Sensory charity’s blind and partially sighted group get techy at day out in Edinburgh

MEMBERS of a group that supports the blind and partially sighted were taken on a visit to try out new technology for people with sight loss.

Forth Valley Sensory Centre (FVSC) took seven members of its blind and partially sighted group on the outing to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in Edinburgh recently.

They were given the opportunity to learn about new technology to help those who are visually impaired. Companies such as Humanware, Triple Tap Tech and RNIB’s own tech gurus had stalls with a range of items that people could interact with.

The group heard about accessible gaming from Triple Tap Tech and learned about magnifiers and text-to-speech technology developed by Humanware. Members enjoyed the day out and spent time in the RNIB’s new café.

FVSC, which thanked local charity Kiran’s Trust for helping to fund the transport for the trip, offers services to thousands of blind, partially sighted, deaf, and hard-of-hearing people across central Scotland. The Centre runs a host of different groups and classes for its users, including ‘Knit and Natter’, lip reading, cooking, history and art classes, and a monthly book club.

Laura Cluxton, FVSC’s Sight Loss ambassador, said:

“Our day out in Edinburgh went brilliantly and everyone who took part thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

“It was great to be out with everyone to learn and try the different technology on display.

“Being blind or partially sighted has the potential to be isolating, so our group is designed to bring people together to take part in fun activities and days out.

“At FVSC we try to cover lots of topics and activities with our groups, so there is hopefully something for all of our centre users to take part in or get involved in.”