Empowering young people with sight loss with the skills for independent living
A group of young people living with vision impairment in Oxfordshire are learning the skills to live independently as they move into adulthood.
In partnership with the charity Guide Dogs, Oxfordshire County Council’s sensory impairment team is delivering the sessions, bringing together people aged 14 to 25 years old from across the county, to learn things from meal preparation and budgeting to using specialist technology and how to self-advocate.
Jess Brown is the lead children’s worker from Oxfordshire County Council’s sensory impairment team and said: “Moving from childhood into adulthood can be a difficult time in anyone’s life. It’s a point where we’re learning more about ourselves and how we want to live our lives.
“For young people with vision impairment, this time of transition can be particularly challenging in a world that is designed for sighted people.
“These sessions are proving hugely valuable for the people taking part and it’s so lovely to see the steps they are taking to make new friends, learn new skills and generally grow in confidence.”
The first ‘get set for adulthood’ session took place in Bicester last month, focusing on kitchen safety. While team members from Guide Dogs and the sensory impairment team set the main targets, it was the young people who were given the power to develop the course, including incorporating how to use air fryers and how to cook on a budget.
The next session is taking place during the May half-term, where the young people will learn more about shopping and getting value for your money.
Loretta Knop, Habilitation Service Manager at Guide Dogs, said: “It is brilliant to be able to work collaboratively with Oxfordshire County Council to put on these sessions to enable the participants to develop essential life skills for adulthood.
“Having a vision impairment can make life a little trickier, but with support and the determination that these young people have shown, I can’t see anything holding them back!”
Karen Fuller, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Adult Social Care, said: “These sessions are a great example of our Oxfordshire Way in action, supporting people to live well and independently in their own community.
“By working together with organisations like Guide Dogs, we are empowering our young people to gain the skills they need to live life their way. This is never more important than when a young person moves into adulthood, and it’s brilliant to see these sessions making a difference to people’s lives.”
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