Sight Scotland

21/06/2026

"I was that girl who was really shy and really quiet. I found my voice here."

That girl is now Sam Gough MBE. A full-time athlete, captain of the England Women's Blind Football team, and a PR3 rower.

She came back to the family fun day to teach blind football to our young people, many of them trying it for the first time.

We're so proud to have been part of her story. Sam, this is all you. 💙

[Video Description: A talking head interview with Sam Gough MBE, a former pupil at the Royal Blind School, filmed at our family fun day. B-roll shows Sam demonstrating blind football to young people and staff who are trying it for the first time. Sam speaks about her MBE, her career in sport, and her time at the school.]

20/06/2026

As Scotland's only residential school dedicated to supporting children and young people with visual impairment, the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh offers something truly unique.

Our pupils are supported to develop independence skills, build confidence, and achieve their own goals, both inside the classroom and beyond.

Find out more about education at Sight Scotland.
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The Royal Blind School is Scotland’s leading provider of specialist learning to children and young people with visual impairment, including those with additional complex needs.

19/06/2026

Once a year, our whole school community comes together for one big day of fun.

Here's how it went. 🎉



[Video Description: A fast-paced highlight reel from our annual family fun day at the Royal Blind School. Children and families enjoy a fire engine, a barbecue, and animals including goats, alpacas and a miniature pony. Upbeat music plays under a voiceover from Lucy, our Head of Education.]

18/06/2026

Do you have a family member or friend who has recently been diagnosed with sight loss?

Knowing how to help, and what to say, isn't always straightforward.

Our website has information and resources for family members, carers, and friends supporting someone with visual impairment.

Because the people around someone with sight loss need support too.

Find out more at the link below.
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Whether you're looking for guidance for yourself, or want to know more about how to support someone with sight loss or blindness, we are here to help. Find information about sight loss, including advice to help with the different ways sight loss can impact on your life.

16/06/2026

Sam Gough has an MBE.

Sam was a pupil at our Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, and she has just been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to sport and to the visually impaired community.

She came to us as a teenager, after her sight changed and she found herself shut out of the sport she loved. A flexible placement gave her the skills and confidence to start living life on her own terms again.

What she has done since speaks for itself. She captains England's women's blind football team. She is on the GB rowing pathway. She is a goalball medallist. And she goes into schools across Scotland so no young person with sight loss is told that sport isn't for them.

Sport is for everyone. Sam has spent years proving it.

Congratulations, Sam. Thoroughly deserved.

Add your message for her in the comments.

[Image description.
Image 1: Sam Gough on a tree-lined path, wearing dark sunglasses, a black top and black leggings, holding a red, white and yellow football to one side. The head and harness of a black dog show at the edge of the frame. Text reads: "Sam Gough, MBE. Captain of England's Blind Women's Football Team and advocate for inclusion in sport.

Image 2: Sam Gough stands on a sports pitch, holding a blue and white football in both hands at chest height. Long blonde hair is tied back. Sam wears a black long-sleeved top and looks to one side, smiling slightly. Autumn trees in warm orange tones are blurred behind.]

14/06/2026

Around 193,674 people in Scotland are living with sight loss that affects their daily life.

Behind every number is a person with their own story, their own challenges, and their own goals.

Sight Scotland exists to make sure no one faces sight loss alone.

If you or someone you know needs support, call our free helpline on 0800 024 8973 or visit our website:

At Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, we’ve made some changes to how our services operate which impact our service users. If you are a person with a visual impairment, or care for a person with a visual impairment, find out more about the services we operate here.

13/06/2026

Want to stay connected with our work?

Sign up to our newsletter for updates on our services, stories from the people we support, and news about sight loss across Scotland.

No junk - just updates that matter.

Sign up at the link below.
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12/06/2026

Scotland play their first World Cup match in 28 years on Sunday morning.

Haiti vs Scotland kicks off at 2am, and for many people it'll be worth setting an alarm for.

For people with sight loss, following live football can mean missing out on things most fans take for granted - the tension, the build-up, the moment before the goal.

This tournament is doing something about that.

FIFA has introduced audio-descriptive commentary for every match at the 2026 World Cup. It goes beyond standard radio commentary, describing body language, facial expressions, and the movement of the ball.

You can download the FIFA Audio Description app free on iPhone and Android. Search "FIFA Audio description" in your app store.

Nearly 200,000 people in Scotland are living with sight loss. If you know someone who'd benefit from this, please share it with them before Sunday.

[Image description: A graphic with the text "Hear every moment" in bold white letters on a purple background. To the right, there's an illustration of a soccer ball wearing headphones, set inside a white eye shaped background. The logo for Sight Scotland is in the bottom right corner.]

11/06/2026

Online scams are designed to trick everyone. But for people with visual impairment, some of the most common warning signs, blurry logos, odd formatting and spelling mistakes can be much harder to catch.

Screen readers can't always flag a fraudulent site. And the urgency scammers create makes it hard to stop and think.

We've put together a straightforward guide to staying safe online, written specifically for blind and partially sighted people. It covers passwords, phishing, what to do if something goes wrong, and more.

Read the full guide here: https://bit.ly/4obi1eh

https://bit.ly/4obi1eh

This guide shares simple and practical tips for staying safe online, especially for people who are blind or visually impaired, and who may be new to using the internet.

10/06/2026

Great to see TeaTime Cafe Lanark making accessibility a priority for everyone who walks through their door.

Their new Braille, large print and neurodiversity-friendly menus mean that customers with a range of needs can browse and choose independently. And the message from the team is simple: everyone is welcome.

It's a great example of what's possible when businesses take inclusion seriously from the start. If you're in Lanark, it's well worth a visit. ☕

Our Braille, large-font and neurodiversity-friendly menus have arrived at TeaTime Cafe Lanark.

We want everyone who visits us to feel included, comfortable and able to enjoy their time with us.

Our new menus are designed to support customers who may benefit from Braille, larger print, clearer layouts or a more accessible way to view our menu.

We know that everyone’s needs are different, so if there is anything we can do to make your visit easier, please just ask a member of staff or message us before you arrive, the Teatime Family are so incredibly supportive and caring.

Everyone is welcome at TeaTime Cafe Lanark.We’d be grateful if local accessibility, sight loss, dyslexia, autism, neurodiversity and carer support groups could share this with anyone who may find it useful.

We are so incredibly grateful to Direct Access Group for their support!

Discover LanarkSouth Lanarkshire Council Dyslexia Scotland Visibility Scotland Sight Scotland RNIB Councillor Catherine McClymont for Clydesdale North ward Màiri McAllan for Clydesdale