Sensory Impairment

Sensory Impairment

	Bus help for hard of hearing A KIRKCALDY man has joined forces with bus giants Stagecoach to help hard of hearing travellers enjoy more pleasant journeys. Jack Carr, of Fife Independent Disability Network Disability Network (FIDN), spearheads a scheme which will allow sensory impaired bus users to ask drivers for help, without drawing attention to their disability.
	You may be interested to note that a British Sign Language (BSL) version of our publication, 'How the Scottish Parliament Works' is now available on our website
	26.15 minute video of Jack Carr giving a talk on Deaf Awareness at the FIDN Network Meeting Balmullo 30-11-2007
	The New Scottish Parliament Text Service
	These Codes can be used in conjunction with the txt2travel Scheme from Fife Council
	Ring & Ride is a service offering door to door travel, operating within a defined area, for those who find it difficult or impossible to use ordinary buses. This difficulty can be permanent or temporary, physical, mental or sensory. Travel in the Dunfermline area can be anytime between 8.00am and 10.00pm
	What is txt2traveline? txt2traveline is a mobile phone texting service which allows you get bus times sent to you for any bus stop you choose. The service covers all bus companies and is a partnership between Fife Council and Traveline Scotland. You can get the bus times for ANY bus stop in Fife. Download the promotional leaflet from the Publications section on this page.
	On an unseen disability (People with Hearing Difficulties).
	The Royal National Institute for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People Launches the first ever National Telephone Hearing Check.
	Blind Activities Supporting Events.. We are a small community group in East Fife of people with a visual impairment (VI). We aim to help ourselves by arranging a program of supported physical activities that members wish to participate in such as swimming, walking, cycling, canoeing, etc., with the idea of helping VIP (visually impaired people) keep fit and healthy and avoid becoming a burden on society. We are currently applying for charitable status and fund raising. Last year we organised a canoe trip down the River Tay. If you are interested contact Joe on 01334 475909 or 01333 450301
	In October the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care launched an interim report of the eyecare review, which focussed largely on the extended and preventive role of the community optometrist, but also highlighted other areas of eyecare, including the services needed for those who have significant visual impairment. We received many positive comments on the proposals for the extended role of the optometrist and I am pleased to say that the new optometry contract was introduced on 1 April 2006. The three reports enclosed cover other aspects of community eyecare in Scotland: a review of certification and registration, an examination of needs of visually impaired children and young people, and the outcome of a study of integrated eyecare services in three localities. All three documents take a holistic view of the needs of the patient and there is some inevitable overlap between them. Taken together with the improvements in community optometry, they map out a better approach to the provision of eyecare services and they will form the basis of the final report of the eyecare review which we expect to issue later in the year. The reports are on one pdf document. I received these reports thanks to: Liz Ross Information & Research Officer Inclusion Scotland