Sharing our vision via eye 2 eye Community Development Projects

eye 2 eye Community Development Officers are currently operating in Bristol; Sheffield; Birmingham; London and West Sussex. To date these projects have provided direct support to 3,000 individuals with a learning disability.  Our Development Officers are based within local health or social services teams and work directly with people who have learning disabilities, families, carers, eye care professionals and a range of health and social services staff. 

Each eye 2 eye Community Development Project works to ensure that:

• People with learning disabilities are aware of the importance of eye care and vision and are accessing regular and effective eye tests.
• Health and social care professionals and family carers are aware of the importance of eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities.
• Optometrists are providing quality, accessible, eye tests for people with learning disabilities.
• Barriers to effective eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities are identified and communicated to relevant local and national stakeholders and solutions are sought.
• Rehabilitation workers for the visually impaired and low vision practitioners are providing services for people with learning disabilities.
• Methods of improving eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities are embedded within the culture of the local community.

Click here if you would like to read about "Day in the life of a Community Development Officer" 

We are aiming to open more Community Development Projects across the UK.  Click here to find out how you can help.

Please e-mail m.thomas@seeability.org if you are interested in setting up an eye 2 eye project in your local community.

About our Community Development Projects

Birmingham

In 2005 SeeAbility, in partnership with South Birmingham Primary Care Trust, opened an eye 2 eye Community Development Project to support all people in Birmingham who have a learning disability  - including those with sensory impairments. 

To date the eye 2 eye team in Birmingham have:

• Had interactions with over 2300 people who have a learning disability - supporting a substantial number to access eye tests, get glasses and receive medication and surgery for diagnosed eye conditions.
• Focussed on developing the skill level of people with learning disabilities and their carers so they can continue to access eye care services independently in the future.
• Maintained strong links with the Learning Disability Partnership Board, Learning Disability Health Facilitation team and local Multi-Disciplinary Health teams.
• Developed a proactive steering group which has focussed on both sight and hearing - the group has created a strong network amongst local sensory and learning disability services and is key in identifying areas of local good practice and areas where improvement is necessary.  

Contact our Development Officers:

Michael Loftus and Violet Rodney
Telephone: 0121 465 8513 mobile 07808 361 065 
Email: m.loftus@seeability.org

Sheffield

Since 2005 SeeAbility has been working in partnership with Sheffield City Council to improve eye care and vision for people who have learning disabilities in Sheffield.  It is estimated in Sheffield that there are as many as 6,000 people who have a learning disability and a visual impairment. 

To date our Sheffield eye 2 eye project has:

• Supported 75 people with learning disabilities to prepare for and access eye tests - sometimes for the first time.
• Worked with health and social care staff across Sheffield to create a team of "sensory champions" in learning disability services. 
• Delivered workshops to people with learning disabilities to explain the importance of eye care and vision - and explain what happens during the eye test.
• Worked in partnership with Sheffield Eye Hospital to produce an accessible "eye test form" for people with learning disabilities to fill in and take to eye tests.
• Delivered training to Sheffield's Learning Disability Social Work teams on accessing eye care and low vision for people with learning disabilities.
• Set up a cooking group for people who have a learning disability and a visual impairment using existing sensory impairment service resources.

Click here if you would like to read about "Day in the life of a Community Development Officer" 

Contact our Development Officer:

Pauline Hargreaves
Telephone:  07725 957 277   Email: p.hargreaves@seeability.org

Bristol

SeeAbility has been working in partnership with Bristol South West Primary Care Trust since 2005 to support people with a visual impairment and a learning disability in the area.  The population of people with a learning disability is estimated to be 11,000 and as many as 40% of these people are likely to have a significant impairment of vision.  Therefore 4,000 people in Bristol could benefit from our work.  To date our eye 2 eye project has:   

• Worked with over 525 people with a learning disability.
• Written and produced "You and Eye" an educational film on eye care featuring The Misfits - a local drama group for people with learning disabilities.
• Worked with the Bristol Eye Hospital to help them review the service they provide to people with a learning disability.
• Formed partnerships with the Community Learning Disability Team and the Adult Community Care Learning Disability Team to ensure that eye care is part of their client's review process.
• Delivered training to a range of health and social care professional on the importance of eye care for people with a learning disability.

Contact our Development Officer:

David Melling
Telephone:  0117 9088 435   Email: d.melling@seeability.org

West Sussex

In November 2006, SeeAbility launched its eye 2 eye project in partnership with West Sussex County Council. The project provides a valuable link between West Sussex Sensory Services and the Community Teams for People with Learning Difficulties.

To date our West Sussex eye 2 eye project has:

• Had over 600 interactions with people with learning difficulties.
• Delivered training courses to 61 people with learning difficulties on eye care and visual impairment awareness.
• Carried out a mapping exercise with people with learning difficulties, health and social care professionals, family carers and optometrists. The results have identified barriers to eye care for people with learning difficulties and are influencing the ongoing work of the project.
• Worked with individuals who have a visual impairment to promote their independence with respect to orientation and mobility, communication and independent living skills.
• Carried out training and awareness raising activities with social care professionals and family carers on how to support people with learning difficulties to access effective eye care and why this is important.

Contact our Development Officer:

Stephen Kill
Telephone:  01903 745331   Email: s.kill@seeability.org

Pan London

SeeAbility launched its Pan London project in January 2007.  The project aims to work strategically with people who have learning disabilities; families and carers; eye care professionals; social care and health staff to implement systemic change and improvement in eye care and vision for people with learning disability across London Boroughs.  In its first year the project will:    

• Identify and make links with key stakeholder who work in both learning disability and sensory impairment teams across London Boroughs.
• Advise and support people with learning disabilities and carers on how to access effective sight tests and specialist health and social care services for people who have sensory impairments.
• Provide information and training to a range of social care and health staff on sensory impairment; methods of effective communication; mobility; environmental design and equipment.
• Provide information and training to a range of optometry professionals on ways to work more effectively with people with learning disabilities.  

Contact our Development Officer:

Leigh Harris
Telephone:  0208 555 8622  Email: l.harris@seeability.org
 

Aylee Kemp
Telephone: 0784 335 6003   Email: a.kemp@seeability.org