Musician/Composer Bobby Goulder and Actor/Writer Jake Sawyers swap stories and perspectives as visually impaired creative professionals in a lighthearted, entertaining and informative series of discussions.
Navigating everything from buying a sandwich to performing at Carnegie Hall throws up an array of challenges for people with low vision and it's fascinating and uplifting to hear how people with different conditions find ways of carrying out their creative work and everyday lives with sight loss.
In Series 1, Bobby welcomes six different guests to the show, and in Series 2, Bobby joins forces with Jake to go much deeper into some of the areas of life most affected by vision loss.
The aim is to encourage those with low vision that leading a fulfilling, successful, meaningful and joyful life is more than possible with limited sight; and to give insight for sighted listeners into some of the challenges faced by the V.I. community, and therefore the array of practical and soft skills V.I. people develop in order to carry out the simplest every day tasks.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Saved specially for the season closer, Bobby & Jake welcome musical theatre writers Caitlyn Burt and Amir Shoenfeld to discuss the intersection between musical theatre and vision impairment, as well as the fascinating story of Otto Weidt. Amir & Caitlyn are the writing partnerships behind the accessible musical project "Otto Weidt's Brush & Broom Workshop for the Blind" starring Jake as Otto and featuring Bobby as musical director.
Otto Weidt Musical on Instagram @ootoweidtmusical
More on Otto Weidt himself (https://www.museum-blindenwerkstatt.de/en/topics/otto-weidt-and-his-help-for-people-at-risk)
Visit shoenfeldandburt.com (http://Shoenfeldandburt.com)
@amir_shoenfeld
@caitlyn_burt_
Email hello@legallyblindpod.co.uk
VocalEyes - Audio Description Services (https://vocaleyes.co.uk/services/performing-arts/audio-description-service-for-digital-theatre/)
Alex Bulmer - Director (https://alexbulmer.co.uk)
Ben Wilson - Theatre Maker & AD Consultant (https://www.wilsonbenjamin.co.uk)
Karina Jones - Actor & Aerialist (https://karinajones.co.uk)
Ramps On The Moon (https://rampsonthemoon.co.uk)
"Writing The Other" by Nisi Shawl
Dr. Yusuf Osman
Mild irritations
Jake - AD not available across all screens or streaming platforms
Bobby - when you ask a stranger to take a photo of you on holiday and they take hundreds of identical shots, leaving you to play a horrible game of spot the difference
Wins of the Week
Bobby - being forced to become extremely familiar with material you're working on making you do your job better
Jake - the introduction of VoiceOver into his life helping prepare more efficiently for meetings
Follow @legallyblind_pod
Email hello@legallyblindpod.co.uk
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 Jul 2026
S2E9 - Technology
As Season 1 guest Karl Schwonik says at the front of every episode: "There has never been a better time to be disabled"
The current technological revolution has advanced the accessibility of our planet and our society exponentially.
Jake and Bobby were teenagers when the earliest Apple products came out, which many visually impaired people agree have been complete game-changers when it comes to visual access.
As well as Apple, the pair discuss the impact of AI and a variety of other apps, software and physical gadgets which help either professionally or in everyday life.
"Seeing AI" - mobile app for reading and describing what's in front of your phone camera
"Be My Eyes" - mobile app connecting you via video call to a real sighted volunteer assistant
"Optelec" - producing handheld and tabletop video magnifiers
RNIB Shop for specialist household gadgets
Call out to social media users to add 'Alt Text' to their photos so that screenreader can describe them properly.
Mild Inconveniences:
Jake: People leading straightaway with "what's your condition" rather than "hello" / "what do you do?"
Bobby: Catching the eye of bar/wait staff
Wins of the Week
Jake: Proving to the culprit of the above story what an expert problem solver he is
Bobby: Improving productivity because of the necessity to learn and create keyboard shortcuts
Follow @legallyblind_pod
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
26 Jun 2026
S2E8 - Travel (Part 2)
In this episode and the previous, Jake and Bobby discuss everything from the complications and anxieties of simple domestic travels to globe-trotting adventures far outside their comfort zones.
New Zealand glow-worm cave jumping, Bulgarian scoter emergencies, waking up in Woolwich, Airport politics and much more.
Wins of the week:
Jake has been able to work abroad in various capacities as a direct result of his visual impairment.
Bobby found he was the best qualified of the group to jump backwards into a cave lit only by glow-worms.
Mild inconveniences in episode 7.
Follow @legallyblind_pod
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
19 Jun 2026
S2E7 - Travel (Part 1)
Across two episodes, Jake and Bobby discuss everything from the complications and anxieties of simple domestic travels to globe-trotting adventures far outside their comfort zones.
Porto Airbnb code euphoria, California zip-line instructing, Andean hiking, Amazonian monkey-spotting and much more!
What’s special assistance like at airports and rail stations?
What kinds of trips are well-suited to V.I. people?
Jake & Bobby reflect on their own individual solo trips across the USA
Learning and growing in confidence by throwing yourself into unfamiliar situations
Some refreshingly positive examples of good audio access.
Mild inconveniences
Cryptic toilet signs
Unnecessary fear of inanimate everyday objects mistaken for dead animals
Wins of the Week to follow in Part 2...
Follow @legallyblind_pod
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
12 Jun 2026
S2E6 - How Does He Do It? (Jake)
Learning lines, recording audio books, preparing for an audition, rehearsing and performing plays, leading workshops - how does Jake do it all with severe sight loss?
RNIB Talking Books @ 90 - Pride And Prejudice (https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/independent-living/leisure/reading-and-books/talking-books/rnib-celebrates-90-years-of-our-beloved-talking-books-service/)
Mild inconveniences:
Jake: The 'small print' in subscriptions' Ts & Cs
Bobby: Shampoo & Conditioner bottles
Wins of the Week
Jake: Unlikely sightings of the lucky horse
Bobby: Brother breaking the world record for blindfolded marathon (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/758810-fastest-marathon-blindfolded-tethered-male), London 2026, raising for RSBC.
Follow @legallyblind_pod
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
5 Jun 2026
S2E5 - How Does He Do It? (Bobby)
Jake grills Bobby to the fine detail of how he practically goes about doing his musical exploits. Learning music on the piano by ear, MD-ing shows, taking rehearsals, creating scores and audio tracks, running a wedding band and composing for screen - all of these things pose their own wide-ranging visual challenges, so how does Bobby get around them?
"Sound Of A Masterpiece (https://music.apple.com/gb/album/sound-of-a-masterpiece/1802109733)" is available on Amazon Music, Apple Music and Tidal. Commissioned by Dolby Atmos (https://www.dolby.com/en-gb/technologies/dolby-atmos/), it was a collaboration between Bobby and the New Radiophonic Workshop (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radiophonic_Workshop).
The music heard from 34.55 is original music written and recorded by Bobby as one of several pieces for a set of short films commissioned this year by Care Access (https://careaccess.com).
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
29 May 2026
S2E4 - Life In The Arts (Part 2)
Part 2 of the 'Life In The Arts' mini series takes us behind the curtain to get a sense of the challenges and rewards of being a professional in the theatre and music orlds. Jake and Bobby cover topics like networking, explaining their conditions to new groups of people, how much to reveal about sight on professional profiles and much more! This episode will be followed by 2 intensive deep dives into the practicalities of their creative endeavours.
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com/)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
22 May 2026
S2E3 - Life In The Arts (Part 1)
What is it like to go to the theatre or cinema with low vision? Aside from the viewing experience itself, the befores and afters present their own sets of challenges. Then there are complications surrounding audio description and the overall accessibility of the piece. How do Jake and Bobby navigate all of this?
What specifically makes.a show naturally accessible, or particularly inaccessible?
What are the useful aids and props to take with you to the theatre or cinema?
What's it like using Audio Description?
Going to theatre/cinema alone vs with a companion.
Mild inconveniences of the week
Card Machine etiquette
Pairing Socks
Wins of the week to follow in Part 2...
More about Bobby Goulder (https://www.bobbygouldermusic.com)
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com/)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (https://open.acast.com/Jake)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
15 May 2026
S2E2 - Growing Up
What was it like being a visually impaired child? Education, socialising, family dynamics, new places and faces - all complicated enough at the best of times, but all the more challenging and, at times, entertaining with low vision.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
8 May 2026
S2E1 - Welcoming Jake Sawyers
Musician Bobby Goulder and actor Jake Sawyers join forces for the next series bringing together their perspectives as visually impaired creative professionals.
More about Jake Sawyers (https://www.jakesawyers.com)
Bobby's condition - Stargardt Disease (https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/eye-conditions/stargardt-disease)
Jake's condition - Norie Disease (Jake)
UCAN Productions (https://www.ucanproductions.org)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
6 Jun 2023
*Season Break*
Bobby is away for a short period so there will be a little pause in proceedings. More episodes coming soon!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
30 May 2023
Ep.06 Jay Pocknell
Founder and creator of the brand new Sound Without Sight platform Jay Pocknell chats all about the incredibly important and relevant aims of the project following its recent launch at Google HQ. He also explains how he forged a career in audio engineering whilst living with Nystagmus and a 'cocktail' of other sight conditions.
Sound Without Sight: https://soundwithoutsight.org/
Clarion (Open Up Music): https://www.openupmusic.org/clarion
Get in touch! @bobby_goulder on Twitter and Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
23 May 2023
Ep.05 Lloyd Coleman
Lloyd describes his route into music with a combination of vision loss and hearing loss, and his unique experience as Artistic Director of the Paraorchestra.
Lloyd Coleman: http://lloydcoleman.net/
Paraorchestra: https://paraorchestra.com/
Nystagmus: https://www.rnib.org.uk/your-eyes/eye-conditions-az/nystagmus/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
16 May 2023
Ep.04 Karl Schwonik
Canadian jazz drummer, entrepreneur and academic Karl Schwonik describes how the medium of jazz and the art of the drums are well suited to someone with sight loss. He finds ways of using musical intuition and inventive sight-reading techniques to help him build a highly decorated career.
Get in touch on Twitter and Instagram @bobby_goulder
Karl's website: http://karlschwonik.com/
Cone Dystrophy: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/cone-dystrophy/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 May 2023
Ep.03 Pippa Cleary
Similar career exploits, similar conditions, quite different coping methods! Between many laughs, Pippa and Bobby swap notes on how to go about being a visually impaired composer in the musical theatre world. She focusses on being an excellent collaborator and team player as well as having excellent ears and memory.
Pippa's website: https://www.pippacleary.co.uk/
Congenital Toxoplasmosis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4164182/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
2 May 2023
Ep.02 James Risdon
Recorder player James Risdon talks about two separate appearances at the Paralympic Games - as an athlete in Atlanta 1996 and as a musician performing at London 2012.
We also discuss various social dynamics around blindness and disability more generally.
James's Website: https://www.jamesrisdon.co.uk/
Paraorchestra: https://paraorchestra.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
25 Apr 2023
Ep.01 Josh Pugh
Comedian and writer Josh Pugh talks about his experience working his way up the comedy circuits as a visually impaired person, and how he has grown to feel comfortable addressing his condition in his material. He also explains about the Partially Sighted Football League and relays some of his experience competing for England at World Cups.
Josh Pugh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshPughComic
Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/stargardt-disease#:~:text=Stargardt%20disease%20is%20a%20rare,vision%20until%20they're%20adults.
Partially Sighted Football - The FA: https://www.thefa.com/get-involved/player/disability/grassroots-disability-football/partially-sighted-football
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
17 Apr 2023
Ep.0 TRAILER
Introducing 'Legally Blind' hosted by Bobby Goulder - conversations with other creative professionals who have visual impairments.
First episode lands Tuesday April 25th with comedian and writer Josh Pugh.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Contact Legally Blind
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