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Hertfordshire County Council


Blind or visually impaired

 

If you need some help, we can have a chat with you to understand your day-to-day life and offer advice and support. This might include:

  • vision rehabilitation specialists who'll support you with living independently following sight loss.
  • special equipment and teaching you to use it.
  • training and handy tips to make life easier at home and outside. This could be orientation and mobility training (white cane training) as well as skills to maintain your home.
  • making sure the lighting and layout in your home is right for you.
  • Information on services like meals on wheels or the blue badge parking scheme.

We call this chat an assessment.

Get an assessment

Support services for the blind or visually impaired

Herts Vision Loss
Herts Vision Loss (HVL) is a local charity providing a wide range of support for visually impaired individuals, their families, and caregivers. Services include:

  • emotional support, advocacy, counselling, and home visits
  • registration for a Certificate of Visual Impairments (CVI)
  • accessible information and assistive technology support
  • community forums, social groups, and events
  • a minibus service.

 


Deaf or hard of hearing

 

We can help make life easier for adults, children and their families with services and special equipment like:

  • loop systems.
  • flashing smoke alarms.
  • TV amplifiers.
  • flashing door bells and telephones.

We can also give you information and advice and help you find courses, get into work or access other services in the local community.

We'll need to have a chat with you to work out what you need.  We call this an assessment.

Get an assessment

Support services for the deaf or hard of hearing

Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service
A charity supported by audiology departments and adult care services that offers:

  • practical help and advice for those with hearing difficulties and their caregivers
  • hearing aid maintenance
  • support with everyday tasks such as using the telephone
  • a postal service to bring care closer to home, particularly aiding older individuals with dexterity or sight issues.
  • support with British Sign Language (BSL)
  • signposting to various deaf clubs, BSL support groups and signing cafes in Hertfordshire via the @accessherts Facebook page.

 

Citizens Advice - BSL advisory service

Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) offer specialist advice in BSL, supporting people with:

  • benefits
  • debt and money concerns
  • housing issues
  • employment. 

 

Action Deafness (AD)

A deaf-led charity offering personalised assistance for D/deaf, hard of hearing, deafened, and deafblind individuals across Hertfordshire. The AD team provide support with:

  • Personal Assistant (PA) provision
  • decision-making
  • enhancing day-to-day living skills for a happier life
  • facilitating access to education, training and leisure activities
  • flexible one-to-one support to promote independence, confidence, and the development of life and social skills.

 


Deafblind

 

We have specially trained deafblind workers who can help with things like:

  • special equipment.
  • independent living skills.
  • mobility training.
  • one-to-one support from a communicator guide, an intervenor or a volunteer.

Who communicator guides, intervenors and volunteers help >

Communicator guides 
They work with people who acquire deafblindness, helping them with everyday tasks such as shopping, going to the doctors and going to the gym. The guides are trained in safe guiding skills to support with mobility.

They will help the Deafblind person to adjust to life as their eyesight and hearing gets worse.  For example, they might train the person to use hands-on signing or the Deafblind manual alphabet.

Intervenors 
They work with children and adults who have had deafblindness from birth. Their role is similar to  a communicator guide but they will also help to develop a special communication system.

Volunteers 
They generally work with older people who need help reading mail or just need a cup of tea and a chat.

We can meet with deafblind adults and children, and their carers, to understand their needs and how we can help. 

We call this an assessment.

Get an assessment

Support services for the deafblind

Sense
Sense provides support for individuals who are deafblind or have complex disabilities. Services include:

  • residential care, virtual support and an activity center
  • community services like Communicator Guides and Intervenors in Hertfordshire
  • opportunities for creativity, sports, and wellbeing are offered to promote active participation and fulfilment
  • support for decision-making, independent living, and social skills development, both at home and in the community.

 

 


Carers of people with sight or hearing loss

 

You might be able to get extra help from us if you care for someone with hearing or sight loss.  We can talk with you about your caring responsibilities and work out what we can do to help.  Even if that's just giving you a break every now and then.

We call this an assessment.

Get a carers assessment

 


Contact a sensory link worker

 

If you have sensory needs, you can reach out to a HertsHelp sensory link worker. They can provide free support and guidance to individuals experiencing:

  • social isolation
  • problems finding housing
  • financial issues
  • difficulty managing their health or wellbeing
  • uncertainty on where to go for help.

 

Text hertshelp to 60060

Email info@hertshelp.net

Communicate in BSL? Ask for Robert Hobbs if you prefer to use BSL via Skype, Zoom or Whatsapp.

 

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