Further Support

Visibility - has been working with blind and partially sighted people for 150 years and provides a range of services and opportunities for people who have experienced sight loss. They have a variety of services available including social, recreational and learning opportunities for people to take part in. Visibility also provides information to family, friends and professionals.

Visibility Scotland - Dumfries Branch - Visibility Scotland provides support to people living with sensory loss across Dumfries and Galloway. Staff provide emotional support, signposting to other services locally, demonstrate aids and equipment, lend people equipment under our Try Before You Buy scheme, eccentric viewing training and training in accessible technology. Staff also endeavour to link people to others living with sensory loss in their local community tackling loneliness and social isolation.

Guide Dogs - provide mobility and freedom to blind and partially sighted people.  They also campaign for the rights of people with visual impairment, educate the public about eye care and fund eye disease research.

Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the UK's leading charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people with sight loss.

Sense Scotland -  have been working for over 20 years with children and adults who have communication support needs because of deafblindness, sensory impairment, learning and physical disabilities.

Action for Blind People is a national charity with local reach, providing practical help and support to blind and partially sighted people of all ages. We listen, we understand, we act.

Deafblind Scotland and Deafblind UK share a common vision: "A society in which deafblind people have the permanent support and recognition necessary to be equal citizens."

Their aims - To help deafblind people in Scotland live as rightful members of their own communities and to encourage and support contact between deafblind people and sighted hearing people; To liaise with health and social service providers to make appropriate assistance available to deafblind people in Scotland; To work in partnership with statutory and other agencies to improve the quality of life of deafblind people; To raise awareness of both the needs and potential of deafblind people; To encourage provision of facilities, services and support for deafblind people.

Action on Hearing Loss represents the 758,000 people who are deaf or hard of hearing in Scotland. Their staff and volunteers offer a wide range of services, including communication, information and employment services.

Deaf Action - their aim is to raise awareness of the needs and rights of deaf people, challenge discrimination, and provide services to promote independence and quality of life

National Childrens Deaf Society - The National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.

Hearing dogs -  train hearing dogs to alert deaf people to select household sounds and danger signals in the home, work place and in public buildings - providing a life-changing level of independence, confidence and security.

Dumfries and Galloway Hard of Hearing Group - Hearing Aid Maintenance, Advice & Support delivered by trained volunteers in drop-in sessions (20 locations, 34 drop-ins per month), we visit 20 care homes 3 times a year and can visit people in their own home if housebound, or unable to attend due to poor mobility/poor mental health.  We give basic deaf awareness and basic Hearing Aid maintenance training to care home staff which is available via our website.

Sight Scotland Veterans - provides support that empowers veterans affected by sight loss in Scotland. We do this because veterans with sight loss deserve the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives.

Solway Sound -  provides a free audio news service to visually impaired people in Dumfries and Galloway. 

Galloway Talking Newspapers - Galloway Talking Newspaper Association for the Blind.  Weekly edited extracts from Wigtownshire Free Press & Galloway. Gazette together with magazine articles recording most months. service on USB sticks. 

Macular Society Support Group - Dumfries - The Group offer Peer Support and Social Interaction for people with Age Related Macular Degeneration and folk with limited vision and their carers. We have a Speaker at most meetings, on a variety of Topics. Meet in St Georges Church Hall, George Street, Dumfries.  On the Last Wednesday of each Month ( except December ) From 11am-12.45pm. Contact Details :- Mary Cudby.  Telephone :- 01576 202204 

National Deaf Children's Society Group - We are the National Deaf Children's Society, the leading charity for deaf children. We're here for every deaf child who needs us - no matter what their level or type of deafness or how they communicate.

The Stove Network - The Stove are working towards making the events they put on across the region BSL accessible. 

Robert Burns Centre Cinema - The cinema is accessible to people with sensory impairment. The auditorium is fitted with a loop receiver which is suitable for people with hearing aids with a T switch. The cinema is also able to provide an auditory description system for blind or partially sighted customers (these films are noted in their brochure and online).  Customers can request the headsets in advance of the screening.

Where possible the RBCFT will screen films which are fully captioned and will provide subtitles for the hard of hearing. Please note that while not all films are equipped with subtitled and audio described files these are become fewer and fewer (these tend to be low budget films) thanks to the efforts of access groups like Matchbox Cinesub which has 10 years' experience subtitling for access and since 2019, they've captioned over 700 films and short films.  However, most big releases, think MARVEL and DC superhero films, BAFTA and Oscar nominated films, James Bond, Downton Abbey 2, and such like will have captions and will be audio described.