Start: Written by Bernard Smith                           

Welcome to Catherine Birchall's Web site.

The site has been set up so that you can follow the travels of this remarkable blind woman as she covers 25,000 miles around the world by motorcycle. As such, the site will contain events and happenings as well travel across the world by motorcycle. It will contain  travel, culture, blindness, gender and many other aspects that bind us all together. At times it will also be, unfortunately, about those things which divide and separate people due to ignorance and lack of understanding. 

While this is true, the main reason we are completing this very unique trip is primarily to raise awareness about visual impairment. As you may, or may not know, there is a lot of misunderstanding around this area. We want to clarify and promote debate around some of the issues involved. If nothing else we want to inform and entertain people with information from around the world.

We hope that, by our efforts, issues such as the availability of reading materials for all print impaired people, and the current campaign by the leading organisations regarding the Disability Living Allowance (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/DLAandTheBlind/) will be highlighted. We aim to keep issues such as this very much in the forefront of the media throughout the build up to, during, and after this trip. When we return we will tour the UK to meet and discuss the trip in seminars and forums.

With the support of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Action for Blind People, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and Dolphin Computer Access, we will be visiting projects along the route who work with visually impaired people like Catherine. At the same time we have set out to raise a considerable amount of money for essential services for blind and partially sighted people.

In circling the globe we are set to visit countries such as Russia, China and India before heading overland to Australia. From there we will arrive in South America, riding up through the United States and into Canada before returning home. During the trip we aim to share experiences and perceptions of what it means to be visually impaired in different cultures. 

Catherine herself notes that “…across the world there are 161 million people who are visually impaired of which about 45 million people are blind like me. This is nearly the population of England. In the UK alone we have in the region of 2 million people with sight loss and so much needs to be done.” She goes on to say that “I have always believed that being blind means I see the world in a different way. That’s all. I want to show people their life isn’t over because they lose their sight. Even if it is just possible for one person to see a new beginning the trip will be worth it.”

During the first month we will be visiting various organisations around the United Kingdom to highlight the trip and to raise funds. During these visits we will be appearing on local TV and Radio to highlight many of the issues associated with sight loss.

Twelve months later after circling the globe we will return. On arriving back in the UK we will be writing about our experiences on the journey in a book entitled ‘A blind Woman, two wheels and 25,000 miles’ which will be available in all formats.

We hope to see you at one of the forums on our return where we will share our journey with you.

Best wishes and fingers crossed!