Tuesday 30th August 2022 saw a lot of activity at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. N.I. Sightlines, thanks to a generous donation from the Deans Sit Out (Black Santa) invited a group of blind and visually impaired people to attend the Lyric to familiarise themselves with the new audio description technology. After a sandwich lunch everyone moved to the auditorium where Julie McKegney, head of Customer Services at the Lyric, together with a host of helpers, talked people through the new system which involves patrons bringing their own phone or tablet and their own headphones and connecting these to the internet via a QR code. The system is far more reliable than the old one and ultimately will be much easier to operate as it entails people using their own equipment with which they are already familiar. It poses a few problems, however, and luckily the old system will still be in place for anyone who struggles with new technology. The verdict is that the struggle is worth it in the end and the hospitality of the Lyric and the chance to meet like-minded people was enjoyed by all.
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