What We Do
Whether it comes in the form of information and advice about equipment or visual aids, arranging for a volunteer to visit a blind or partially sighted person at home, or offering emotional reassurance, we always aim to provide help and support in a warm, friendly and understanding way.
Sight loss is not life loss.
We promote independence, life skills and social inclusion.
Aids and Equipment
There is a vast array of equipment on the market that can assist people with a visual impairment in many number of ways. This could be lighting and magnification aids in order to see objects and text more clearly, or simple aids to daily living such as talking watches, speaking mobile phones and tablets, cooking aids, access to books etc.
Our display of some of this equipment and aids is based at The Bradbury Centre, 116 Highgate, Kendal LA9 4HEl, but we will make home visits to demonstrate any of the equipment to you.
Our display includes…
- Talking and easy-to-see clocks and watches
- Amazon Alexa voice enabled robot
- Adapted Ipads, Iphones and Samsung Tablets
- Aids for the home and kitchen
- Lighting
- Computers with magnification and speech software. See the Technology Service’s Video about specialised computer equipment that has helped our clients.
- Magnifiers are available through the Low Vision Clinic
- Reading and writing aids
- High tech devices such as talking GPS, mobile phones, Ebook readers, and talking labels
Advice and Support
Information, Advice & Guidance
We recognise how important it is to be provided with quality up to date information, advice and guidance.
All our staff receive regular training so that they are kept up to date with the latest news, products events, and benefits support.
Whether its face to face, via the telephone or email, our staff are here to help with whatever query you may have.
Please contact us on 01539 769055 or email info@sightadvice.org.uk
Talking Newspaper
Each week South Lakes Talking Newspaper Association provide a recording of local news, mainly from the Westmorland Gazette, together with details of whats on in the area for the coming week.
This is a free service for the people registered visually impaired or certified by an Optician or Doctor as being unable to read N.12 print.
It is also available to anyone else who has difficulty in reading a newspaper, this is subject to a postal charge. There are o other charges for this service.
We record onto a memory stick, and you listen via a compact player which we provide free of charge. Alternatively you can play the memory stick onto any device or computer with a USB port.
Hospital Support
Sight Advice South Lakes, have an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, (ECLO), based in the Macular Clinic at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal.
Finding out that your sight is deteriorating can be a daunting and upsetting time. Our Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, known as an ECLO, can provide you with practical and emotional support to help you understand your diagnosis and come to terms with living with sight loss.
Our ECLO can provide:
- information about your eye condition
- support, if you are worried, confused or upset about your vision
- information on the process of becoming registered as blind or partially sighted and the benefits of being registered
- advice about daily living and low vision aids
- advice on where to find help on benefits and concessions
- links to local peer support and voluntary organisations
- advice about education, employment, housing and leisure
The ECLO is based in the Eye Unit at the Westmorland General Hospital and works closely with the medical staff there. There is no need to make an appointment, although you can if you prefer.
All appointments are private and confidential.
Newly Diagnosed
If you’ve been told you have an eye condition that could lead or has led to sight loss, this can be difficult to come to terms with or understand.
Coming to terms with your eye condition
Everyone reacts differently to their diagnosis. Some feel shock, anger, fear, sadness, loss or a combination of these feelings. You may worry how you will cope or feel upset about the changes you are facing.
Some people will want to get practical things sorted before they can think about how they feel, whilst others will not be able to make use of practical support until they have begun to deal with their feelings. Some people will want to tackle both together.
You should be given the opportunity by your eye clinic to understand your condition and how it may affect you, or be directed to further sources of help and support, such as a voluntary local society for people with sight loss.
Here at Sight Advice we can provide information and or support for people newly diagnosed with an eye condition just contact us on 015395 769055 or by e mail at info@sightadvice.org.uk
Children and Young People
We offer young people and their families the chance to regularly get together and enjoy exciting high quality positive activities to promote and encourage life skills, independence and confidence.
Previously the group have taken part in:
- Kayaking
- Theatre
- Horse Riding
- Climbing
If you would like to find out more please contact us on 01539 769055 or email info@sightadvice.org.uk
Health and Wellbeing
At Sight Advice South Lakes we aspire to enhance the health & wellbeing of local people who are visually impaired. Visual impairment can cause people to be less active and prone to isolation which can create a whole range of adverse health effects.
We currently offer a regular walking group that is very popular, plus we can set up and host one off events such as healthy eating, yoga or whatever people would ike we are always open to suggestions.
Social Activities
Socialising is important for some people and we run a variety of regular and one-off events throughout the year and anyone can join in.
See our upcoming events here