Interview 35: Eithne Walsh

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 Intro

01:24 Eithne Story and Diagnosis

03:00 School Expectations Shift

05:13 Building Independence Skills

06:28 Why Féach Exists

07:32 Féach Services and Training

10:47 Mainstream Progress and Gaps

13:20 Assistive Tech Push

17:49 Why Policy Moves Slowly

23:08 Toolkits for Teachers

24:16 Age-Appropriate Tech Skills

24:36 Typing Progression Plan

25:36 Audit Tools and Live Resources

26:55 North-South Training Collaboration

30:13 Annual Report Key Recommendations

33:07 AI and Accessible Tech Advances

35:55 Why Braille Still Matters

38:58 Big Questions for Education

41:42 How to Contact Feach

43:09 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