Sight loss services

East Cheshire Eye Society helps visually impaired people who have recently been diagnosed, or whose circumstances have recently changed. We can visit your home and offer advice and help to ensure that people with sight loss can live as independently as possible in their own homes.

We can also provide or recommend specialist technical equipment or home assistance products via our resource centre in Macclesfield.

We run regular social groups in Macclesfield, Congleton, Wilmslow and Poynton, which provide a relaxed and fun environment for people with visual impairments to meet.

We also offer regular walking groups, crown green bowls groups, organised trips out to a variety of locations, café coffee club and various sports opportunities, as well as one-off events and trips.

Click here to check out our latest programme of events and activities at East Cheshire Eye Society. 

Great news! We’re offering face-to-face training again and even have new sessions on offer. We can show you how to manage your banking and shopping online – handy for carrying out tasks from home or when you’re out and about. These sessions will be arranged as small group training, but we can also arrange a one-to-one session at our Resource Centre in Macclesfield.
 
We also cover a range of advice around sight loss technology including all kinds of electronic magnification devices, how IT can work for your level of vision and other helpful gadgets.

If you would like to find out what technology is available to support people with sight loss and what we can do to help, join one of our ‘Introduction to Technology’ taster sessions.
 
You’ll learn how to make tablets, iPads and phones work for you using magnification and speech functions through the accessibility features which are already part of the technology. You don’t have to have a visual impairment to attend these courses.
 
Contact us for more information, support and advice – or to register to attend either sessions.

Visit our resource centre at 11 Market Place, Macclesfield where we can show you various equipment to help you live independently. We have all types of equipment both new and second hand within our shop at our resource centre. The types of equipment which we can provide advice and access to includes magnifiers, large button telephones, cooking gadgets, talking clocks, watches, non-spill mugs, bumpons, glare shields and many more.

Our team at East Cheshire Eye Society are knowledgeable on the different equipment to suit your individual needs and they will provide you with advice and guidance.

East Cheshire Eye Society shares its premises with sister charity, The Macclesfield & District Talking Newspaper for the visually impaired. Contact us if you would like to arrange free access to the Talking Newspaper.

You may be eligible for the Attendance Allowance if you are aged over 65, or Personal Independence Payment for those aged under 65.

At East Cheshire Eye Society, if you know what you want to say but cannot see the form well enough, we can help you to fill it in. If you need more specific advice on what to say, try the RNIB helpline on 0303 123 9999 as they have more expert knowledge about what to say.

For the best outcome, we recommend that you do contact them for their advice before completing the forms.

Please contact us if you would like any further information.

We offer a range of support services to blind or partially sighted people across East Cheshire who are in work. We help people with a sight impairment to access financial, technological and other support so that they can thrive in the workplace. We also help with sharing information on their rights as an employee with sight loss.

Alongside helping employees who have sight loss, we also support employers so that they understand the needs and rights of newly employed individuals (or newly diagnosed current employees) who are blind or partially sighted.

For blind and partially sighted people who are no longer able to work, or who are seeking work, we help them to access financial and other support during their unemployment and/or search for employment.

As people adjust to losing their sight it can be a very challenging time. Our friendly team at East Cheshire Eye Society is on hand to help and to point you in the direction of other related support available to you. Our support services, social events and activities provide an opportunity for you to share and discuss your experiences of sight loss with others. There are also lots of opportunities to immerse yourself in enjoyable activities and to make new connections.

Please visit our resource centre in Macclesfield, Cheshire or contact us if you would like advice and support regarding a friend or family member who has sight loss. We offer a range of sight loss support services and we can also point you in the direction of other support services to suit your needs.