SEND Local Offer - Deaf and visual impairment support

Find services who can provide advice and support for children and young people with sensory impairments.

Worried about your child's hearing?

A hearing problem can affect a child’s whole development, so it's important to pick it up as soon as possible.

All newborn babies in Nottinghamshire will have their hearing tested in hospital either before they leave or as an outpatient very soon after birth.

Read about newborn hearing screening (NHS)

If are worried about your child’s hearing as they get older, find out about Hearing tests for children (NHS)

Then contact your health visitor, school nurse or GP to discuss getting a hearing test for your child.

Find a GP near you (NHS)

Registering as visually impaired

If your vision has deteriorated to a certain level, you may choose to register as visually impaired. Depending on the severity of your vision loss you'll either be registered as sight impaired (previously "partially sighted") or severely sight impaired (previously "blind").

Registering as visually impaired isn't compulsory, but it can entitle you to a range of benefits, including:

Also may also be eligible for:

a reduction in the TV licence fee
a tax allowance
reduced fees on public transport
parking concessions

The County Council can issue you a registration card that proves your registration status. Having this can help to prove your entitlement to concessions, including when you’re visiting places of interest.

More about registering as sight impaired

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has information on the steps to registering as sight impaired (RNIB)

The government also has information about Registering vision impairment as a disability (GOV.UK)

Nottinghamshire County Council sensory impairment support

SEND Inclusion Service

The SEND Inclusion Service has specialist teachers and teaching assistants with more qualifications and experience in working with children and young people, aged 0 to 19 years, with a range of special educational needs. The service includes the Hearing and Vision Specialist Support Team.

Find more details on the SEND Inclusion Service directory listing

Habilitation support

There are two habilitation specialists working within the hearing and vision specialist support team as part of Nottinghamshire County Council's SEND Inclusion Service.

The specialists works with families, babies, children and young people who have a significant visual impairment and who are resident in Nottinghamshire.

They can offer advice and training to young people and students on:

Personal independence skills
Travel training
Social skills
Mobility skills.

Find details on the Habilitation Officer support directory listing

Disability Family Support Service - Children's Occupational Therapy Team

The Occupational Therapy Team aims to provide support to help children and young people with disabilities develop to their full potential.

They can assist with overcoming practical problems and maximising a child or young person's independence in their own home, as well as supporting parents and carers to care for their disabled child or young person safely.

Find details on the Disability Family Support Service - Children's Occupational Therapy Team directory listing

Adult Deaf and Visual Impairment Service (ADVIS)

The Adult Deaf and Visual Impairment Service (ADVIS) provides specialist support to people with a sensory impairment.

ADVIS has specialist workers who understand the impact of deafness, visual impairment or deafblindness and can communicate using British Sign Language (BSL).

Learn more about Adult Deaf and Visual Impairment Service (Nottinghamshire County Council)

Deaf support organisations and services

Find details of deaf support organisations and services in the Deaf support services directory listings

Visual impairment support organisations and services

Find details of visual impairment support organisations and services in the Visual impairment support services directory listings