At the end of a busy seven days packed with special events, Manx Blind Welfare Society is celebrating another successful Vision Awareness Week.
Launched last year, the week is aimed at raising awareness of visual impairment in the Isle of Man, highlighting the support and services available and promoting the breaking down of barriers in society for blind and visually impaired people.
During Vision Awareness Week 2015, which started on 14th September, the Society hosted events at its headquarters, Corrin Court in Onchan, invited the public to get involved and delivered talks and training to several local businesses, schools and other organisations.
Manx Blind Welfare Society Volunteers Coordinator & Events Organiser Debbie Thomson said: ‘We have been overwhelmed and delighted with the support for our second Vision Awareness Week. Our aim is to highlight our message to as many people as possible, and that has been achieved through our events, talks and training.
‘Through a combination of fun and informative events we have tried to help people to understand the challenges of being visually impaired in the Island, and raise awareness of what can be achieved by blind people when barriers to learning, work and social environments are removed.
‘There are simple steps we can all take to enhance the daily experience of blind and visually impaired people by anticipating and meeting their needs, and we have tried to help people identify what they can do throughout the week.’
She added: ‘Vision Awareness Week was also an opportunity to highlight the services and support Manx Blind Welfare Society and our partner organisations can offer blind and visually impaired people in the Isle of Man. There are still too many people who are living with sight problems without accessing to the support which is available.’
The week began with an open day at Corrin Court, where members of the public enjoyed tours of the building and met representatives of Manx Blind Welfare Society, other organisations which work with visually impaired people and visiting members of Blind Veterans UK, who gave an archery demonstration.
During the week Society staff and volunteers gave talks and training to organisations including Manx Telecom, Manx National Heritage, Sure, Specsavers, Rotary clubs, local optometrists and several schools.
There were plenty of opportunities for the public to get involved, including Bright for Sight Day, when people were encouraged to dress brightly and make donations to the Society, and Walk My Way, the guided walking event along the promenade in Douglas on Sunday, 20th September. Dozens of people joined Walk My Way, being paired up to experience both walking without sight – by wearing a blindfold – and guiding someone who could not see.
Debbie added: ‘Of course, Vision Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight these key messages, but the Society works year-round to support hundreds of blind and visually-impaired people here in the Isle of Man.
‘I’d like to thank everyone who got involved in Vision Awareness Week, and all the Society staff and volunteers for all their hard work. Planning for the 2016 Vision Awareness Week is already under way!’
To find out more about Vision Awareness Week 2015 and the work of MBWS, visit www.facebook.com/manxblindwelfaresociety.
Photo - Walk My Way, one of the events held during Manx Blind Welfare Society's 2015 Vision Awareness Week, gets under way (Steve Babb).
