Supporting your journey to living with a visual impairment in North East Lincolnshire
This portal helps you find support, information and advice about living with your sensory loss.
If you’re worried about your sight loss or notice any problems, please contact your GP practice or opticians so you can find out the cause.
Red eyes? Flashes or floaters? Any other problems? NHS appointments are available at local opticians. Find a participating practice at Primary Eyecare.
Diagnosis
Your GP practice or opticians will refer you to this service, if you are experiencing sight issues ask for a referral. Ophthalmology Department, Diana Princess of Wales Hospital – 03033 306530. Local eye clinic for ophthalmology team
Specialist advice
Focus independent adult social work – 01472 256256 (option 2) or email focus@nhs.net. Provide support with visual impairment and rehabilitation to help regain your independence following sight loss. Also provide a low vision aid service for magnifiers, lamps and other pieces of equipment to complete tasks that you may find difficult independently
Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society (LLBS) – 01507 605604 or email info@llbs.co.uk. Enables and supports any person who is blind or sight impaired to be as independent as they wish and to live the life they choose. They also work with other organisations and help with form filling support
See Ability – 01372 755 000 or email enquiries@seeability.org. Specialist support, accommodation and eye care help for people with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss
Blind Veterans – 0800 389 7979 or email supporter.services@blindveterans.org.uk. Rehabilitation, training, practical advice and emotional support for blind veterans
NHS blindness and vision loss information including changes to your home, reading and writing, getting around and much more
Self help
Macular support group – 07963 173734. Support group takes place the last Monday of every month 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for people with macular degeneration at St James Hotel, St James Square, Grimsby, DN31 1EP
Soundscene – 01472 346889. Talking newspaper of local news based in Grimsby
Fortitude Club Sue – 07793 013245. Social group for visually impaired adults at Rock Foundation , Heneage Road, Grimsby, DN32 9ES
Sense – 0300 330 9250. Provides information and advice, housing and individual support. Has centres that provide education, day services, social groups, holidays and activities groups. For people with complex disabilities and deaf blind
Lincs Inspire Libraries – 01472 323651. Talking books and home service
Lookhear Group Linda Jameson – 07957 870972. This is a support group for people with a combined sight and hearing loss. The club meets at 10:30 am on the first Wednesday of each month. Freeman Street Resource Centre, 41-43 Kent Street, Grimsby, DN32 7DH
Calibre Audio Library – 01296 432 339 or email enquiries@calibre.org.uk. A national charity providing a subscription-free service of unabridged audio books for anyone with a print disability, such as dyslexia, MS, a visual impairment or brain injury
British Wireless for the Blind Fund – 01622 754757 or email info@blind.org.uk. Supply specially adapted audio equipment to those who would not usually be able to afford it, on a free loan to visually impaired people all across the UK
Deafblind UK – 01733 358356 or email info@deafblind.org.uk. Assist with information and advice, social groups, befriending, digital inclusion, holidays, care and support, supported living and training
BT Here for You – provide advice on phones for the visually impaired
Work, money, legal and benefits
Citizens Advice North East Lincolnshire – free advice service
Centre4 – free local advice
Age UK – practical support and help for families with welfare benefits
GOV.UK – registering vision impairment as a disability
acas working for everyone – impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice
Money advice service – provide free and impartial money advice
If you have any queries, complaints, or compliments around the sensory impairment services or pathways in North East Lincolnshire please let us know by emailing hnyicb-nel.askus@nhs.net or telephone 0300 3000 500.
Useful websites
Carers’ Support Service North East Lincolnshire – provide free information, advice and guidance
Care Quality Commission – independent regulator of all health and social care services in England
Guide dogs – support with sighted guiding service, mobility, technology, guide dogs for adults and children’s support and education services
International Glaucoma Association – provide information, advice, a helpline, a buddy system and fund research
National Federation of the Blind – for people that are partially sighted, blind, deaf-blind and organisations with issues and helps to find solutions
NHS – look after your eyes
Partially-Sighted Society – a national charity to help anybody living with sight loss. Their specialist services focus on helping you to make the best use of your remaining vision
Retina UK – support for people affected by inherited progressive sight loss and medical research to ensure that people can lead a fulfilling life and has a helpline and shop
Royal National Institute of Blind People – help with sight loss information and advice, reading services, online shop, heath social and education professionals
Royal National Institute of Blind People – information for families and carers
Sector Support North East Lincolnshire Partnership – supports charities and community groups in North East Lincolnshire
Thomas Pocklington Trust – services to support blind and partially sighted people wanting to start, restart or progress their careers. They also develop a student support service to ensure young people with vision impairments have the same potential to participate, achieve and thrive in education as their fully sighted peers
UK Cinema Association card – a card enables a disabled cinema guest to receive a complimentary ticket for someone to go with them when they visit a participating cinema this applies to people with a registered sight loss
Equipment providers websites
IC vision – suppliers of magnifying glasses and low vision aids for independent living
Living made easy – equipment for blind or partially sighted people
Royal National Institute of Blind People – online shop
VisionAid – solutions to assist partially sighted & blind people
Page last updated: 03 May 2023