Vision Impairment Awareness Training Course

Course Aims

Provide awareness and basic information, advice and skills on vision impairment, identifying the relevant issues and how visual impairment effects and impacts on people’s lives and the professionals who work with them.

Course Objectives

At the end of the course delegates will be able to:

  • State and explain the term and definition of ‘vision impairment’
  • Describe the main facts and figures, myths and truths of vision impairment
  • Identify social perceptions and attitudes towards vision impairment, including social stereotypes and taboos
  • Explain how the vision ‘system’ works, and what can go wrong
  • Describe how vision impairment can affect communication and access to information
  • Demonstrate how to communicate effectively with a vision impaired person
  • Describe and demonstrate how to guide a vision impaired person appropriately

Course Information – who should attend?

This is a level one awareness training course for any staff (at any level), from any sector, working with, or who may come into contact with vision impaired people. The learning outcomes will equip staff to have professional confidence and basic skills to provide relevant support and information to any visually impaired person they work with.

This one-day interactive and practical course is relevant for specialist sensory impairment staff who do not hold a professional qualification, social workers (any team), professionally unqualified social services staff, occupational therapists, residential and home care staff, any staff working in housing depts/associations, and staff working in national and local voluntary agencies.

The learning outcomes of this course meet the Qualification and Credit Framework standard SS MU 301, set by the Care Council for Wales, and listed on Certificate of Attendance.

Course Programme

Course timings: 9.30am to 4.30pm

SESSION ONE

  • Welcome and introductions
  • Course aims and learning outcomes
  • All about vision impairment – general information, descriptions and definitions, facts and figures.
  • Stereotypes and ‘taboos’ – public perceptions and attitudes to sight loss
  • Registration as Severely Sight / Sight Impaired  – what does it mean to be registered, and what are the benefits.

SESSION TWO

  • The ‘vision system’ – How does the eye work
  • What can go wrong – the big 4 eye conditions
  • What do people see – the functional impact of sight loss.

SESSION THREE

  • Communicating with Vision Impaired people – language and terminology
  • Providing accessible information – introduction to accessible formats
  • The emotional impact of sight loss

SESSION FOUR

  • How to guide a vision impaired person – Sighted Guide Technique
  • Practical exercise – Sighted Guide techniques
  • Course evaluation

Course timings: 9.30am – 4.30PM