Rehabilitation/Independent Living Skills

This four day course helps blind and partially sighted people to rebuild their confidence and be more independent. One day of the training also involves friends or family members so they can learn howw to guide safely. The course covers:

• Local and national services for visually impaired people
• Communication, including Braille, moon, typing, information technology, handwriting aids, telephones and recording
• Low vision aids, including lighting and magnifiers
• Aids and equipment such as telephones, sewing aids, clocks and watches
• Computer equipment and special software for visually impaired people 
• Personal profile where visually impaired people talk about how they have coped with sight loss
• Mobility, including how to use different canes, further training available, and how to guide safely
• Kitchen skills, microwave cookery, and how to use special equipment or adapt to using existing equipment

People who attend the course feel it makes a real difference to their daily lives. All are sad to see the course draw to a close, not the least because of the experiences they have shared and the friends they have made.

The course is designed by East Sussex Association for the Blind and funded by local statutory agencies.

A new Cookery Course

A new five day cookery course was designed and piloted in September2005, in partnership with East Sussex Food and Health Partnership.  Since then funding has been secured to enable us to roll out more courses.  The course covers healthy eating, working safely in the kitchen, how to be a discerning shopper, active food preparation and cooking, and kitchen equipment and tips for visually impaired people.   Carers are also invited to the last day of the course to receive their own vision awareness and sighted guiding training and enjoy a meal cooked by the person they care for.  Fundraising for courses is ongoing to enable as many people as possible to benefit.

Vision Awareness Training and Disability Discrimination Awareness Training

These two different courses provide practical information and simulation exercises to help volunteers, paid staff and carers understand sight loss, learn how to guide safely and consider how disability discrimination legislation will affect their work.

Places on these courses are purchased by local health and social services, district councils, voluntary organisations and care homes for their own staff and volunteers.  In some areas, free places will be available to carers and volunteers or paid staff from voluntary organisations.Recently, the Association has provided Disability Discrimination Awareness training to staff from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and borough and district councils.  A new course has also been designed in partnership with East Sussex Hearing Resource Centre and MIND to meet the specific requirements of Wealden District Council and others local councils.