Low Vision
Local Sight Loss Charities
Click here for details of local sight loss charities
Emotional and Practical Support for Patients with Sight Loss
Diagnosis of a sight condition or need for a hospital referral can often result in an emotional impact on individuals and questions about the potential impact on their home life and employment.
The Beacon Centre for the Blind has been supporting the region’s sight loss community for more than 150 years.
They offer holistic, wrap-around support to people living with a range of sight loss conditions – even those in the early stages or with minor vision changes.
Their services include employment advice, health and wellbeing activities, support to remain independent at home, and expert guidance on low vision aids and home adaptations.
Working closely with local partners, they can also help individuals access mental health support where needed.
Health professionals can refer patients directly to them using this referral link, to provide emotional and practical support.
Alternatively, patients can request help themselves via the form at https://beaconvision.org/get-help/
or patients can use this QR code to link to that webpage
For more information contact:
Beacon Centre for the Blind
Wolverhampton Road East
Wolverhampton
WV4 6AZ
email: enquiries@beaconvision.org
Tel: 01902 880111
Vision Support Service
This service is available to all Dudley residents with poor vision. They do not need to be registered as Sight Impaired or Severely Sight Impaired.
Rehabilitation workers are trained to provide support to help patients live independently. They are enthusiastic about trying to help and empower people.
They can offer advice and support at home about such things as:
- lighting levels, including providing lamps and lighting in the kitchen
- different types of magnification
- safe pouring and cooking techniques, including modifications needed
- grab rails etc.
- teaching to make best use of residual vision
and when outside with such things as:
- using symbol or guide canes safely effectively to aid mobility
- outside training – getting about on foot or using public transport to the regular places you want to get to.
Following assessment some aids may be provided on loan (liaising with the hospital) or through the assistance of a direct payment.
Please click here for a vision support service leaflet you can hand out
For more information contact the Vision Support Service on 0300 555 0055. Please feel free to give this number to patients.
Dudley Vision Strategy
The Dudley Vision Strategy Stakeholder Group produced a Vision Strategy for Dudley. This document includes input from groups involved in low vision.
Other Resources
Sightline provides telephone support for people affected by sight loss. The helpline is staffed entirely by trained volunteers, who are affected by sight loss themselves. Tel 0800 587 2252. Sightline is open 6pm-10pm, 365 days a year.
SeeingAI is an app for iOS/iPhone that has a large feature set of text-to-speech and descriptive abilities e.g. recognising friends, describing scenes, identifying currency etc.