We provide all of our services free at the point of delivery and we do not differentiate on the grounds of circumstance or financial position.
We are a caring specialist support organisation. Some of our services operate from our headquarters in Onchan; others, including assessments, can be undertaken in people's homes by staff or volunteers.
Emotional Support
Our team are able to talk and listen to members about their concerns, and provide confidential advice, guidance and support. We have mental health first aid trained staff on hand.
Activities, Sports and Social Events
We run a wide range of activities, sports and social events. This includes walking groups, acoustic shooting, short mat bowling, and more. These allow members to stay active and socialise in a fun and safe way.
Assistive Equipment
Our Resource Zone holds an extensive range of assistive equipment for the visually impaired. Our staff are trained to advise people on how to make best use of existing and emerging technologies to support and improve their independence.
Luncheon Clubs
We operate luncheon clubs three days a week, supported by an all-Island transport service. A nutritious three-course meal is prepared for members by our qualified chef using locally sourced fresh produce.
Young Persons' Club
We operate a Young Persons' Activity Club once a week out of term time and monthly during school terms. These activities are all designed to develop confidence and independence. Most importantly, they allow our young members to have fun.
Audio Library
We are committed to providing services to reduce isolation; our free audio library, which contains over £100,000 worth of audio books, helps people to re-engage with reading and the enjoyment that only a good book can offer.
Recorded News
Our recorded news service helps people stay connected with their community. Every week, we send out local news stories read by volunteers and recorded in our studio to a large part of our membership, giving them access to important information that may not be otherwise available.
Visual Awareness Training
Equality legislation is now firmly established on the Isle of Man. We provide a free-of-charge visual awareness short course, designed to help individuals and organisations understand some of the challenges people with sight loss face and how to cater to the visually impaired community.
Member Holidays
We operate an annual, escorted, off-island holiday for members. During the trip, members take part in a wide range of activities - including daily excursions, going for dinner and visiting a variety of local tourist attractions.
Manx Care Low Vision Clinics
We work with Manx Care to run monthly Low Vision Clinics. This involves services associated with functional vision clinics, lighting and magnification assessment, support, and aspects of re-training to help people do many of things they did before encountering the challenges of sight loss.
Local Services and Benefits Information Hub
Our staff are able to offer advice and support for people needing to fill out a form or apply for a benefit. We regularly help members with bus passes, parking badges, and other administrative tasks.
We offer free visual impairment awareness training to businesses and organisations. This training allows third parties to engage with the blind and visually impaired community in the most appropriate way. Training is tailored to each organisation's needs and time requirements. Training covers areas such as general visual impairment education, communication techniques and sighted guiding training.
We also offer a wide range of corporate social responsibility opportunities. These include recording audio news for the local visually impaired community, helping with on-site renovations and gardening, helping to run events and fundraisers and more.
We are also able to offer free consultancy services for organisations looking to improve accessibility, ensure good practice and adhere to existing disability legislation. This includes accessible design, workspace optimisation, communications , accessible documents and assistive equipment.