We’re excited to share some fantastic news — SQR and Sight Matters have been jointly shortlisted for the Digital Poverty Alliance’s (DPA) UK Digital Inclusion Awards 2025.

Our idea was to give businesses, organisations, and public sector bodies a unique opportunity to improve their digital accessibility offering — and it puts Sight Matters members right at the heart of the process. We arrange real-world testing sessions where our members, drawing on their lived experience of sight loss, act as accessibility experts. They identify accessibility issues quickly, providing actionable feedback that allows companies to make improvements in real time. This benefits not just people with visual impairments, but improves usability for the community at large.

This work began with a successful pilot with SQR, and we’re now hoping to roll it out more broadly. SQR were the perfect company to develop this service with, since we share the same vision when it comes to digital accessibility, and because of their flexible and responsive approach to the project.

The service we have developed by working with SQR doesn’t just lead to better digital services — it empowers our members by recognising and valuing their skills, knowledge, and insight. The hope is that it also works as a way to raise funds, combining entrepreneurship with recognition of blind and visually impaired people, while linking business needs with the expertise of our members. Our hope is that it will grow into an innovative and sustainable model that benefits everyone involved.

We owe a huge thank you to SQR, whose hard work, vision, and collaborative spirit brought this project to life. What began with their commitment to accessibility has grown into something that’s making a real difference — and has the potential to benefit even more people as we expand.

Huge congratulations to all the nominees committed to ending digital poverty. We’re honoured to stand alongside them.