep3 Yeah. Because that'd be really good to have him on board as well. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 A genuinely nice guy. S6 Ep3 Yes. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. I mean, that's one of my other days is, you might have to remind me, Kev, was it a cup game where we went to penalties and it was down the tilting end? S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. And he saved penalty after penalty after penalty. It was like that, that was always... Was that where we was the away team? S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. It was that game, wasn't it?
[00:05:59] S6 Ep3 Wasn't it this end and it was against Kev when we were a white Kev. S6 Ep3 I'm sure it was, yeah, but I'm sure the penalties were down there. S6 Ep3 Okay. S6 Ep3 Oh, so... S6 Ep3 That's what mine... S6 Ep3 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm getting my... S6 Ep3 Am I the one right round? That's skill, Mary Clats Tilton, isn't it? S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Am I like that then?
[00:06:18] S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 Yeah. You have to tell me, yeah. But that was, yeah, great. And he's like a bit of a cult hero, isn't he? Because there's that worldie that he, that worldie save. Remember that one? The whole pancake, that was brilliant. But he takes it in good spirit. But that, I'm excited to do that. Going into accessibility. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 How inclusive do you feel at the football now for disabled fans?
[00:06:44] S6 Ep3 It's getting better. I think there's always room for improvement. And I think if clubs want to be fully accessible and fully inclusive and, you know, be that North Star that everybody looks to, there's a lot of work to be done. But I think clubs can get there and it can be quite easy to get there, in my opinion, and doesn't cost a lot. They just need to listen to people with the lived experience of people and live it.
[00:07:17] S6 Ep3 It's getting better. You need to listen to each of them, see what works, what doesn't work. Because ultimately, they're the ones that are living it every game, know what works, what doesn't. But it is getting there. There has been improvements. Obviously down with Blues, they've put in Alan March Sport with the audio script commentary. So that's been really good.
[00:07:42] S6 Ep3 There's still a few issues around other processes, communications with that. Hopefully that's something that can still be worked on. S6 Ep3 So for someone who doesn't know anything about... S6 Ep3 Sorry. S6 Ep3 No, it's all right. I do know about it, but I'm trying to be... S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 So obviously I've followed your journey. We've been friends for a while now. So I've followed your journey intently. But tell us a little bit about the audio descriptive.
[00:08:03] S6 Ep3 Yeah. So audio descriptive commentary. You'll get normal commentary that kind of like just gives the normal commentary what you hear on the radio, on the TV of where the ball is, who's passed it, that kind of thing. Audio descriptive commentary is more detailed. So if you imagine you're sat out there at a football game, close your eyes, even just for a minute. You don't know what's going on. You don't know where the ball is. Like if it's gone out for a throw in.
[00:08:31] S6 Ep3 Obviously you know if there's a goal. And this is something I've come to learn down here as well. And even at away games, there were certain songs we'd sing. Like if we've got a corner, we'd sing Wabamagum, Wabamagum City. And I'm like, oh, we've got a corner. S6 Ep3 Okay. S6 Ep3 When there was no audio descriptive available. S6 Ep3 Yeah. S6 Ep3 But there's then things of like where the players are, who's passed it. You just don't know anything about your team because you can't see it. So then having that audio descriptive commentary, which is more detailed and tells you who's passed it to where.
[00:09:00] S6 Ep3 It's all about ball focus rather than player focus, but it's nice when players put into it as well so that you can connect that with your team. But it just gives you what's actually going on on the pitch. S6 Ep3 So I'll tell you, 25 yards up on the byline by the, don't know, this stand and that stand and it'll really, that seems like a, it needs to be a good skill from the commentators. What kind of, how are they different to the normal commentators then?
[00:09:28] S6 Ep3 So when Alan March was brought in here, I got invited to the selection and training day. So I think we had about, again, memory is not very good. When I say about 20 people come that have been selected from like CVs and things to come along. They were all just, if they'd got any experience, it was just commentary experience. Nobody had got any audio descriptive commentary to my knowledge anyway.
[00:09:54] S6 Ep3 But that's how Alan March liked to do it as well. And then they bring it in with the descriptive side of it because it's such a niche skill to have, but they've picked it like the volunteers here.
[00:10:07] S6 Ep3 We've got five that were then selected to be the audio descriptive team here. Absolutely brilliant guys. And they've all picked it up so well. And I think going from, excuse me, going from just commentary to audio descriptive commentary, even they said like on that day, a lot of them will say like we never realised how different it was, but it's quite easy in a sense to pick up, but then it's, it's keeping it going as well. S6 Ep3 Yeah. Do you always give them feedback as well?
[00:10:37] S6 Ep3 Yeah, so I've recently touched base with Alan and from Alan March Sport. And so I've given him feedback, any grounds that I go to as well. So like Derby the weekend, and there was a slight issue with the mics, which I need to message him about and just things like that. But they do have an email address. I think it's like info at Alan March Sport, something like that, where you can send feedback. But he did say mostly it's just like the clubs that they do.
[00:11:04] S6 Ep3 And so I think it's really good for people who do experience the audio description to give feedback. S6 Ep3 And how easy is it to kind of get those from people who are new to football and stuff like that? And are they rolling it across all the grounds or are they trying it out at different grounds? Is it an accessible thing throughout the AFL and the Premier League? S6 Ep3 That would be the hope, wouldn't it? S6 Ep3 Yeah. You would have thought so. S6 Ep3 Yeah. So this is something I'm probably going off a little bit here. When we went to League One,
[00:11:34] I wasn't expecting any grounds to have descriptive commentary. So a lot of the times I find, I'll email a club when I'm going to the away game with like, do you have audio scripted commentary? They'll either come back and say, no, sorry, we don't. So I just say, thank you for being honest. Is it something you're looking into? It would really help and send them a little bit of jargon of how to help and stuff. Other times they might come back and be like, no, we only offer local radio. And I'm like, okay, thank you.
[00:11:58] That's no good for me. Or they'll be like, yes, we do. Sometimes I'll get to the grounds and I'll be listening to it. And I'll be like, this is not descriptive commentary. This is just like local radio commentary, which to me, I don't find helpful. Like as much as I'm getting from the local radio commentary, I'm getting from our own fans in regards to the atmosphere and things. So I won't use that. But yeah, I was really surprised with league one, how many grounds did offer descriptive commentary.
[00:12:25] I think just generally overall with an accessibility, like yellow stair nosing as well. There were so many grounds in league one that had yellow stair nosing, yet there's a lot of grounds in the championship that don't have that. And so the stair nosing is, you might see out here on the steps as he's white. So it's literally like a strip at the edge of every step. So it's like you can, because the steps are quite dark,
[00:12:50] we can differentiate then if you've got a bit of vision where the edge of the step is. So it kind of helps us get down. Yellow is a lot better. White's great. Yellow's a lot better because it's more of a brighter, clearer colour. But yeah, I was really surprised just with league one, how accessible there was compared to a lot of grounds in the championship. But I think Alan March currently provides descriptive commentary for about 20 football clubs.
[00:13:20] They do other things as well. I think they've just done like the Paralympics. But yeah, it's like, I think the thing with the descriptive commentary is like a lot of grounds think it's going to be expensive to put in. And actually it's not that expensive. And it's all volunteers that do the commentary side of it as well. So yeah, it's like I'd say to any football ground, like if you want to be more inclusive for your blind and partially sighted supporters. And there's a lot of other people that can use it as well with different disabilities that would help.
[00:13:49] Like have a look at Alan March because it's really good. I was always, if I was going to an away game and it said they offered Alan March, I'd be like, yes, it's going to be good today. Is there a market for people just being self-employed and, or even through Alan March there to just be by your side? But is there a market for that? Obviously. I think so. Because it's an earphone thing. So is it an earphone thing that's all wireless? Actually, you take your own earphones, frequent five millimeter jackpot.
[00:14:18] You just take your own. I do find noise cancelling headphones are the best ones for it. But yeah, you just take your own headphones along. I give you a set. And I just give you the device. Yeah. Yeah. Right. This episode is proudly sponsored by Vanology at Birmingham Van Centre. If you're self-employed, running a business or scaling up your fleet, these are you guys. With over 20 years experience, they specialise in new and used vans with flexible options
[00:14:46] to buy, lease or finance, all tailored around what actually works for you. No pushy sales, no hassle, just proper advice and real vans at real prices. Whether it's one van or a full fleet, Steve and the team have got you covered. But yeah, I think with the... So I used to have... I had a friend when I'd go to the away games that if the audio wasn't there or it wasn't what I was expecting, she'd then help with commentary. I think in regards to like obviously employing someone, you then technically having to take
[00:15:15] them as your carer. Yeah. Right. And maybe taking you away from like friends and family as such as well. Whereas it's... So ideally if the club's doing it. Yeah. It's there, readily available for you. Yeah. Yeah. And I think with the audio description as well, it's a whole ground thing. So away fans can access it, home fans can access it and get this as well. But technology in like with everything for blind and partially sighted sports is just really improving.
[00:15:45] And obviously you've got like the descriptive side of it and then going into like the GiveVision headset that I've recently started trialling. Right. So this is for partially sighted people. You have to have some remaining vision, but that's just a game changer. That's amazing. Yeah. Because obviously I've followed you and we've been friends for a while and I've seen the strides that you've put into doing that. Tell us a little bit about your sights and your journey with that because I know that it's just gone, it's just gone completely. It's just gone. It's gone, isn't it?
[00:16:14] Like even in the space of what? Two or three years? Yeah. Yeah. So it's, it kind of, the journey started out when I was 20, a long time ago. Started. A year ago, Bob. Absolutely. I started having a few vision changes, thought nothing of it, just went to Specsavers over Chelmsywood. Other opticians are available. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:16:43] I can't remember much of it, but what I do remember is they were like, we need to refer you to the hospital. Didn't really think much of it. I believe I was at the hospital within like days and I remember waiting in a waiting room being called in and that was like, oh, we need to put some drops in your eyes to have a look at the back of your eyes. Could you be pregnant? And I was like, I could be, I knew there was a chance, but I was like, but I'm not. And there was like, okay, we'll just put one drop in just in case.
[00:17:11] Lo and behold, it turned out I was actually present with my firstborn. Yeah. We turned 22 yesterday. I have better. Yep. So yeah, I did. A few weeks later, I found out I was actually pregnant with him. And it kind of started from there. But for many years, I just, I just had glasses, just got on with it. Obviously, motherhood come and my son was born with a lot of health issues. So that just kind of took over. It's like it was what it was sort of thing.
[00:17:39] It did become apparent later on in life after having my daughter and two miscarriages that my sight would get worse every time I was pregnant. So it was a hormone thing that was causing it. Never. I don't know why I didn't ever think this, but obviously coming into my 40s, you've got perimenopause, going into menopause. I didn't even think about this with the hormone changes.
[00:18:05] And then lo and behold, about two years or so ago, things started to drastically decline. I was already wearing a specialist lens then. Left eye has been no good for many, many years. It's fine. I'd just get on with it. Glasses were no longer working. There was just nothing was working anymore. And then I suddenly connected the docs and I was like, I'm in perimenopause from other things.
[00:18:33] And obviously speaking with the doctors, I was like, of course it was going to get worse. Wow. But you wouldn't even think that, would you? You wouldn't put two and two together there and then and think that. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, I forgot to say, so the condition I was diagnosed with is called correct conus. And there was, there was not a lot of research into it initially. And they used to say, I think they still do say it's fairly rare, fair, part of all.
[00:19:02] A fairly rare disease or condition. Try to say that while you're drunk. Yeah. Yeah. But yet. So what we're talking rare wise, one in? I can't, I can't remember what they said. One in millions. I think they, it used to be more rare than what they say now. Right. Um, but I remember like, as I got older, I learned that a girl I used to work with when I was like 16, 17, she'd also got the condition.
[00:19:30] Then one of my other friends that, um, I met her husband had got the condition. Right. And then one of my old bosses, her brother-in-law had also got the condition. I was like, well, it's not that rare. Like I know three people. That's eating the whole of the, just you guys. Yeah. Yeah. And it was like, this was before I went into any kind of like visually impaired blind support groups or anything like this is just people that I knew. Yeah. Um, so it really can't be that rare. Um, I've gone off on a tangent again, haven't I?
[00:20:00] That's all right. That's okay. So, um, so, so over the two years now it's got to this. So obviously you've got your stick and stuff now. Yeah. Not driving? No, sadly I had to give up my license. Um, so once my vision declined to a point that even, I wear a specialty slens in my good eye. Um, once it got to a point that wasn't even legal driver limit, that's when they were like, you need to send back your license, but we're going to certify you visually impaired.
[00:20:28] That was just over a year ago. Um. Is that kicking the nuts? Yeah. That took a lot of my independence away. Um, I pushed through it. I had a lot going on. Um, so around the time it started to decline was 2024. Um, personally me and my family had a lot going on. Um, and ultimately my sight loss just took a bit of a back burner. Just had to adapt. You would just have to get on with it. Yeah.
[00:20:56] Um, yeah, so it's just like, it is what it is. Like my daughter, we lost my daughter's dad to suicide, um, which was really tough and trying to be there for her and make sure she was okay. Um, she was already home educated due to mental health issues, um, which we now know is linked with a few neurodivergent, um, disabilities as well. Um, she's got a lot going on.
[00:21:26] She was also, she was diagnosed ADHD, um, told she's got autism. She's got hypermobility, potential POTS, colour blindness, severe anxiety, she's the leave of the home. Um, so it was like, I had all that going on. Plus I had to apply for an EHCP for her, which any parent that's been, what's that? Educational healthcare plan. Right. Um, so she couldn't cope in mainstream school, which is why I'd already took her out.
[00:21:55] It was like 20, 2022 or 2021. I took her out. Before lockdown. Yeah. Uh, just, just after lockdown started. Was it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, to fear that I was going to lose her, um, and eventually in the same way that we lost her dad. Um, we weren't together. He'd, you know, got his own family in that, but he was still a good friend of mine, good support network. Um, forgot what to say. Sorry, Kev. No.
[00:22:25] So, so you're, no, so you're, you're, you just thought, sod it, I've got to do this. I'll worry about my eye. I'll just get her through and put glasses and lenses and. Yeah. Get through it. How does that, how does that work with your family? Um, dynamic then with your sights and having, uh, your little and who's at that stage of her life? Is it, does it, is it a hindrance to your relationship?
[00:22:54] Is it, does it affect you at all? Do you know what I'm trying to say? Is it, is it harder? Is it easier? Is it just as hard? I think initially I wouldn't, wasn't even accepting myself how much my sight loss was affecting me. Right. Yeah. Um, and I always remember, and it was nothing against the person that said it, but towards
[00:23:17] the end of 2024, went to an event and somebody said to me, Oh, Lynn's that some squint you've got going on there. And it was just a, you know, a normal comment. Um, but that's the, something that made me take a little bit of a check with myself of how much this was now affecting me. Um, and your self-consciousness and your, with just a flippant comment that someone could have just said it's. Yeah.
[00:23:46] People were starting to notice. And I think that's why when I, when I was certified, is it when I was certified? I think even before then actually, I remember it was really bad. I think it was before I was certified. Um, I was offered the mobility training with the cane and I was really apprehensive about it, especially because back then I was still driving. Yeah. When I had my lens in, but then the lens, I can't, my eye doesn't tolerate it that much.
[00:24:16] Um, ultimately now I get 10 hours out of it a week, which is how I still do my job. A week? A week. A week. Four months a week, two and a half hours. I wear it to look at my computer to do my job and that's it. Because otherwise I get infections. I get sore eye. I just can't wear it for any longer. And every three to four months I have to take a week off or two weeks to leave it out for a week to give it a break and then build the lens wear time back up. Why? Um, yeah.
[00:24:45] So this way I had to adapt. Um, and initially it was just, just adapt, just do it. Like the amount of technology I use now is actually ridiculous. Yeah. I'm like a walking piece of technology considering how anti-technology I used to be. Yeah. That's good. Sweet. Yeah. Um. But you've always, as I've known you, you've always been like a resilient, like a strong woman. Yeah.
[00:25:10] I think on the surface and that's what I show people, people don't, people haven't seen the tears behind closed doors. There's been a lot, but again, we've everything my daughter's had to go through. Like it is what it is. She's so strong. What's my daughter's a winged about kind of angle? Yeah. And there's plenty more people with other disabilities that have it so hard in life. And I'm like, ultimately I can still get around. Yes. I need a lot more help than I used to.
[00:25:38] And that's been one of my biggest things is asking for help. I've always been very strong independent. Yeah. I've done everything myself. That, that's been a hard adjustment. Um, but there is people with, people who are a lot worse off, um, who can't communicate their needs who, you know, might stop to come to the football because it hasn't been accessible for them to be able to come. And actually that's, you know, it might have spoiled them into depression as well, because
[00:26:07] this is something they love and this is the only thing they got to do. I think this is a part of my fights for what I do as well. The work that I do around advocating and educating. Um, it, it can be really frustrating, but I'm like, there is so many people that will benefit. And it was like all through that time of everything. Cause it was like, there was a lot of things that happened. Like I was diagnosed with, I'm probably going to get it wrong now, familiar high cholesterol which is inherited high cholesterol.
[00:26:34] At some point previous to 2024, I went for gene testing cause this is what my dad has got diagnosed with that. Again, that's quite a big thing to do with heart and stuff. It just, it is what it is. Like it's very much gone on the low. Um, I was diagnosed with costochondritis. And this was why I was in so much pain with my rib cage every day. Again, she's gone on a path.
[00:26:59] Um, yeah, it's like, this is why I advocate for accessibility, especially in football stages, because the one thing that kept me going through that time through everything was the football coming here, being with friends, seeing yourself. I know that voice down Tilton road. Yeah. I'm like just being here with friends and family. It's just like Skype, isn't it? Yeah. And ultimately we were rubbish back then as well. Like we're going down to the league.
[00:27:26] I was going to say, pinning your, and that's saying something. If you're pinning your hopes on blues at that point, then, then I think you, yeah, there's, there's something wrong with all of us when we follow the blues, but yeah, it's, but it is still that. It's not all about football. No. It's not all about football. The results are byproducts really. Yeah. Some of the time we'd like to get some results in, but it's coming down. Highs and lows. Having a few drinks with you, mate.
[00:27:53] Having some food, having a bit of banter and yeah, joys and sorrows. Yeah. Keeping that bit of normality as well. When I always say to people, you don't know what's going on in someone's life. Um, so if they can have that bit of normality and come to the football and that's why I'm like, accessibility shouldn't be an afterthought. It should just be included because anyone can become disabled. You can have an accident, a health condition. Anyone at any point in their life can become disabled.
[00:28:21] You could have a stroke and now we know what might happen after that, that you need accessibility. And why should you have to stop doing something that you absolutely love that even in the worst times, the protests and things like that is what brings you down here. Um, I know we say to people, the 90 minutes on the pitch is just a very small part of the day. Yeah. Um, it's about those that you're around and yeah.
[00:28:47] So we just touched upon your work in life and using your contact lenses. And so you work for the great charity that is Love Brum. Tell us a little bit about Love Brum. Um, so yeah, I love, I love Love Brum. You love the Love Brum. Yeah. So prior to working at Love Brum, I worked in primary schools, mainly in medical. Um, and I was looking for something else at the time. I can't quite remember how the conversation went. I think it was like over LinkedIn or something with PJ. Yeah.
[00:29:17] Um, I didn't know him personally at the time. Friend of the shy. Um, yeah. Yeah. He's a good man. Um, yeah, I think, I can't remember why I connected and messaged about something. And then he just happened to mention that there was a position available at Love Brum, um, admin assistant. Um, so yeah, I applied, went through first interview, um, got called back for second interview. I tore my calf muscle when I was on crutches.
[00:29:44] I was like, oh, um, I did that. I threw the wars. Just stop being in the wars. Yeah. Yeah. That was, I'd started a fitness class. It was the very first one. Um, and yeah, just went to run. I shouldn't run. No, no, I'm feeling the effects of running last night. Yeah. Yeah. It's not good. Not good for running. So, so for those that don't know, describe Love Brum for us and what it kind of means to the city. So, so Love Brum is a Birmingham based charity.
[00:30:14] Um, we help to find like smaller charities, volunteer led causes, community groups, all within Birmingham that are doing amazing things within the community, but people might not necessarily know about. Um, so we, we, we help to find them. We give them a little bit of a platform to showcase them, offer them funding if we can, um, for anything that they may need that for with what they're doing. Um, they're just amazing.
[00:30:40] The causes that we meet, they are like the heart of Love Brum. They, they're why we do what we do. Um, there's so much good work being done in our city that you just wouldn't know about unless you were in, in that or like within those circles. And it, it's just amazing. Like I, I just love, whenever I know I've got like a meetup with a cause coming in, I just, I'm like, yeah. Yeah.
[00:31:05] Cause I just, there is so many people helping so many people in many different areas. Um, and that's what I said. I think it brings it back to like the whole charms thing, the whole community thing. It, that's when you, you get, you get to see exactly what's going on in our city and the world's full of a lot of hate and, you know, negativity.
[00:31:27] And there's just so many incredible people out there that, as I say, usually volunteers that are doing all this work to help people, um, to, to live better lives. Um, obviously, especially since, um, not just become disabled because I was a carer for, um, an accessible group as well. Accessible Blues, who was the, used to be the DSA. Um, I used to be a carer for them that they were one of the volunteer groups that I'm talking about.
[00:31:57] Um, just, just people doing everything they can to like make other people's lives better, to enrich their lives, um, and to help the city become a better place to be. Um, and it's just, it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing. And we worked closely, obviously I worked with, with yourselves and Love Brum and stuff. And that's how we really got to know each other. But we've had the likes of Malachi on, um, uh, obviously done that Hidden Heroes campaign. Malachi's been on, he's helping the youth and stuff like that.
[00:32:26] And, uh, we've had Dion who obviously no one, she doesn't need an introduction. She's just brilliant for the city. The lads from Found Age to Change and stuff like that. And it's all people who are so relevant and they're so great. But what Love Brum does is enables them to get a bit of a presence. So I think we spoke off camera that Love Brum's great at getting these guys exposure. But it's not like Love Brum have made these guys.
[00:32:53] It just gives them a platform to then go on and do bigger and better things. I'm doing some work with Found Age and Change at the moment. And they've gone from strength to strength. And they know that D's doing really well. Malachi's doing really well. So it's just, so what Love Brum has provided those guys with is the exposure from the likes of PJ and Tim, who are big characters in the city. Yeah. And it's not even about the money. I don't think. It's about just saying these guys, this is what they do. Yeah.
[00:33:21] And so people who have got these lived experience of being homeless or, I don't know, being on the streets or addictions and stuff like that. They've got a place to think, okay, well, this is somewhere to go where you wouldn't necessarily know that. And Google's great, but it's crap. And so forth. So I think what you guys do is just, it's invaluable really, isn't it? It is. It is. It's really good what we do.
[00:33:50] And I say, but the causes are always at the heart of it. Yeah. They're what make me get out of bed every day. Put my lens in. Yeah. I sit on my computer and I do it all for them. Yeah. Because they're just incredible what they're doing. You got any standout stories or moments that make you think, yeah. I think they all are just any cause that I connect with, like I just come away. If I have a Teams meeting or face to face, I come away and I just feel so uplifted and empowered.
[00:34:19] And so generally grateful and reminded that there is generally nice people in the world. Despite what we hear on the news, there is actually really good people in the world. And any cause that I connect with, they're just, they're just amazing. And each cause is individual as well. They're all doing something different. Yeah. And it makes you realise how many people need help as well. I was going to say that to you. So you, you're at the front line as well, aren't you? So what do you see that some of the challenges are for, for charities and stuff?
[00:34:50] I think it's a lot of charities. What people don't realise is it's a very small team behind it that are trying to do everything. So it's like fundraising, operations, social media to keep the presence. There's so much to it that people don't realise that, you know, how much goes into it. And it's a little bit why we do the volunteer hub on the Love Run website.
[00:35:15] We ask any of our causes if they need any help with anything, if they've got any volunteering opportunities. We advertise them on there and anybody can access that. Corporates can access that. Just to go and help and free people if they want to give up the time to volunteer. It's not even about funding most of the time. It is time, isn't it? Yeah. The time is the essential. Time and skills as well, I think. Yeah. Yeah. And actually funding helps them to continue. Of course, yeah. With operations stuff as well.
[00:35:45] But yeah, ultimately, it's a platform and finding people to help them. I think we had one contact before and it was about just something similar to their account system. They'd got a volunteer hub but they didn't know how to use the system. So we reached out to one of our accounts corporates and was like, would somebody be able to give half a day's volunteering just to help them? And that's what they did. And it was really good and that gave them the skills that they need and they were really appreciative of that. Brilliant. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:36:14] There's so much that goes into charity work. Like your mind doesn't switch off. It's not your normal 90-5. So it's constantly, yeah, trying to get inspiration and kind of find different avenues, isn't it? Yeah. What do you... So we spoke a little bit off camera that you do work from home for them and how do you balance your work life, your personal life and your motivation to carry on with your advocacy and... God knows. I don't know.
[00:36:43] I'm genuinely asking you how you do that because you seem like you're the busiest woman on the planet. Yeah. I very much, it sounds silly, but putting in time to just rest and for myself has been a big part of that. When everything that happened in 2024 happened to me and my family, I very much had to simplify life. So it was my children, home and work.
[00:37:09] And then the only time I got out was football, which was hard at the time because it wasn't accessible when my site started deteriorating more, which is when the advocacy work started. There was many tears. There was a complaint that went in. I don't think they'll mind me saying this. They've apologised as a club. I did have to put a complaint into the club secretary and to Jeremy Dale about the lack of the service that they were saying they've provided down here.
[00:37:39] You could probably say hand on heart, you was a raw pain in the arse for them. I was. But it's for the greater cause, isn't it? And I think they're starting to see now that it is so important. Yeah. And to be an advocate themselves to push it out there because some clubs might not have people who are as loud as you who are pushing for it and people are just coming along and not getting the full experience from it.
[00:38:05] So I think you're important to be that pain in the arse in the nicest possible way. Yeah, I do try to be a nice one. Yeah, exactly. And it's, you know, and there's always room for improvement. And, you know, it can be quite frustrating if people won't listen. But I think that's one of the biggest things in my advocacy work. I'm always about, first of all, independent accessibility. Yes, we have a carer who comes along with a friend, family member. Amazing.
[00:38:35] But ultimately, if I can still do something myself with just a few adjustments that would help so many other people in my position as well. What's the issue in doing that? What would some preconceptions be about visual impairment that you'd want to change? I was thinking about this one earlier. So I've had a guy comment on my social media.
[00:39:02] There's been a few points that I'll discuss, but I was wearing sunglasses and a photo. Obviously, I'm disgusted about being visually impaired. And he commented and said, you're not blind. I can see your eyes open. And I was like, OK. Why? Let's educate. Why? Yeah. 20, 26. Why is this? I've had people as I'm walking through the fun park, see the cane.
[00:39:31] You're not blind. You don't look blind. I haven't quite got to the point yet. But in the visual impairment community, they're like, you need to reply back. Well, you don't look ignorant. But here we are. I'm not quite got to that point yet. Yeah. And that's polite. Yeah. Maybe the next time somebody says it, it might come. Yeah. I've had a guy. It's all guys. There is some women as well. But these are the ones that stick out. Oh, is it? Yeah.
[00:40:00] A guy commented on my social media post once telling me I was blind because God hated me. I was like. Why? OK. Why? But yeah, I think along with it all, it's getting people to realize blindness is a spectrum. I think it's something like 7% of blind people actually see nothing or it's 3%. It's a very low percentage of people that actually see nothing at all. Yeah.
[00:40:31] So it's getting people to understand that blindness is a spectrum. And I'll happily like any, I have a lot of people come up to me, literally Derby the weekend. I had three different guys come up to me at different points. And it always comes to the same line, which I'm happy to answer is what can you see? Yeah. And I'm always happy to answer that. And I always say to me, you know, blindness is a spectrum. So the next person you meet who's visually impaired or uses a cane will be very different to me as well. Yeah. So what can you say?
[00:41:02] Not a lot. Two big bright lights in my face. Is it? And I was thinking about that when I was thinking, I've got them lights up there. Probably not Alphine. I know you're there. Yeah. And your white t-shirt against the blue background. Yeah. Is that, so if you move, I can see you moving, but that's it. I can't see your face. To be fair, you could be stood here and I wouldn't see facial detail. Right. So it's, I know there's something up there. I'm going to assume blues players or something like that. Yeah.
[00:41:31] Because it doesn't look like an advertisement sign, if that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. But then you're probably going to tell me, yeah, it is. I'm not going to be horrible. I'm not going to be horrible. Yeah. Tommydoll. We use Tommydoll's box. So there's a few pictures of Tommydoll up there. Right. Yeah. So you have to be cleverer then? I'm always in my head. Yeah. Always in my head. Thinking ahead, but then the anxious side of me is always thinking back as well. Right.
[00:41:59] At certain things that somebody said, like if I've walked past someone, the fact that, oh, you don't look blind, that will stay with me. Yeah. I'm getting better. Yeah. But yeah, I'm all. You're a bloody person though, aren't you? So like, and you're a woman. And like, but I don't know what, I don't know what goes through people's heads. It's just mad, isn't it? It's just really mad. But you can't educate ignorant people. No. What are the good things?
[00:42:27] Like me, when I seen you outside, I was like, come on. I had a few drinks. I was like, yeah. You were like, Kev, you're walking too fast. Yeah. So I doubt a bit. Yeah. But you're a face around you. You're like a bit of a blues celebrity, I think. Do you think? Yeah, man. Yeah, I think so. But it's, there's got to be nice things as well that comes with that. There is so many nice people. Our fan base is amazing. I think that.
[00:42:53] Even as a woman coming to the football, I've never really, and I'm not saying that others haven't, but I've never really experienced like sexism and that either. When I first got my cane, that was one of my biggest fears was getting over the self-consciousness of bringing it here. Yeah. Because I did know quite a lot of people already. And then it was like, when I tore my calf muscle, it was an away game. I can't remember where.
[00:43:21] As I was walking the toilet, somebody who obviously didn't like me for whatever reason made a comment about that I was faking it. What would I possibly be taking? Were you lacking? Yeah. Because I was on crutches. So that stuck with me then with having to start using a cane and coming to the football. It was the only thing I was doing then. I was literally just coming out to the football. It was my only time out. Time out from being mum. Time out from being send mum.
[00:43:51] Like just time to be me, have a few beers, being for friends and family. But actually people have been amazing. They've really been so like just incredible. I love our fan base. I think they are. You will get the odd one or two. Time as any fan base. Yeah. But considering all the stories that I hear, I'm like, I love the blues. I just, I love them. Like I like my friends around me, everybody from like the disabled community. They're just incredible.
[00:44:21] And it's like when my son can't come with me as my carer because he changed jobs and due to work commitments, he can't always come. My friend Stacey now comes. She will get the boss to my house to come and get me first or her wife will drop her off or her dad will drop her off. What a time. To come and get me first. What a time. Because she knows I struggle with, I'm getting through it a little bit now that the days are getting lighter again. Yeah. But like the black, it's called the black path. Do you know the black path? No. No. It gets stuck across from Chelsea to the airfield.
[00:44:51] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yeah. That become, I've become a little bit fearsome of that throughout the winter. So she just come and get me. Yeah. I'm getting through that now. Oh, because that's at the back of yours, isn't it? Yes. Yeah. Or the river. Yeah. But now that I've got my meta glasses, I'll phone her because she knows I'm still anxious and she'll just stay on the phone with me as I'm walking. And I just, she doesn't have to do that. Tell us about your meta glasses. I love my meta glasses. I look class. Bit incredible. Yeah.
[00:45:19] Can I say a goal, a goal every week, every day? Which? Or a celebration or something using the crowd and you put a recording up. Did you record some light? I think you recorded some light. I was just like, oh, I need some. Yes. I need some. When I was in my season ticket seat in Black Knight. Yeah. Yeah. I can't remember who we played. No, no. Yeah. Yeah. Was it a winner? I think so. Yeah. I can't remember. Yeah. The memory is really bad. But class. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They've been really good.
[00:45:49] They've been such a good tool to have. So it's like, I was always losing stuff. I still lose stuff. I still forget stuff. With everything that's happened, it's been said that I've got CPTSD, which is why the memory and the brain fog is the way it is. Right. Again, just adapted. It is what it is. But I was always losing. I could go in my bag. My phone was ringing. I'd go in my bag to get my phone out and then wouldn't be able to find something else that was in my bag. And I've obviously dropped it.
[00:46:17] So with the metaglasses, I answer my calls. I'm there. It will tell me my text messages coming through. It will tell me notifications. And also with the anxiety with my daughter being at home while I come to football. Yeah. That has really. You're just checking your phone every two, three, five minutes. And now I just get it through next to my head. Again, the side of the technology and things, I'm a little bit cautious of constantly having a device right by my head. Yeah. But what it gives me outweighs that. Yeah.
[00:46:44] And it's just little things like if I was putting them on now, I'd say like, hey, Meta, look and tell me what's in front of me. And it would say something like, there's a guy in the background with a white t-shirt on. There seems to be what like is bright lights, possible camera equipment. Yeah. That kind of it would describe my surroundings. And then I could specifically like, if I looked towards that, I'd be like, tell me more about the picture on the wall and assuming like if he's got like a number or something on his shirt, it would tell me things like that.
[00:47:12] But that's really helped with like, I can't see signs and I can't read menus. So that's, it really helps with that. Absolutely. Yeah. They're so good. That's so good. Love them. I just want some just, just to be cool. Then there is the content side of it as well, which has really helped with catching photos, videos. Yeah. It's been, they've been really good. And stuff you can catch up back on then when you're in the, in the house and you can be like, you can capture those, those scenes.
[00:47:42] I've been that as well. So with my phone, if I put it here and screens, I can see mostly what's on my phone. Yeah. So if I'm in a moment where I obviously can't see it, I'll video it and then I'll go back to it later on on my phone. Yeah. And it's not the same as living it in the moment, but at least I can still see what it was. There was, I'm really pushing through the fear at the minute of walking the dog. Um, so I took him for a walk the other day of the airfield. This was the first time we've been over the airfield in 18 months.
[00:48:12] Yeah. Because the fear really got the better of me. We feeling vulnerable. Um, I used to take my cane as well. He doesn't like it, but then I'd also feel vulnerable. People see my cane, they're going to know automatically I'm blind. Yeah. That's playing on your mind as well. Yeah. So now I've kind of adjusted that. Although you could pass from the day. Well, there is that, but I won't be able to see them too bad. Oh. I wouldn't know where there was. Yeah. Do you know you can get a lightsaber cane? Can you? Talking about that, you're going to completely after something. I mean, I've got the blue line with my mind for in the dark, but. Oh, that would be good. Yeah.
[00:48:42] Um, so yeah, so I took the dog for a walk over the airfield, really pushed through that fear. Um, I don't take my cane when I'm walking anymore because I've learned to feel the movement through the, his lead. So if he goes like up a step or down a step, I can feel that. Yeah. And I know that I do one step, two step. And on the third step is where I then need to step. That tells you if as long as his lead's stretched. Right. Okay. Then that's how we've worked it. Um, it's really silly.
[00:49:08] The things you, you get in your head, like I know it's 23 steps up to my seat, not the tilter. It's little things like that where I say you're always in your head, but you do stuff to adapt. Yeah. Um, so, you know, although I did start speaking to a guy the last game, um, thinking it was my friend Terry. And then I was like, I'm so sorry. I thought you were smart. Well, you're just going along with it. He's 21 steps. And I think he was like the row in front. Bless him. Just carry on speaking to him. Yeah. I'm always doing that.
[00:49:38] I love that. Um, this is why I've always got a smile for everybody though. Um, so yes, I was going back. Sorry. Um, I was walking the dog. I've now brought this, um, it's, it's actually an armband that's got the visually impaired symbol on it. And it says I'm visually impaired. It's bright fluorescent yellow. I've attached that to his lead. Um, obviously people won't necessarily notice that like the wood, the cane, but it's there. It's going to sound really stupid.
[00:50:03] I'm always fearful that somebody is going to film me outside their house, not picking up my dog poo because I haven't seen him doing it. So at least if I've got that, somebody might point out, well, hold on a minute. What's that on his lead? Because that is always a fear. Yeah. Especially because he was a rat lock. You wouldn't even think about that, Jo. Someone's just abusing you. Pick up that. And you're like, where is it? Yeah. Yeah. He's like putting light, speeding him some lights. So at least there's some lights coming in his poo so you can see where you put your hand.
[00:50:31] That's, but that, like you say that, that you take that for granted, don't you? Yeah. But you're like, oh gosh. I don't know if like their dog come towards me or something or something. Because I'm always fearful of dogs off the lead. Yeah. This is one of the fears. But we're getting through it. But this is what happened the other day. So we were walking back from where the planes go over. And I'm like trying to squint. I'm like, that looks like a really big white dog in front of us. And I was like, I'm sure there's somebody with it.
[00:51:00] And the closer I got, I was like, this looks like a really big dog. Like, is it a great dame? Is it? The really big ones? I was like, it must be one of those. So I started filming on my Meta glasses. And then as we got probably this close, I was like, oh, it's a horse. But it's little things like that. If I'd have asked Meta, look and tell me what's in front of me, it probably would have told me. But you're like instantly thinking, oh God, dude, you've got this dog. You've got that worry about dogs off the lead anyway. That is on big dog.
[00:51:30] Yeah. But then she did have two dogs with her, which were off the lead and started following us. So I was a bit like, go on, let's go on, let's go on. But yeah, I think I'm always mindful of looking vulnerable in certain situations. Yes. As well. Yeah, that's, that's, and obviously that's what the cane does. It helps me so much and I've never stopped using it. But in certain situations, I'm like, I don't want people to know.
[00:51:58] But then ultimately they might need to know. Yeah. But yeah, I've probably gone off on a tangent on the question. No, no, that's so frustrating though, isn't it? That there's, there's people that would take advantage of that. Yeah. But you know that there are people about it. That's, you've got to be mindful. Yeah. You're, you're a woman of the world from Shamsie Woods. You know what goes on. We all know what goes on, but you also need to, like you're blind, like more would anyone even bother with it? But you've got to always be on the. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:52:27] There is people out there and it's, it's happened before when I've paid by cash. Yeah. Um, that's the one that always comes to mind, but I know there's other situations where I'm like, they clearly took advantage of the fact that I can't see properly. Um, but I always say there is far more kindness out there. Yeah. Um, you know, and love will always win in the world despite what's going on. And obviously I've put with the wars and effort at the minute. Kindness and love will always win. Um, some say I live in my own little pink bubble, but I like it here.
[00:52:57] I like that pink bubble. I like it. Yeah. Right. Let's do some quick fire. Let's lighten it up. Uh, so quick fire questions. Match day, snack or drink? Favourite. So. What should go to? I'm going to go back a little bit here first. Do you remember? So I'm talking, how old am I? So I'm talking about 30 years ago. Okay. Do you remember? I'm waiting for that. The soggy cheeseburgers. Yeah.
[00:53:26] With the tiny little pieces of onion in them in the foil bag. They were the best thing ever and they need to bring them back. Bring them back. They were amazing. Yeah. Um, so that was back then. Now you've got, I've got two different things I go to. So the, the, the kiosks out of the staging, but I think they're still part of Blue's food. Yeah. You've got the one on Catow Road, um, chips and gravy with onions on top. Yeah. It's just incredible.
[00:53:53] And chips is a lot easier for me to, although I end up with gravy everywhere. Stace is always like you've got gravy on the chip. Um, that's incredible. Or you've got the kiosk out on Tilton Road. Their chicken burger with onions is just so good. Now I've lost a lot of smell and taste over the last few years as well, but they're both foods I'm like. They're good. Old school. Old school. Yeah. I like it. We've done favourite blues player. Lee Camp.
[00:54:22] Lee Camp, we love Lee Camp. And Duke. And the Duke. One word to describe Birmingham. Um, it's family, isn't it? Famular. Yeah. Yeah. It's just, it's why I support the blues because of my family. It's, you know, bringing my grandson here now. He's been the absolute shining light over the last few years. He's just amazing.
[00:54:47] Um, and being able to bring him here, even though he was born when we was in League One. Yeah. Yeah. So you're saying born into. He's gone from the bottom up. Yeah, exactly. Highs and lows and all that. Okay. So when we're in Division Three, yeah. That's when we started supporting them. Division Three. Yeah. Early kickoff or evening game. So. A personal and a pride kind of, and an atmosphere. Yeah. This, this to me depends on the day. I love a Friday night kickoff under the lights.
[00:55:17] Um, I need help. Extra help because I can't see in the dark. But I love a Friday night under the lights because I don't, also get all weekend to do my jobs at home. Yes. But. That Newcastle game, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That Newcastle game was just. Yeah. You forget about the result, don't you? Because the atmosphere in the game was just one of the best days. The atmosphere is everything. When you've lost sight as well. And this is what I always say to people. Like it, I did have a guy at the way game. I can't remember who it was.
[00:55:45] Um, I'd heard him say, oh, was she? Do you bother coming if she can't see? And that, it was Blackburn away. I'm sure, Blackburn? Yeah, I think it was Blackburn away. Yeah. I did a post about it to educate people as to why I still bear the football. Yeah. Um, because I was like, atmosphere. Atmosphere here is everything. Home and away. I was like, you can't beat it. So when it's a dull atmosphere, it's not the best. Yeah. Um. Has it accentuated your hearing? You'd think so, but I'm actually losing my hearing. Get lost.
[00:56:15] I'm losing almost. This is why I'm a hugger, because it's the only sense I've got left. Yeah. I always say this. This is why I'm a hugger. But I bet you feel it more. You do. Not having the distraction of sight in the nicest possible way, but you just all, it's all there then, isn't it? Like. Yeah. It's, you hear things that you probably wouldn't normally hear as in, like I say, when we've got a corner, we sing a certain song every time we get a corner. Yeah. So I come to know, oh, we've got a corner. Wouldn't know which side of the pitch it was. Yeah.
[00:56:45] But I knew we'd got a corner. Yeah. Come on. Yeah. Or Stano scores. I know we scored because everybody's chanting his name afterwards. That kind of thing. Yeah. Um. If the ref isn't very great, there's obviously certain. There's a couple of certain songs for that. There is. Yeah. So yeah, Atmosphere is everything. Um. Yeah. I can't remember what the question is. Yeah. Even. But then I do love an early kickoff if it's on a Sunday morning. Mm. Because I can't be doing Sunday late.
[00:57:15] When it's back to work the next day. Mm. Back to routine. Um. Yeah. But I also, I don't like an evening kickoff in the week. No. No. But give me a Friday night on other nights. I have been, it's been a lot recently, hasn't it? Yeah. In your life. Another Saturday down on Wednesday. Yeah. Especially in the winter when it's cold. Yeah. Oh God, yeah. At least it's getting a bit warmer now. Yeah. If you could change one thing in football instantly, what would it be? No VAR. Yes. Yes.
[00:57:45] That's why it doesn't have to grow up. Yeah. And just for stadiums and football clubs to embrace accessibility and, you know, just have it as a standard of accessible to all disabilities. Not as an afterthought. Not as a, oh, you know, well, what we're going to do here. Have, they have an anticipated duty to have it in advance, what's going to happen and,
[00:58:14] you know, to be inclusive. So imagine if all football stadiums or football clubs. But this is why we need those that are doing it all to be the shining light. Yeah. To have your sensory rooms. Yeah. Your changing facilities. Your wheelchair bays where wheelchair users are able to sit with their family and friends. Audio description. The GiveVision headset. Absolutely game changer. That's something as well that with a GiveVision, they can actually enhance their match day experience
[00:58:44] for their hospitality customers. Yeah. And then for your blind and partially sighted fans to use the headsets would then just come for a, but you're enhancing it so much of an experience and then giving that to for a. Just things like that, like standard and it doesn't have to cost what people think it does. And from a marketing point of view or a business point of view, these are paying customers. So you want to get as many paying customers coming in as possible who are going to have the same experience as someone who is fully sighted. Yeah.
[00:59:13] If anything, a lot of disabled people will be, you want to spend a lot more money here because they'll get here a lot earlier because they'll need that quietness first or, you know, the clearer route. So they're here longer. Um, you know, going into the club shop and that as well. It's a lot of disabled people. This is their only day out. This is what they look forward to every week. They're all about their club. Um, so that's why it's disheartening when some clubs don't take that on board. They just want to be exclude them.
[00:59:42] And it's like that they're like, they're the heart of your club. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. What's next for you and work with Lovebron? Um, it's been quite hard. So I thought by the end of last year, um, that I'd be able to, cause I was like to drop to part-time hours, um, cause of my sight loss and adjusting and with the lenses and stuff. I did go through access to work. Um, I've now got like, uh, fusion technology on my computer. I've got a visually impaired keyboard.
[01:00:12] I've got like the headphones, larger monitor. It's not quite helped the way I thought it would. So we need to look now at what other options there is, whether it's like speech to text, um, that kind of thing. Um, just how else I can help with that. So try and refine it to your. Yeah. Yeah. But I've just started doing more assets again for the social media, which I absolutely love. And it's, I literally said it to, um, my colleague this morning, Adam, I was like, it's given me my passion back.
[01:00:41] I was like, cause I love doing that side of things. It's been a bit of a journey because, cause of the fusion software, I have certain colors set. So it was like, well, I was creating an asset and it was like, it wasn't the colors I thought it was. Yeah. Um, but I've got there. Um, and you know, even with that, I've reached out to, there's a group called, um, visually impaired football fans United. We're all just a group of visually impaired football fans from all over the UK. Um, that have just got together in a WhatsApp group.
[01:01:11] Um, a lot of us are trying the GiveVision headsets. Um, but it was in there, I reached out and one of the guys come forward and, um, he helped quite a bit with that. And then another guy was like, oh, have you tried this? And that's how I ended up sorting it. Um, just things like that. A lot of them are Liverpool fans. There's always a downside, isn't there? Yeah. Yeah. There's always a downside. Yeah. Um. Um, but yeah, it's, I think for now it's still, I've got to stay part time, obviously for my daughter's needs as well.
[01:01:38] She's now in a specialist school, which is like nearly an hour away from her, from her home. Um, so trying to get her to attend there more. She's now going into like post 16. Um, so yeah, but it's, it's a good balance at the minute. Um, and I love what I do and yeah, it's just continuing as it is. Um, we've got some good. You're an asset to Lovebrum. Yeah. So I'd assume that they want to help you as much as you want to stay there and they're good guys, aren't they?
[01:02:05] So I think you're a great, you're a great fit there. Yeah. Tell us about the Lovebrum events that are coming up. Um, yeah. So we've got the, the AJ Bow Great Birmingham Run coming up May the 3rd. Um, we've still got a few spaces available for people to run and fundraise for Lovebrum. Um, so any runners, if they're interested, that would be amazing. And you get like your welcome pack, your Lovebrum t-shirt, um, and just doing it for so many, you won't just be doing it honestly for us. We've, we support so many charities and causes.
[01:02:34] It's, it will have a lot of people. Um, and then we have our prison event coming up again, um, in September. Um, it is like an invite only event, but if, you know, there's people out there that think they can fundraise. Um, I think it's like 1500 minimum. Um, want to be locked up for the night or if somebody wants to nominate somebody to be locked up for the night, it's such a good event. No, a few people. Yeah. You should come and do it. Yeah. I'm all done. Yeah. Should do. You and your brother. Yeah. Want to do it for the night?
[01:03:04] Yeah. Right in Brum. After that. Yeah. Locked up. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Should come and do it. Yeah. That's always a good event. And then we've already got a date set for our next Curry King as well. Um, don't ask me to remember it. I know it's February next year. Put some links up. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, it's, it's all really good.
[01:03:29] Um, I think that was one of the things while the last Curry King, um, that was my first events back in that kind of setting for a while with work, um, since the site last. So it's like a lot of LED lights, dark room, a lot of people. Um, but there's, it's things like that. There's, there's one of our patron supporters, um, JMG Insurance, a lovely woman called Karen Combellic. I think you met Karen, haven't you? Yeah. Hello. Um, she's just so lovely inside and out.
[01:03:58] And she was, she come along as a volunteer to help sell raffle, but actually she was my support for the night as well without her even realizing that, you know, or me realizing that that's what it would be. Um, she come and she helped me so much, um, and really ease the night for me as well. Um, cause obviously I don't see faces anymore. Um, if people's appearances change, I won't know who it is. I can tell sometimes why voices, if I've heard somebody's voice enough, um, about all that so-and-so.
[01:04:26] Um, but that was really, I was very anxious about that, but I was pushing myself to do it. And Karen was such a great support for me that night as well. Um, and it was such an incredible event. I love the Curry King event. It's so good. I love the smells as well. It's like, as much as I'm losing my smile, that was such a good night. Is there any message you'd like to leave with the listeners, the viewers, the blues fans, the, the disability community, disabled community? Is there anything that you've learned that you want to give tips and hints?
[01:04:56] Just give us like a, like a Jerry Springer final word. Good day. Look after yourself and each other. Yes. Yeah. I just, I always say to people, which you've probably already touched on, there's, there's a lot of hate and negativity in the world. You never truly know what someone's going through. Um, you never truly know if somebody's got a hidden disability. You may see a physical disability.
[01:05:24] You may see a wheelchair, a cane. Don't think that that's all. You never know what they're going through. And then somebody, you know, stood next to you on the train platform. They might've just lost somebody complete, like really close to them. You never, in the grief that they'll be going through. Just be kind. Like love will always win. Try not to listen to the news. Love always conquers. And just, just be kind.
[01:05:52] Um, and as the blues say, keep right on. You're a legend. Thank you. Thanks for your time. If you like this video, please do click to subscribe to the channel. We currently have five and a half thousand members, um, over half a million views. So let's convert some views into memberships and that'll continue to enable us to bring great guests on and continue making great podcasts. Thanks.