Working Life: 'While we’ve never been further apart physically, we’ve never been closer virtually'

Peter O’Toole, head of support and counselling, Fighting Blindness

Peter O’Toole, head of support and counselling, Fighting Blindness

7am

Up and straight for the coffee. I’ve commuted all my life to work, but although Covid-19 put a halt to that last March, my body clock hasn’t reset. I start logging in and checking emails and the calendar to see when is the best time to touch base with people. I find myself making good use of the time I would have spent commuting from home in Co Louth to our office in Ely Place, Dublin.

9am

I meet with the research department on Zoom and the communications manager to finalise plans for our online public engagement day on November 7. This year we’ll host our first-ever virtual Retina 20/20 conference. It’s where we bring together top international and Irish researchers, and doctors and members of the public can quiz them about possible treatments and cures for conditions causing vision impairment and blindness. Registration is free at www.fightingblindness.ie

Ian McKinley, an Irishman who played international rugby for Italy after losing sight in one eye, will deliver the welcome address.

10.30am

I join our Connections coffee morning. It’s one of a range of online support services we’ve developed since the pandemic arrived. It’s essentially a virtual coffee morning where anyone looking to connect with others can join in for an informal chat. A lot of our services are on Zoom now, and the numbers in some instances have multiplied hugely, so while we’ve never been further apart physically, we’ve never been closer virtually. Tech can be challenging for people who are visually impaired, so we’ve provided training to 250 people on how to use Zoom.

12 noon

I provide a counselling session over the telephone. At the moment, Fighting Blindness is the main source of counselling for visually impaired people in the country. We provide emotional support which is particularly important right now because people are feeling even more anxious and disempowered and isolated.

3pm

After lunch, I give an online presentation to 18 people as part of our Living with Sight Loss confidence-building course. Today it’s about the need for self-care during Covid-19.

4.30pm

I prepare for a live Q&A on Facebook tomorrow to talk about counselling and support around the country, before heading for the beach.  I live just five minutes from the coast.