Sensory impairment

Help is available for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people who are blind or partially sighted, and their carers. This includes advice, information, equipment and support to enable people with a sensory impairment to maintain or regain their independence.

How do I access services?

If you think you need a service or have a general enquiry you can contact us using the details opposite or email disabilities@barnet.gov.uk.

The team includes a social worker, community care officers and specialist rehabilitation officers who are trained to be able to respond to the different needs of people with a sensory impairment and their carers.

What happens when you ask for a service?

We will gather initial information about the help you need. If it is the first time you have contacted us, you may also be asked general questions about your ethnicity, language and religion and the name of your GP.

We will then carry out an assessment of your needs with you. You are welcome to have a friend, relative, carer or advocate with you when we carry out your assessment.

Will I be charged for services?

There is no charge for assessment, for equipment issued or minor adaptations. However, you may be required to pay for some of the services you receive. How much you pay will depend on your income and the amount of help you need.

We will ask you to complete a financial assessment form. You may be entitled to benefits and we can give you advice about this.

Services for people who have a visual impairment

There are Rehabilitation Workers and Community Care officers in the Physical and Sensory Impairment Team who focus on supporting people who are sighted impaired or Deafblind. Following an assessment of your need, staff can help by offering advice and training on:

Coping with sight loss (and hearing loss)
Learning new skills in the home
Learning new skills to travel outside the home
Advice and information on benefits
Support and activity groups
Low vision aid assessments
Information on where to go for advice on eye conditions
Supporting relatives
Information on registration as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind)
Equipment and adaptations
Advice on general community care services.

Registration for people who are blind or partially sighted

Registration for people who are blind or partially sighted If you have poor sight then it's a good idea to think about visiting your GP or Optician. This can help you get the practical support you need.

To register you will need to be certified as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind) by a consultant ophthalmologist (eye specialist).

If you are already attending an eye hospital or clinic, you should discuss certification with your specialist or you might prefer to talk it over with a hospital social worker first. Otherwise, you should ask your GP to refer you to a consultant ophthalmologist.

The Physical and Sensory Impairment Team keeps a confidential register of sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind) people living in the London Borough of Barnet. This register helps us to find out what types of services that people with sight problems need.

Registration is voluntary, and you do not need to be registered to receive a service. If you need practical support, advice or information because your visual impairment is impacting on your daily living skills, please contact us using the details opposite or email disabilities@barnet.gov.uk.

Support organisations for people who are visually impaired

Barnet Borough Sight Impaired Group

This is a support group run by people who are visually impaired.

Tel: 020 8958 1444

Middlesex Association for the Blind

This is an independent charity working to provide support and services to blind and partially sighted people.

The Sight Centre
Suite 3 - Freetrade House
Lowther Road
Stanmore
HA7 1EP

Tel: 0845 8 380 480 / 020 8423 5141
Fax: 020 8429 7109
Email: info@aftb.org.uk
Website: www.aftb.org.uk

Barnet Talking Newspaper

A weekly ‘newspaper’ on audio tape for people who are blind or partially sighted and live in the London Borough of Barnet. It is completely free and delivered weekly by post.

Tel: 020 8445 3922 or 020 8343 4405

Services for people who have a hearing impairment

There are Rehabilitation Workers and Community Care officers in the Physical and Sensory Impairment Team who focus on supporting people who have a hearing impairment. Following an assessment of your needs, staff can help by offering advice and training on:

Coping with hearing loss
Advice and information about benefits
Information on local lip-reading classes, voluntary groups and national organisations
Advice on daily living
Supporting relatives
Information on registering with a hearing impairment
Equipment and adaptations
Advice on general community care services
Office visits available by appointment
Equipment and adaptations to alert you, for example to the telephone or doorbell
Drop-In service for general and social work advice (Sign Language Interpreter available)
Advice on general community care services.

Barnet Sign Language Interpreting Service

The aim of the Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) is to enable deaf, hard of hearing and deaf blind people in Barnet to have access to other services, such as health, education and social care related appointments on an equal basis and to receive a quick response.

The service is free for all people who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their first language and who live in the borough of Barnet.

In addition to BSL/English interpreters, the Sign Language Interpreting Service also provides the following communication support:

Sign Supported English (SSE)
Deafblind interpreters (Manual)
Lipspeakers
Speech to text reporters (Palantypists).

The Sign Language Interpreting Service will consider requests for occasions such as weddings and funerals but there would be a charge. For more information, please contact:

Tel: 020 8359 6093
Textphone: 020 8361 5280
Typetalk: 18002 020 8359 6093
Fax: 0870 889 6825
Email: slis@barnet.gov.uk

Barnet Hearing Advice Service

The Barnet Hearing Advice Service aims to support people with hearing loss and particularly people who wear hearing aids. Trained volunteers offer support, information and advice about managing a hearing loss.

Volunteers also offer maintenance of NHS hearing aids, visit housebound people at home and run sessions in day and community centres.

The volunteers and the co-ordinator also offer awareness training of hearing loss and can offer presentations and talks to professionals and community groups. All aspects of the service are free.

Contact the Barnet Hearing Advice Service co-ordinator for more information:

Tel: 020 8359 4694
Email: hearing-advice@barnet.gov.uk

Support organisations for people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment

Jewish Deaf Association

The Jewish Deaf Association offers help and advice to deaf and hard of hearing people of all ages and denominations. It runs a day centre with kosher dining facilities, social activities, and lipreading classes.

There is also a new resource centre which contains a range of equipment to assist deaf and hard of hearing people in their daily lives. The Jewish Deaf Association provides free advice on equipment and can liaise with Social Services if required.

Julius Newman House, Woodside Park Road, North Finchley, N12 8RP

Tel: 020 8446 0502
Textphone: 020 8446 0502
Fax: 020 8445 7451
Email: jda@dircon.co.uk

Events

Wednesday 4 July 2007 is Your Independence Day - an interactive day for both professionals and people with a physical or sensory impairment and their carers.

Comments, Compliments and Complaints

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