Support and resources
This information has been produced by the Southend-on-Sea Vision Impairment Team.
The team is part of the Vision and Hearing Support Service. They provide advice and support for children and students with a vision impairment who live or go to school in the Southend-on-Sea Local Authority.
Find out about the Vision Impairment team.
Organisations providing support and information
There are different organisitions, charities and libraries where you can find information and support for your child or young person and family.
Grants and information for children and young people with a vision impairment and their families:
- VICTA
- Look Essex
- The Amber Trust
- Sense
- RNIB
- Blind In Business
- Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC)
- Wipe Away Those Tears
- Southend In Sight
Libraries for tactile books:
Libraries for large print books:
Useful resources
ClearVision have produced 2 booklets to help sighted adults support children who are learning braille.
Crack the Code is a puzzle book for sighted parents, school staff and anyone else interested in learning to read uncontracted (grade 1) braille by sight. It is full of activities, puzzles and jokes designed to introduce the braille alphabet, simple punctuation and numbers.
A Braille Reader in the Family is a booklet for parents. It contains information about braille and tips on how to help a child who is or who will be learning braille.
Both booklets can be found on the ClearVision website.
RNIB have produced a series of `Best of Both` guides to help different practitioners understand the purpose, method and outcomes of each other's interventions with the children they support.
They also have 2 useful guides for education settings available free of charge to members via the RNIB Bookshare facility.
Please contact the Vision Impairment team if you would like a copy at vias@southend.gov.uk