Beyond Sight

Hannah Cohen joins Joanne Lockwood to unpack what it means to navigate life with a visual impairment that many people don’t immediately see. Hannah shares how her sight loss developed, what “blindness as a spectrum” looks like in practice, and the constant recalibration involved in work, travel, shopping, and social situations when the world assumes you can see what everyone else sees.

Drawing on her background as a solicitor and her current work as an inclusion coach, Hannah describes the practical barriers that show up in workplaces and everyday systems: inaccessible software, interfaces that don’t work with screen readers, missing descriptions and alt text, and environments that require people to self-advocate repeatedly just to participate fully. Joanne and Hannah explore the tension many people with hidden disabilities experience—wanting independence and not wanting to be patronised, while still needing timely, respectful support.

The conversation also widens to conscious inclusion more broadly, including examples from transport and public services, and reflections on how leaders and colleagues can respond better by asking straightforward, supportive questions like “What do you need to do your job?” The episode closes with a reminder that inclusion isn’t about minimum standards—it’s about creating day-to-day conditions where people are genuinely supported, understood, and able to thrive.