Training and Consultancy

Welcome to our Training and Consultancy page where you can read more about the packages we offer. With over 35 years combined experience of working in the disability field and living and working with vision impairment, our training ensures lots of anecdotal experiences, exercises and interesting discussion to ensure your staff receive top quality, memorable training. Our extensive knowledge and wide range of experiences positions us nicely to also offer comprehensive, professional and tailored consultancy services.

We strive to ensure that we meet your business/organisation’s specific requirements and work with you to tailor our packages accordingly. If you can’t find a package that quite suits your requirements, then please get in touch as we’re sure to be able to help.

The training is normally delivered at your place of work but if this isn’t suitable then we can work with you to find a suitable alternative that fits your budget.
Picture of Dave (with guide dog Errol) providing training to participantsVision Impairment and Dementia Awareness Training
Our range of packages is as follows (full details provided below):
  • Vision Impairment Awareness Training – Full Day
  • Vision Impairment Awareness Training – Half Day
  • Vision Impairment and Additional Disability Awareness Training – Full Day
  • Disability Awareness Training
  • Employer/Employee Team Training
  • Speed Training
  • Team Building and Communication Training
  • Tips, Tricks and Techniques - Living with a Vision Impairment
  • Consultancy Service
  • Speed Consultancy
We aim to provide the best quality training and consultancy at the most competitive prices. We always suggest contacting us to discuss your requirements so that we can work with you on building the right package for your needs and getting an accurate quote for this. However, to give you a flavour, our standard training packages start from as little as £150 for our speed training sessions, from £350 for our half day sessions and from £600 for our full day sessions. Our prices will depend on specific requirements, number of course delegates, training location and quantity of training sessions. Our consultancy services, due to their bespoke nature, are costed on an individual basis.

Further information about our range of training packages and consultancy services is below. If you would like discuss one of these in further detail or to discuss your specific requirements, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Training

Vision Impairment Awareness Training - Full Day

Our most popular training is our full day package. The interactive nature of this training means that it works best for groups up to a maximum of 14 people. The full day training would suit any business/organisation working with people who have a vision impairment on a regular basis as in care/residential homes, sheltered accommodation, any medical profession to name but a few.
Our full day package would normally comprise of:
  • Introduction to sight loss
  • General awareness of different sight conditions, their effects and impact
  • Living and working with sight loss
  • Appropriate language
  • communicating effectively
  • Aids and equipment
  • Statistics
  • Sighted Guide technique
Picture of feedback form with all options ticked as Excellent and the comments 'Fantastic training session – thank you Vicky, Dave and Errol. Very helpful information, fab examples. Great introduction and insight on visual impairments. I really enjoy Dave delivering the session with first hand experiences to share. Thank you for today.'
Feedback received after Vision Impairment Awareness Training

Vision Impairment Awareness Training - Half Day

For businesses/organisations that are keen to train their staff but can’t stretch to a full day training package or where the contact with a person with a vision impairment is less frequent, we offer a half day package. Although it still covers most of the same elements as our full day training it doesn’t go in to quite as much detail and has fewer interactive exercises. It is best suited to groups of no more than 10 people to ensure that we cover all the necessary elements within the time frame. Our half day training package would suit organisations such as restaurants, dental or GP practices, high street shops, etc.
Picture of participants outside practising sighted guide techniquePractising Sighted Guide Technique
Our half day package would normally comprise of:
  • Introduction to sight loss
  • Overview of different sight conditions and their impact
  • Appropriate language
  • communicating effectively
  • Statistics
  • Sighted Guide technique

Vision Impairment and Additional Disability Awareness Training - Full Day

We often modify our Vision Impairment Awareness training to include additional disabilities. This has in the past included Deafblindness and Dementia but also could include Learning Disability, Autism, Speech Impairment, etc.  In order to deliver a dual topic successfully we are only able to offer this training on a full day package.
Typically this dual disability package would include:
  • Introduction to sight loss
  • General awareness of different sight conditions, their effects and impact
  • Introduction to additional disability
  • Awareness and impact from additional disability
  • Impact and effect from the combined disabilities
  • Living and working with sight loss and additional disability
  • Appropriate language
  • communicating effectively
  • Aids and equipment
  • Statistics
  • Sighted Guide & support techniques
Picture of two feedback forms showing all categories ticked as Entirely Satisfied, with comment 'Very informative and useful tips and guidance on how best to support someone with VI' and 'Training and facilitators very good. Nothing to change, smiley face'
Feedback from our Vision Impairment and Deafblindness Awareness Training

Disability Awareness Training

In addition to our vision impairment awareness packages, we are able to provide general disability awareness training. This package would suit businesses/organisations that have contact with members of the public and want to ensure that they are disability aware. We are able to provide full and half day packages and these are very much tailored around the services you provide.
Picture of a semi circle of people joining in a group exercise during a training course Participants during a group exercise
Our disability awareness packages would consist of elements such as:
  • Types of disability and the impact of such an impairment
  • Exploring accessibility
  • Meeting and Greeting
  • How best to support someone with a disability
  • Communicating effectively
  • Appropriate language
  • Breaking down the barriers

Employer/Employee Team Training

This training is specifically designed to support you and your team to break down barriers and expel the myths about recruiting someone with an impairment and to ensure best practice when supporting colleagues with a disability or impairment. Where appropriate we would work with individuals to ensure their specific requirements are represented in this training.
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​Training sessions may vary but typically cover:
  • ​Types impairments and their impact
  • Adjustments required in the workplace
  • Technology and equipment
  • Communication and language
  • Disability Confident and Access to Work Schemes

Speed Training

We are fully aware that time is money in business and that training your staff can be expensive as well as difficult to arrange especially when you’ve a business to keep running.  With this in mind, we offer an unusual training twist by offering short, sharp training sessions that cover the crucial elements for supporting people with a disability. These speed training sessions are customised to meet you and your organisations requirements and can last from 1 to 1 ½ hours, ideal if you’ve only a few staff to train.
Our speed training sessions would consist of elements such as:
  • Communicating effectively
  • Appropriate language
  • How best to engage and interact with a person with an impairment

Team Building and Communication Training

A big focus in our training is about communicating effectively with people and recognising the needs of individual’s. This means the training is easily adapted to suit businesses/organisations seeking an alternative option to the standard team building and communication training.
 
Again, we work with you to ensure that the training that we deliver on the day meets your aims and objectives but in addition will provide some valuable vision impairment and disability awareness along the way.  Our Team Building and Communication training can either be a more interactive session with lots of exercises or can take on a more competitive day with team challenges, points and prizes!

Informal Sessions

Tips, Tricks and Techniques - Living with Vision Impairment

These informal sessions will raise awareness and confidence for anyone living with a vision impairment including friends or family.

Using some of our own experiences, these sessions will include:
  •  The possible effects of different sight conditions 
  • The language we use
  • Tips on Sight Guiding safely and confidently
  • Discussions, questions and answers
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Consultancy

Consultancy Service

We offer a bespoke consultancy service to support your business/organisation, ensuring that you are supporting your disabled staff and customers in the best way possible.
We can offer support with:
  • Accessibility - Physical  Access
  • Accessibility – Documentation
  • Accessibility – Website and Social Media
  • Support with Access to Work applications (Government scheme to support employees who have a disability remain in work)
  • General advice and guidance in relation to disability

Speed Consultancy

Our speed consultancy service is aimed at businesses that provide direct support to people with a disability and who are unsure whether they are meeting the needs of their disabled customers. As with our speed training, this consultancy service would last between 1 to 1 ½ hours and would provide you with a better understanding of how you can make improvements without this costing you a fortune and taking up weeks of your time. 
In particular, this service would provide you with:
  • How accessible your business/organisation is
  • Which small improvements would make a big difference

Testimonials...

"Very interesting training course which I will definitely recommend"
"Comprehensive, interesting and thoughtful training. Really relevant to my work and many key learning points that I will take away and implement in my work"
“Very enjoyable, relaxed day. Trainers have great rapport and knowledge”