Welcome to the Winter Edition of the Visibly Better Newsletter!

Visibly Better RNIB Cymru – Supporting people with sight loss

Winter 2016

Welcome to the winter edition of the Visibly Better Newsletter!

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Visibly Better newsletter! We have news about Platinum awards; professional support for tenants, family and friends in understanding their conditions; fantastic tenant case stories resulting from Visibly Better partnerships. Also, we have useful information on free radios and RNIB Cymru services for you.

RNIB Cymru would like to wish all our readers a safe and warm winter and we look forward to sending you our next edition early next year with more news and support for you and your tenants.

Warmest regards,

The Visibly Better team

Inside:

Newydd Housing Alltwen scheme has gone all platinum – page 2 Free audio equipment from the British Wireless for the Blind fund – page 3 Need more information about your eye condition – page 5 Cath Hughes case study corner - page 6 Creating clear and easy to use documents for your tenants – page 8 RNIB in your pocket – your accessible news agent delivered straight to your pocket – page 9

How to make the most of technology when you have some sight or hearing loss – A free service from RNIB Cymru Online Today! - page 10 Featured product – Noir polarised wraparound eyeshields – page 11 Visibly Better support; contact us – page 12

Newydd Housing Alltwen scheme has gone all Platinum!

We at RNIB Cymru would like to wish Newydd Housing Association, their tenants and staff, congratulations on achieving the Visibly Better ‘Platinum’ award for their Alltwen housing scheme. Tenants at Alltwen can now live independently for longer thanks to major design changes to support everyday living with sight loss.

Newydd have taken huge strides to ensure that the skills and practices of inclusive design remain, by embedding it into the fabric of its organisational culture. Newydd has experienced ‘Visibly Better’ champions that are trained in understanding sight loss and how to audit and identify features that can be improved to support people with sight loss.

Sandra Rehmen, a Newydd tenant and RNIB Cymru Scheme Assessor said, “Newydd are always ahead of the game when caring for tenants. These changes make such a massive difference to those who have difficulty getting around Alltwen, it now looks wonderful. Having experienced poor vision myself I wanted to try and make a difference. I feel strongly that we should do as much as we can to make life more visible for the visually impaired.”

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Major changes such as a wide level access path around the building, a scooter store and wide gates have ensured that tenants with sight loss can navigate their way and enjoy spending time in the gardens without worrying about access and safety.

Inside the building each floor at Alltwen boasts a different colour scheme to enable tenants with sight loss to identify where they are, and communal areas also have better lighting. Contrasting colours on the walls around key features allow tenants to distinguish items in the room. The changes also benefit tenants with memory loss and mobility problems.

The RNIB Cymru Platinum Award was presented to Paul Roberts, Chief Executive of Newydd by Cath Hughes, Visibly Better Officer at RNIB Cymru on 18October at a celebration afternoon tea at Alltwen.

Ceri Jackson, Director RNIB Cymru, said: “Our Visibly Better Scheme makes a huge difference to the lives of tenants. Often the changes are very simple but lead to a reduction in falls and accidents. Although the standards are aimed at improving accessibility for people with sight loss, they will benefit a wide range of tenants including people with dementia or mobility problems.

“We know that one in five people aged 75 and over are living with sight loss, and that sight loss is set to double in the next 25 years. I congratulate Alltwen for achieving the highest level, a platinum award, helping to make every day better for people with sight loss.”

Free audio equipment for people with sight loss from the British Wireless for the Blind Fund

The British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF) provides recipients with a choice of high quality, specially modified audio equipment.

Their agents help and support the BWBF to provide this service throughout the UK and Northern Ireland. Agents include organisations such as local blind associations, societies, libraries and social services.

Agents perform full assessments to establish that recipients are eligible to receive a set on a free loan basis. They ensure the listening needs of each individual are considered and that the appropriate set is identified to best meet their needs. They deliver the equipment and provide instruction and training in its operation.

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The Concerto 2 is an example of high quality modified equipment and is one of the most advanced and comprehensive pieces of audio equipment currently available. It is a versatile FM/DAB radio with facilities to play audio files from tapes, CDs, SD cards and USB memory sticks.

It has a bookmark facility, which remembers your place and adds to the enjoyment of audio books.

It also has a stereo cassette player and recorder and comes in charcoal with contrasting yellow controls to help those with residual vision. These key controls have raised tactile symbols for further ease of use.

The radio is designed to be simple to use with up to 10 pre-set stations (five DAB and five FM).

To receive a radio on free loan, you will need to fulfil all of the following criteria:

 Resident in the UK

 Registered blind or partially sighted

 Over the age of eight

 In receipt of a means-tested benefit (or parent/guardian in receipt if under 18) (external pdf).

If you think you may qualify for a radio on free permanent loan from us, please contact your local agent who issue sets on our behalf. The receipt of a radio from us is not an automatic right and we reserve the right to withhold our service.

To find your nearest BWBF agency contact 01622 754757, or email [email protected] or visit their website at www.blind.org.uk

Need more information about your eye condition? Personal Transcription A team of six RNIB eye health specialists with backgrounds in optometry, nursing and information provision, man a phone line between the hours of 9:30 and 16:30 Monday to Friday.

Matthew Athey, Eye Health Information Service Manager, heads up the team. “We aim to provide the people who call us with a greater understanding of their eye condition, the available treatments on offer and help them to make decisions about their treatment,” he explained. The service provides high-quality eye health information that’s tailored to individual caller’s circumstances.

“Each day can vary greatly,” Athey explained. “In a morning, we might speak to someone about what to expect from the laser surgery they need for a complication of cataract surgery, and a parent who wants to understand why their child needs to use glasses and patching to help with a squint, to someone coming to terms with a recent diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa.”

Last year, the team, who have completed RNIB’s four-day Eye Clinic Support Studies course which is accredited by City University London and who also have extensive training in communication skills, helped over 2750 people (April 2015 – March 2016). On a regular basis, the team speak to people with common eye conditions and their friends and family. The team also hear from medical, social care and education professionals who use the phone line to find out information about eye conditions, treatments and to ask questions about their patients which they may not know the answer to.

As well as having expertise on common conditions, the team has developed a wide range of knowledge for rarer eye conditions like Microphthalmia, Birdshot uveitis and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Athey explained this understanding has come about because of the number of different cases they hear about on a day to day basis.

“We have built up a large knowledge base around support systems available for rarer conditions. We know this to be particularly helpful for professionals who may not regularly see patients or clients with eye conditions. We are happy to chat about any challenges professionals face and know that it can be useful to have a sounding board when dealing with challenging situations.”

The team can’t diagnose or be prescriptive with what people should or shouldn’t do, but can offer the general information people can use to help make their decisions. “Often we encourage people to have further discussions with their medical team and formulate questions with them that may help when speaking with their ophthalmologist,” Athey explained.

The eye health team phone line is open Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 16:30. To speak to a member of the team, call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 and ask for the eye health team or email queries to [email protected].

Cath Hughes’ case study corner

Glanogwr House in Bridgend is a sheltered scheme run by Hafod Housing Association. It is a listed building which has brought quite a few challenges during its refurbishment. Even so, Hafod have been working tirelessly to improve the building for its tenants whilst incorporating Visibly Better Standards.

Due to the complexity of the building, signage has been a priority. Another aspect which has been addressed this year is colour contrast. The communal lounge has been updated with new chairs, the bathroom has beautiful contrasting fixtures and fittings and all steps have contrasting edges.

Understandably at the start of the refurbishment some tenants were worried about the changes being made, they liked things the way they were. I arranged a visit to explain what the refurbishment work meant for them and also talked about the changes to our eyes as we get older. I followed this up with a sensory garden workshop recently and spoke to some of the tenants who are keen gardeners. Their response has been extremely positive.

Image of tenant Mary Farmer, John Higgins and Gail Stokes (Hafod staff)

One of the tenants I met was Mary Farmer who has sight loss due to cataracts. Mary has been living in a flat on the ground floor of the scheme for the last seven years. Over the last three years, Mary’s eye condition has got considerably worse to the point where she cannot see very much at all and is on the waiting list to have the cataracts removed. Mary explained that she has found it difficult to get about as a result and has been terrified of falling. However, since the refurbishment work at her scheme, Mary’s confidence has improved.

“All of the edges of the steps in the scheme have been painted. I can see them straight away. I am not afraid of falling so much now…Gail and John who work for Hafod took me upstairs to see some corridor lighting they are trying out. I could not believe the difference. It was nice and bright, like daylight. I could see everything. I do hope we get that lighting everywhere in the scheme…The disabled toilet wall had been painted in a different colour and for the first time I can clearly see where the toilet and sink is. They really stand out now.”

Well done Hafod. Your tenants are already reaping the benefits from the work you have done so far.

We at RNIB Cymru would like to congratulate the work Newydd Housing staff and residents have done to help improve independence and safety for people like Mary.

Creating clear and easy to use documents for your tenants

Relaying information to your tenants is an important aspect to social housing daily activities such as preparing a notice for activities or writing out newsletters, it's beneficial to maintain the standards of clear print so that more tenants can access the information.

Clear Print is RNIB's print design guidelines for all types of documents. The guidelines have been specially created to enable everyday information to be immediately accessed by more people.

Because Clear Print is designed to be used for all documents, it has far reaching benefits. A clearly designed and easy to read document will convey your essential information to everyone who reads it.

Below are some helpful rules to assist you in developing clear print documents for your tenants:

 Document text size should be size 14  All body text should be left aligned.  Use bold sparingly, only highlight a few words rather than a paragraph.  Keep the text layout clear, simple and consistent.  Don't use blocks of capitalised letters, and try not to use any italics or underlining.  Text shouldn't be overlaid on images.  The contrast between the text and background is as high as possible.  Space between columns of text is large enough to be distinct  Any information conveyed in colour or through images is also described

RNIB In your Pocket – Your accessible local newsagent delivered to your pocket

We know that blind and partially sighted people want access to the same magazines and newspapers as their peers. We believe reading can make a world of difference, which is why we are excited to launch “RNIB In Your Pocket”.

For just £20 plus VAT per month we provide a Samsung media player, and a subscription to the whole of RNIB Newsagent. RNIB Newsagent has almost 200 titles, from daily newspapers to monthly magazines, and RNIB In Your Pocket subscribers get access to all these titles in one voice command. RNIB In Your Pocket is easy to use, regardless of how tech-savvy a customer is. Initial users across a range of ages found it simple to use straight out of the box, with no need to configure settings. Because it’s a dedicated reading device rather than a phone, the battery life is longer. You can get RNIB Newsagent delivered to you in different formats like DAISY, Audio CD and Braille. With RNIB In Your Pocket, there’s no waiting for the postman; just say “Read me the Guardian” and it will be happy to oblige. It’s also great for people who already have and are used to one of our phones like the

Doro, and don’t want to change to a less accessible smartphone to access RNIB Newsagent content. Find out about our wide selection of titles at rnib.org.uk/reading-choices To find out more, or register for RNIB In Your Pocket: call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999, or email us at [email protected]

How to make the most of technology when you have some sight or hearing loss – A free service from RNIB Cymru Online Today!

Our team, supported by volunteers, are running technology sessions in community centres and libraries across the country. We can even come to your housing complex or estate. Just give us a ring and we’ll arrange everything, including bringing along some equipment for you to explore the online world.

We would like to share with you Patricia’s story and her experience of using our Online Today service: 1. Patricia’s Story

Patricia has been visually impaired due to Retinitis Pigmentosa since she was 7 years old; this is a genetic condition which affects the retinal cells of the eye. When she was 30, she also developed Macular Degeneration, which caused her to lose her central vision. Patricia is registered blind and has been a guide dog user for 12 years; she has a Black Labrador Retriever whose name is Juno.

She got in touch with RNIB because she wanted some support with learning to use an ipad and the internet. With her Digital Skills Officer, she set up the Voice- over setting on her ipad. This enabled her to learn how to access and download apps, send emails and photos and to use the calendar and the notebook apps. Patricia says “now that I can use the internet, I feel I can really connect with what’s going on in the world rather than being out of the loop as people with sensory loss unfortunately so often are.”

Patricia says that the main way in which using technology has had a positive effect on her is through a big increase in her independence. She pinpoints an

example of this being the case; when she was going for a meal with friends and one of her friends emailed her the menu so that she could choose her meal prior to arriving at the restaurant. Whereas before she was able to use the internet, she would have to rely on someone reading out the menu to her and feel under pressure to make a choice quickly. She said, “Something like that which sounds silly and basic really has made a very positive difference to me.”

Patricia now feels confident enough with using her ipad that she plans to invest in an iphone and further improve her digital skills through that. She also hopes to soon join and use social media sites so that she can keep in closer contact with her friends and family. She is very happy with the service that she has received from The Online Today Project and says, “Technology is so much easier to learn and understand when there’s somebody there to help you who knows exactly what they’re doing. I could not have learnt so much otherwise.”

If you are already online and want to know more, then visit us at rnib.org.uk/Online Today, email [email protected] or call on 029 2082 8518 for more details

Featured Daily Living product – Noir polarised wraparound eyeshields

These new eyeshields are available in one size in two tint shades of UV lenses – 21 per cent grey (suited for glaucoma) and 26 per cent amber (suited for macular degeneration). All shades act to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light that enters the eyes.

These modern style wraparound eye-shields curve around the eye and have adjustable arms for all round comfortable protection. The UV filter is polarised providing additional glare relief and therefore increasing your visibility.

Specification  Wrap around, modern eyeshields  Polarised lens to help further reduce glare  Increased visibility  Width size refers to across head  Size: L153 x H49 x W149 (6.02" x 1.89" x 5.87")  Weight: 28g (0.99oz)  12 month warranty

£24.96 ex VAT Product codes: EH103 (21 per cent grey) and EH102 (26 per cent amber)

Visit the RNIB shop website or ring the Helpline to place an order: 0303 123 9999 http://shop.rnib.org.uk/

Visibly Better Support

RNIB Cymru's Visibly Better team members are here to support and advise you. If you have any queries regarding Visibly Better, want to have a chat about an initiative you are undertaking, or you have an idea that you think will make a difference to people with sight loss, then we want to hear from you.

Please feel free to contact us at any time. We're here to support you in making your buildings accessible, and your services better for your tenants with sight loss.

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01792 325 309 Address: RNIB Cymru, Disability Action Centre, The Courtyard, D'Arcy Business Park, Llandarcy, Neath SA10 6EJ

David Watkins, Visibly Better Co-ordinator, can be reached on 07507 841902. Or you can contact us at: RNIB Cymru Jones Court Womanby Street Cardiff CF10 1BR 029 2082 8500 [email protected]

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