UK’s first online Visual Impairment Awareness Training

The first Visual Impairment awareness training course which can be taken online or through distance learning has been launched by Christopher Grange Visual Rehabilitation Centre.

The course, designed by the professional team of rehabilitation specialist, volunteers and service users is for anyone who may come into contact with a person who is visually impaired – as a customer, service user or student – and aims to provide the learner with the confidence to offer effective support.

The 11 modules, with exercises and questions, take people through the facts and figures about sight problems, discuss some of the myths and realities and also provide straightforward practical advice for making everyone’s lives easier.

“Almost two million people in the UK already have some level of sight loss, and this number’s increasing sharply” says Mike Bailey.  “We come across a lot of people who ask us about the visual impairment training course we deliver at Christopher Grange.  They cannot come here themselves, but they are very keen to find out the essentials of how to accommodate the needs of the people with visual impairment.”

Christopher Grange Visual Rehabilitation Centre already provides in house training for taxi drivers, medical students and businesses in the Merseyside area.  The new online course is available through NCC Resources and is backed by Visionary, the national membership organisation for local sight loss charities.  Visionary’s’ Chief Executive Alison Oliver commented,   “This is an exciting initiative that will help people to develop a broader understanding of visual impairment and improve their confidence when interacting with a person with sight loss. We at Visionary are very pleased to be able to support this” 

For further information contact: Mike Bailey 0151 220 2525 mikebailey@christophergrange.org

Notes to Editors:

Christopher Grange Visual Rehabilitation Centre provides centre based rehabilitation services for people who are blind and partially sighted. Our focus is promoting independence and choice.

Christopher Grange is part of Catholic Blind Institute. Registered Charity No. 1102657

NCC Resources Limited and NCC Home Learning have almost 20 years’ experience in adult learning education, offering a complete resources of paper based and on-line learning courses.  NCC offer over 350 home learning courses that have a relevant and practical use in the workplace.  More information is available at www.ncchomelearning.co.uk.  or www.ncctrainingresources.co.uk

Visionary is the only organisation that supports local independent charities that support blind and partially sighted people across the UK. Currently Visionary has over 100 local society members throughout the UK. More information is available at www.visionary.org.uk