NEW SERVICE LAUNCHED TO SUPPORT TEACHERS OF BLIND LEARNERS

23rd September 2015

Scotland's largest visual impairment organisation will today launch a new service to support teachers in mainstream schools who have visually impaired children in their classroom.

The Royal Blind Learning Hub will provide training, support, advice and workshops to all those involved in the education of visually impaired children and young people across Scotland.

The support delivered will be face to face, through training events and seminars and through online learning.

An online learning platform is being developed at www.royalblind.org/learninghub providing free educational resources about teaching blind children and young people. A new series of How To videos gives brief tips on topics like how to use a Brailler, on-body signing, guiding a blind pupil and making sensory stories.

The new service expands on the outreach support that the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh has been providing to teachers in mainstream schools over the last few years.

Sally Paterson, Royal Blind Learning Hub Manager said:"The advice and support offered by the Royal Blind Learning Hub will focus on the key skills required by children and young people with visual impairment in order to access the curriculum. Each child's visual impairment is different and they require tailored solutions that help them as an individual. We would encourage any teacher working with a blind child to get in touch."

There are an estimated 2,000 children in Scotland with visual impairment, and they are generally taught in mainstream schools.

The Royal Blind Learning Hub is being launched at the Scottish Learning Festival at stand F15. Royal Blind staff will be available to demonstrate the online learning platform and to talk to educators about the support that will be available.