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  • Blind Inverclyde woman finds her voice

Blind Inverclyde woman finds her voice

20 June 2025 | charity, patient stories, scotland, news

Claire Forde (29) from Greenock is no stranger to a microphone. Her journey into public speaking took a major step forward this year when she joined a newly launched Speakers Club, created to improve the confidence and communication skills of blind and partially sighted people.

Claire’s confidence after losing her sight in 2014 grew after joining the Greenock Speakers Club, where she has spent several years honing her public speaking skills and encouraging others to find their voice. The new RNIB Scotland Speakers Club has given her an opportunity to build on that experience in a supportive space designed specifically for people like her.

“There was a taster session in March 2025 to gauge interest, and then the full course began shortly after,” Claire says. The course is still in its early stages, but she’s already feeling the benefit.

“It’s been great to meet others who share similar challenges,” she explains. “The sessions so far have focused on topics and delivering mini-speeches. It’s too soon to say exactly what I’ll take away, but I know it’s going to be enjoyable and challenging, and I’m confident I’ll gain a lot from it.”

 

Claire Forde is outdoors on a sunny day, smiling warmly. She is wearing a black top with white polka dots.

Claire’s first experiences of public speaking began over a decade ago. After losing her sight, she was frequently asked to speak at events. One such invitation came from KPMG in Glasgow. Nervous about delivering a memorised speech without notes or braille, she turned to the Greenock Ladies Speakers Club for advice, introduced through a fellow member of the Inverclyde Voices Choir. That connection started a journey which would see her grow into an accomplished public speaker.

The speech to KPMG was a success, and Claire joined the club shortly after. In 2020, she was awarded the Argyll & Clyde Area Topics Trophy. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the club merged with its male counterpart to form the Greenock Speakers Club, where Claire now serves as their youngest ever President.

“Our meetings are well-structured,” Claire explains. “Members take on roles like Chair, Speaker, Evaluator, Topics Chair, General Evaluator, and Timekeeper. Each role supports the others in giving constructive feedback and helping us all to improve.”

Her speeches often explore her personal journey with sight loss. One recent highlight recalled a family holiday to Berlin shortly after she lost her sight, followed by a return trip a decade later.

“I spoke of the importance of Berlin in helping me to come to terms with my sight loss and how, having received my long cane, I began to realise that life would continue and that my world would not fall apart after all.” she shares. “That return trip, ten years on, felt cathartic. It showed me how far I’ve come.”

 

Claire Forde stands smiling while holding a white cane. She is wearing a pink top with a black butterfly pattern and a grey zip-up jacket.

Claire also draws on her work as a podcaster, where she interviews guests ranging from celebrities to people with unique life stories. She particularly enjoys speaking on topics close to her heart, such as football, sight loss, music, and travel.

But the Greenock Speakers Club faces some challenges. “There’s a lack of younger people joining. The average age, apart from me, is about 70,” Claire says. “It’s a shame, because speaking clubs offer so much, but young people today have different distractions.”

Nevertheless, Claire remains optimistic - and grateful. “The skills I’ve picked up have definitely improved my vocabulary and delivery. I’m more confident, I project my voice better, and I’ve cut down on the ‘uhms’ and ‘ahs’.”

She adds: “As Homer Simpson might say, ‘It’s improved my word power, which is now really... really... really... good!’”

For more information about the RNIB Scotland Speakers Club, contact Conor Joseph at conor.joseph@rnib.org.uk.

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