Technology for people with sight loss on show at RNIB Tech Fair 2025
Building on the runaway success of last year's event in Belfast, RNIB Northern Ireland (the Royal National Institute of Blind people) hosted the RNIB Technology Fair 2025 - bringing you skills and tools for modern living today in Lisburn.
On Wednesday, 26 February, hundreds of people affected by sight loss flocked to Lagan Valley Island in Lisburn, to get up close with the latest assistive technology designed for people who live with sight loss.
The RNIB NI Technology Fair is the biggest showcase of assistive technology products for blind and partially sighted people in Northern Ireland, and the only large-scale technology exhibition primarily for people affected by sight loss.
Welcoming visitors affected by sight loss from all over Northern Ireland and beyond, the Tech Fair hosted industry leading names including - Dolphin Computer Access, HumanWare, VisionAid, Sight and Sound Technology, NaviLens, Pakflatt, and Ability net, and hosted a fascinating programme of Tech Talks delivered by technology experts from around the world.
RNIB’s ever-popular Products for Life store took centre-stage with the usual exciting range of products designed to support blind and partially sighted people to live independently.
Local charities that provide essential support to the NI sight loss community such as Guide Dogs NI, Angel Eyes NI, Sense NI, Blind Veterans, and Deafblind NI, were also in attendance and proved to be a big hit with visitors.
Opening the event, the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Kurtis Dickson, said:
"It is a privilege to welcome the RNIB Technology Fair to Lagan Valley Island and to have so many people coming together to explore the life-changing impact of assistive technology. This event is a shining example of how innovation can break down barriers and empower people with sight loss to live more independently. I commend RNIB for their dedication to improving accessibility and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age."
According to research, people with sight loss are twice as likely to be digitally excluded. Twenty eight per cent of people with sight loss say they never use the internet or don’t have access to it. This is much higher than the proportion of people with other disabilities at 13 per cent, with the figure for non-disabled people standing at just four per cent.
People with sight loss are also less likely to own a smart phone, with only 54 per cent owning one, 28 per cent owning a regular mobile phone and 18 per cent not owning a mobile phone at all.
RNIB Country Director in Northern Ireland, Robert Shilliday, said: “This was the second year of the RNIB Technology Fair and I couldn’t be more delighted at the turn out. The buzz in the venue was fantastic with visitors really eager to come along and try out some of the latest technology and have their questions answered by the industry experts.
“For me, it was a genuine pleasure to be able to have the time and space to meet so many from the sight loss community and meet up with some of the exhibitors who were with us last year.
“For people living with sight loss, technology is not just a convenience, it’s a means of empowerment and independents. When a person loses their sight and then has to face barriers to doing the things they did before, quite often it’s technology that can provide the means to regain independence and confidence again. As well as being an opportunity to learn more about assistive technology, the tech Fair is becoming a great occasion for people to meet up with friends again and spend some time together.
“I want to thank the Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Kurtis Dickson for joining us to formally open the event and all the volunteers who donated their time to help out at the event. Thank you also to the many visitors who passed through the doors of the Lagan Valley Island Centre yesterday and I look forward to greeting you all again next year.”
To find out more about the support provided by RNIB in Northern Ireland, visit www.rnib.org.uk/northernireland , email [email protected] or call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 1239999.
Notes to editors
For further media information contact Joe Kenny at RNIB NI
There are multiple barriers to the digital world for people with sight loss that include cost, capability, and confidence, access to training opportunities, as well as accessibility and safety concerns.
- However, people with sight loss say that the benefits of tech are many, including:
- Communicating with others and accessing information more easily
- The ability to better manage health and wellbeing
- Increased independence and confidence and reduced reliance on others
- Access to leisure and entertainment, offering new opportunities for enjoying free time and the ability to pursue new hobbies
- Managing money and accessing money-savings deals
#Braille200
A particular focus of the Technology Fair, was braille, with a tactile exhibition presented by RNIB’s Heritage service, as this year RNIB is celebrating #Braille200 marking 200 years since Louis Braille developed the six-dot tactile reading system that would provide the opportunity for greater inclusion and independence for millions of blind and partially sighted people all over the world.
About RNIB
We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.
RNIB. See differently.
Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk
