Northumberland Community Chest Grant

September 11, 2024

Northumberland Community Chest Grant

Northumberland Community Chest recently generously awarded us a grant towards the development of a resource hub to support our clients who are D/deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired or deafblind. With this funding, our Northumberland Sensory Services team has been able to purchase a variety of items which can be used for demonstrations when someone either goes to their office or when they’re out and about attending events, at drop-ins or carrying out home visits.

“The grant funding that we received from Northumberland Community Chest has made an incredible difference to the service.

We are now able to demonstrate and recommend equipment that people have had a chance to test before purchasing.

Before the funding came along we were having to rely on pictures taken from the internet and/or our descriptions, so the change in the service has been huge and we’re extremely grateful!”

– Northumberland Sensory Service Manager, Amber

Just some of the equipment they have purchased so far includes:

Right-handed and left-handed walking sticks
Dycem jar openers
Daylight Smart Travel Lamps
Eye Drop Dispensers
Typoscope
Noir glasses in a variety of colours and opacity
Bread cutting guide
Liquid level indicators
Visual impairment simulation specs

Having this equipment allows people to make their own informed decisions of which equipment works best for them, instead of relying on product descriptions alone.

Accessible equipment like this can help to reduce barriers for people who have sight loss and give them back some confidence and independence in their day-to-day living.

A table covered in VI equipment such as noir glasses, eye drop dispensers, big print diaries, alarm clock and tactile tester strips.

We would also like to thank the Karten Network who donated equipment to our services, some of which were sent to Northumberland which will help to develop our accessibility hub and resources.

Visit our Northumberland page to learn more about the services and support we offer.

A huge thank you to Northumberland County Council for this funding.