Physical & Sensory Impairment Services

1. Physical & Sensory Impairment Services Sensory Impairment Team Faseman House Faseman Avenue Tile Hill Coventry Tel: 7678 5250 Email: sensory.impairment@coventry.gov.uk

2. Sensory Impairment Team Provide services to people who are visually impaired, Deaf/deafened or have dual sensory loss Rehabilitation Workers Social Worker Community Care Worker Rehabilitation Assistants

3. Role of the Rehabilitation Worker (Visual Impairment) Work with people with visual impairment and dual sensory loss to: • Promote independence • Support people in acquiring new skills/regaining confidence when going through a process of change • Assess and provide training in mobility, communication and independent living skills • Offer advice/information

4. Dept of Health data suggests as many as 4m older people do not have regular eye examinations that could detect some conditions that are treatable

5. Indicators of sight loss in hospital setting • Mobility difficult • Food left uneaten • Medication not taken • Unable to read forms • Unable to locate items

6. Indicators of sight loss in domiciliary setting • Mail unopened • Poor nutrition • Burns/scalds • Falls/No longer going out • Change of routine • Appearance

7. Registration as blind/partially sighted • Section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948 requires local authorities to compile and maintain classified registers of persons who are blind, partially sighted, deaf and hard of hearing

8. Registration process Community Services • CVI (Certificate of Visual Impairment) signed by Ophthalmologist and forwarded to Social Services • On receipt staff in SI Team contact person to provide information of registration process, gain consent and screen need for assessment • Letter send with consent form • On receipt of signed consent the person’s name is added to register • If assessment requested the person’s name is placed on our waiting list

9. Benefits/concessions Registration as Blind • Blind person’s tax allowance • Under 75’s television licence reduced by 50% • Car parking concessions (Blue Badge) • Under 65’s concessionary bus pass • Exemption from BT Directory Enquiry charges • Rail travel concessions • Free permanent loan of radio/cassette players (British Wireless for the Blind Fund)

10. Benefits/concessions Registration as partially sighted • Under 65’s concessionary bus pass • Exemption from BT Directory Enquiry charges • Rail travel concessions • Free permanent loan of radio/cassette players (British Wireless for the Blind Fund)

11. Disability Living Allowance/ Attendance AllowanceNo automatic entitlement but we would encourage people to apply

12. RNIB Welfare Rights Services 0845 766 9999 Action for Blind People Welfare Rights 0800 915 4666

13. Practicalities of working with people with visual impairment • Lighting • Contrast • Familiar environment • Tactile

14. Lighting Make best use of natural light Positioning of artificial lighting Avoid glare

15. Contrast • Using contrast to enhance low vision • Controls on equipment highlighted for easier use

16. Familiar environment Coping mechanism for a visually impaired person is to keep everything in the same place. Avoid rearranging environment

17. Tactile • Totally blind people may need markings they can feel on equipment • Positioning of controls of equipment • Ability to use equipment