Mia Shepherd, National Sales Manager Ireland, HSF Health Plan, presenting a grant of €13,170 to Peter O’Toole, Head of Counselling, Wellbeing & Emotional Support, Kevin Kelly, Head of Partnerships and Lina Kouzi, Head of Library Allen Services, Vision Ireland.
About Vision Ireland
Vision Ireland is inspired by the determination to overcome any obstacle, transforming the lives of people who are blind or vision impaired to deliver tangible change to today’s needs.
Vision Ireland, formerly known as NCBI, serves as Ireland’s national sight loss agency, dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals who are blind or vision impaired.
Vision Ireland, comprehensive programmes cater to children and adults across the nation, promoting confidence and independence in everyday life. Additionally, they provide support to individuals facing reading difficulties, including dyslexia.
They offer timely information and support, relevant technology and innovative programmes to sustain those with a vision impairment in education, in the workplace, and in wider society.
Reading Assistance: Enhancing Reading Experience
In 2019, Vision Ireland introduced the digital platform known as Bookshare, offering members access to a vast database of over 1.3 million books. This free service continues to expand its collection based on member requests, with materials available in both braille and audio formats.
Vision Ireland also offers members access to an app for assisted technology. This feature enables visually impaired individuals to adjust font sizes as needed or convert text to speech. Additionally, individuals facing other reading challenges, such as dyslexia, can customise book backgrounds and colours to enhance readability.
Promoting Accessibility: Visual Impairment
Vision Ireland’s main focus is to convert 10 specific books, backed by medical professionals and proven to be beneficial for several circumstances that would require assistance. These books are incredibly popular for those without visual impairment.
In addition, Vision Ireland aims to produce medical information leaflets for adults, another resource often overlooked but imperative for those with impairments.
Library Expansion: The €13,170 Grant
The Hospital Saturday Fund awarded a grant of €13,170 to Vision Ireland. This grant will go towards the Book Bridge Project library resources for visually impaired children and parents. With the help of The Hospital Saturday Fund, Vision Ireland will be able to bridge the gap in mental health resources for visually impaired children in Ireland.
Comments are closed.