Vidar Hjarding

I've worked for ITV in the Midlands for 21 years, mainly as a producer and executive producer, responsible for a wide range of regional programming including live political debates, social action magazine programmes and documentaries.

I have also produced and presented a series of special documentaries for the BBC's Disability series One In Four, and worked for a time as a consultant/producer on Channel 4's daytime political programme, Powerhouse.

I'm now the Political Producer and Diversity Advisor with ITV Central, which means I chair ITV Central's Diversity Forum and take a lead on diversity issues across News and Regional Programmes, locally and across the ITV network. I sit on the West Midlands Diversity Practitioner's Network and the Strategy Board of the RNIB's Insight Radio (which broadcasts on online and Sky's digital platform).

I also review audio-books for Radio 4's In Touch programme and for a number of publications, such as Disability Now; Art, Disability and Culture and The Book Magazine, and I am one of the judges for the Spoken Word Awards. I review audio-described theatre and operatic productions at a variety of venues around the UK, including The Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Hippodrome and Nottingham Theatre Royal.

I am a a Trustee with the RNIB; The British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD); Birmingham Focus on Blindess, National Blind Children's Society and the Chair of the national audio description charity VOCALEYES, having also spent several years as a trustee with the Talking Newspapers Association of the UK (for a time as vice chair).

I have recently completed a mentoring course and am increasingly invited to give talks to colleges, schools and other organisations. This gives me the chance to offer some of the encouragement which I have been fortunate to have had in my career, not only to those like me who are visually impaired, but also to disabled people in general.

I can be contacted on:

07831 626690 (mobile)