I was delighted to meet Eithne Walsh, CEO of Féach Vision Support Services, to talk about improving supports for blind and visually impaired children in Irish mainstream schools. Eithne shares how her two children gradually lost their sight and how low expectations and limited expertise in schools pushed her to advocate for practical planning, expanded core curriculum skills, and assistive technology so her children could become independent learners. She explains Féach’s evolution from parent peer support into a charity offering school guides, webinars, SNA and teacher training, low vision awareness workshops, and VR immersive training, now supporting hundreds of schools. They discuss slow policy change, gaps in AT training, key recommendations from Féach’s access reports, and why braille remains essential for literacy alongside modern technology.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:24 Eithne Story and Diagnosis03:00 School Expectations Shift05:13 Building Independence Skills06:28 Why Féach Exists07:32 Féach Services and Training10:47 Mainstream Progress and Gaps13:20 Assistive Tech Push17:49 Why Policy Moves Slowly23:08 Toolkits for Teachers24:16 Age-Appropriate Tech Skills24:36 Typing Progression Plan25:36 Audit Tools and Live Resources26:55 North-South Training Collaboration30:13 Annual Report Key Recommendations33:07 AI and Accessible Tech Advances35:55 Why Braille Still Matters38:58 Big Questions for Education41:42 How to Contact Feach43:09 Closing Thanks and Wrap-Up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit simonmlewis.substack.com/subscribe

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