Who we are and what we do
The physical disability and sensory impairment team offers a comprehensive service to adults and children who have a physical disability or sensory impairment. Within the Team are specialist workers who provide a service to people with a visual impairment or have a dual sensory loss (ie. Visual and hearing impairment)
We respond to requests from individuals, carers, and health professionals and others. We aim to assist people with a visual impairment or dual loss to maintain, regain or achieve a level of independence that suits their needs.
We feel it is important to raise awareness of the needs of people with a visual impairment in the community.
The Team consists of specialist social workers and rehabilitation workers.
The social workers can offer specialist assessments, information, advice and support. This may include the organisation of practical support at home such as home help, but also respite care and permanent residential accommodation. They can also put you in touch with other specialist resources and voluntary organisations that work with people who have a visual impairment.
The rehabilitation workers (visual impairment) provide specialist assessment and training in mobility techniques (indoor and outdoor), daily living skills (including assessment for and provision of aids and equipment) and communication skills (Braille, Moon, typing, deafblind manual etc). Advice is also available on appropriate lighting and the use of colour contrast and texture to make the most of remaining vision.
Some of the key services we link people into are:
- the Eye Clinic;
- General Practitioners;
- health visitors;
- the Benefits Agency;
- welfare rights workers;
- voluntary organisations e.g. Bury Society for the Blind and the Library's Visual Impairment Service.
All skills training and equipment or aids are issued on the basis of the specific needs of the individual. The service is available to people of all ages.
Bury metro libraries' visual impairment service
The visual impairment service aims to provide access for people with sight problems to the leisure, information and educational resources offered by Bury libraries and to provide information relating to sight loss.
The service is open to anyone who has problems reading printed material. You do not have to be a library member to use the equipment provided. To borrow items from the library, just join in the usual way. People with serious sight problems are exempt from many library charges. Services available include:
- large print books;
- books on cassette;
- audio described videos;
- music on CD-ROM;
- magnifying equipment;
- computers with large print and speech for word processing and the Internet;
- a Kurzweil reading machine that translates print to speech;
- talking dictionary;
- transcription to braille;
- audio tape or computer disk.
All libraries have magnifying equipment, large print books and books on cassette. The following libraries have more equipment and services and specialist staff are usually available at the specified times -
- Bury central library,
Manchester Road,
Bury, BL9 0DG.
Telephone 0161 253 6098,
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 10a.m.- 1p.m.
- Whitefield library,
Pinfold Lane,
Whitefield,
Manchester, M45 7NY.
Telephone 0161 253 7512,
Tuesday and Thursday 10a.m.-1p.m. and 2p.m.-5p.m.
- Ramsbottom library,
Carr Street,
Ramsbottom, BL0 9AE.
Telephone 01706 822484,
Thursday 2p.m.-5p.m.
If none of these times are convenient, please telephone the
visual impairment librarian on 0161 253 7512 to arrange an alternative time.
Bury society for blind and partially sighted people are based at:
36, Bolton Street,
Bury, BL9 0LL.
Telephone 0161 763 7014.
Fax 0161 763 3395.
The aim of the society is to enhance the quality of life for all visually impaired people within the Bury Metro area.
The society are open from 9.30 am to 4.00 p.m., Monday to Friday and staff are available to offer advice and information on different aspects of visual impairment. There is also a resource centre where a whole range of specialised equipment designed to help in the home or with leisure activities is available at concessionary prices.
The society runs a home visiting scheme through which trained voluntary visitors can offer help at home in a variety of ways. These can include 'being a friend' or 'a listening ear' in addition to specific needs such as help with personal shopping, reading/answering correspondence and visiting places of interest. All these things help to regain confidence so often lost through visual impairment.
Monthly and annual social gatherings are organised by the society to bring visually impaired people together, providing the opportunity for social interaction.
Other organisations that provide information and advice are:
- Bury and district disabled advisory council,
Seedfield resource centre,
Parkinson Street,
Bury, BL9 6NY.
Telephone 0161 253 6888.
- Royal national institute for the blind,
224 Great Portland Street,
London, W1N 6AA.
Telephone 020 7388 1266.
Telephone Helpline: 0845 766 99 99.
Textphone via Typetalk: 0800 51 51 52.
