See Hear Project. visibility. What We Do. Dumfries & Galloway

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1 visibility See Hear Project What We Do Dumfries & Galloway Working in partnership with NDCS to support people living with sight and/or hearing loss and their families

2 Visibility s See Hear Project in Dumfries & Galloway Working across Dumfries and Galloway, the See Hear Project works with people living with sight loss, hearing loss or dual sensory loss and with their family and friends to increase knowledge, understanding, confidence and independence. Living with sight and/or hearing loss can be challenging. The simplest of tasks can seem difficult and this can lead to doing less or even stopping the activities that you have enjoyed in the past, leading to isolation and loss of confidence. Carers and family members can feel uncertain of what to do for the best. Our friendly team is here to listen and give information on aids, equipment and local or national services. They can help you consider what might be of assistance and all information is provided in a format that suits you. You can contact us by Telephone Text seehear@visibility.org.uk If it is more suitable, one of our team can arrange to visit you at home.

3 Find out more Information Events We organise a series of information events across the region where you can come and see aids and equipment and talk to local services and support. Local Learning There are a number of opportunities to learn more on a range of topics. These run in different areas to make them accessible for everyone. The groups run for 6 8 sessions and you can attend one or all of them. The Making the Most of Your Sight group looks at how to use magnification and lighting effectively and the Making the Most of Your Hearing group looks at communication tips. Both groups look at aids and equipment which could help, plus topics identified by the group. There are also sessions on a number of other topics for example technology, finger spelling and lip reading. The groups are an opportunity to find out more from the group leader and each other.

4 Talk to others Coffee and Chat Sometimes it can help to meet other people who are in a similar situation. The See Hear Project runs a number of friendly and informal groups across Dumfries and Galloway that give people the chance to get together and chat in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. If there is no group in your local area, then speak to us about setting one up. Mentors If you do not like the idea of a group or cannot attend one, then we can put you in touch with a volunteer mentor. The volunteers have visual or hearing loss and have been trained to listen and support people who would like to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience. This can be done by telephone, home visit or meeting in a local agreed place.

5 Children and families The See Hear Project has a dedicated Family and Participation Officer for families of children with sight and/ or hearing loss living in Dumfries and Galloway. The project offers a number of opportunities for families to meet up through children and young people s activities and family sessions. The worker can provide one to one support to families in their own home or by telephone on a range of subjects, for example benefits, local services, education or technology. We are developing a network for families to keep in touch and hope to work with young people to develop their own network and activities. To find out more and contact the Family and Participation Officer please telephone

6 Get involved If you have some time to spare, even just a day a month, and would like to be more actively involved in your community please think about becoming a volunteer with the Visibility See Hear Project. Our trained volunteers help reduce loneliness and isolation for people living with sensory loss in Dumfries and Galloway. Training, support and expenses are given and hours arranged to suit. It is a great way to meet other people, fill up hours that you currently have free, contribute to the community or develop skills for future employment.

7 Training The See Hear Project runs a number of training courses for professionals, volunteers and anyone interested in learning more about hearing and sight loss. These are available in a number of different venues across Dumfries and Galloway and are free to all participants. Organisations may wish to organise training just for their own staff or volunteers and bespoke training courses can be delivered on request. For more information about the training sessions and topics, please visit or contact us on

8 The See Hear Project is funded by the Scottish Government to work with children and adults experiencing sight, hearing or dual sensory loss and is a partnership between Visibility and the National Deaf Children s Society. If you would like to be kept informed of what is happening, sign up for our newsletter to receive regular updates by mail, text or . Alternatively visit our website, follow us on Twitter or read our blog. Dumfries & Galloway Office See Hear Project Nithbank Dumfries, DG1 2SD Phone: Text: seehear@visibility.org.uk Website: Glasgow Offices Visibility 2 Queens Crescent,Glasgow G4 9BW Tel NDCS Empire House,131 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2RX Tel Funded by Visibility is the trading name of GWSSB (formerly Glasgow and West of Scotland Society for the Blind). GWSSB is a company, registered in Scotland limited by guarantee with its registered office at 2 Queens Crescent, Glasgow, G4 9BW. Registration Number: SC Scottish Charity Number: SC009738