Picture yourself during lockdown, you were told to keep at least two metres apart, not to touch anything and wear a face mask and gloves. Now, imagine for a moment that you are blind or severely sight impaired, even worse, deaf blind. You feel your way around, lipread and can only venture out if you have a guide – how on earth are you going to cope and access essential services? If you found the restrictions during lockdown difficult, just consider how challenging and isolating it is for those with sight loss.
Our aim is to work with local companies to provide information and services for people with sight impairment and sight loss in the comfort of their own home.
Target Audience:
- Legal professions – Solicitors, Wealth Management, Wills, Insurance
- Home Care – meals, carers, cleaning, hairdresser, beautician, building, gardening
- Equipment Suppliers – reading aids, magnifiers, mobility, visual aids
- IT Suppliers – tablets, computers, mobile phones, accessibility software
- Eye Health – opticians, clinics, products, consumables, advice
- Business – who wish to be confident when working with people with sight loss
What will attendees gain?
An insight into the world of people with sight loss and the difficulties they experience accessing every day services.
An opportunity to become confident and supportive to those with sight impairment or sight loss who wish to use their services, through training, information and advice.
Access to our dedicated Hub, a flatform to advertise their products and services*
Information on how to become leaders in their field when working with people with sight loss.
We will:
Vista would like to work with you to provide access to essential services that are freely available in the sighted world to those with sight impairment and sight loss, especially during these unprecedented times. We can help you to become confident in working with people with sight loss, train your staff with Visual Awareness training, provide workplace accessibility assessments and provide guidance and assistance to provide information in alternative formats, such as talking newspapers, braille and large print.
In return you can help us to reduce the feelings of discrimination and isolation that many people with sight loss experience.
Vista is a life changing organisation and have been supporting people of all ages with sight loss for more than 160 years! Vista is still here, adapting our services to continue to help and support some of the most vulnerable in our community, but we need your help.
Agenda:
- 1.30pm – 2.00pm An introduction to Vista and working in the sight loss community
- 2.00pm – 2.15pm Information from our Digital Services and Rehabilitation teams
- 2.15pm – 2.35pm Alternative communication – large print, braille, talking newspapers in multiple languages, Vista Hub
- 2.35pm – 3.00pm Making you confident to work with people with sight loss – Visual Awareness training, accessibility assessments
- 3.00pm – 3.15pm A partner success story – The Stoneygate Eye Hospital
- 3.15pm – 3.20pm Q&A
Speakers:
- Susan Hoath, CEO - Vista
- Ben Powis, Business and Marketing Manager – Stoneygate Eye Hospital
- (Business Partner – TBC)
- Rebecca Scott, Visual Awareness Trainer & Rehabilitation Team - Vista
- Ian Watts, Digital Services Team - Vista
- Amanda McFarlane, Fundraiser - Vista