Sensory Needs Support

Support is available for people living in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, who have:

• Sight loss
• Hearing loss, including people who are Deaf
• Dual sensory impairment

If you think you need support you can contact us and we will run through some questions with you to look at how your sensory loss is impacting your day to day life. If you agree, we will be able to complete a specialist assessment that is related to helping you:

• Be as independent as possible
• Access rehabilitation programmes that help with daily living tasks
• If eligible, provide pieces of equipment that can help with daily living
• Support for family carers

Other types of support or a direct payment so you can organise the support to fit your individual personal needs.

Registration

Registering your sensory impairment with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead can make it easier to access a lot of the support and guidance which is available. It can help with benefits and other concessions, including:

• travel
• parking
• help with paying your TV licence.

Registration as deaf or hard of hearing

Registration is voluntary, and your details will be kept confidential. If you are concerned about your hearing please contact your GP who may refer you onto an audiology clinic. In audiology you will have a hearing test and they will issue you with an Audiogram. This would be your evidence for registration.

There are three separate registers:

• Hard of hearing
• Deaf with speech
• Deaf without speech

Benefits and concessions available are:

• Discounts on public transport such as a disabled person’s rail card.
• VAT exemption evidence on some equipment purchases.
• Concessions or free entry at some cinemas, theatres, museums and day out activities such as some castles or theme parks.

Registering your sight impairment

Some levels of sight loss qualify you to be registered as Sight Impaired (blind) or Severely Sight Impaired (partially sighted).

An eye consultant (ophthalmologist) will first need to confirm you are certified as sight impaired, or severely sight impaired and provide you with a Certificate of Visual Impairment known as a CVI.

Your GP can put you in contact with a consultant if you haven’t already seen one and you will also receive a copy of your CVI. You can then contact Optalis who can let you know about services available to you and discuss registering your sight impairment.

Registering means that you may be able to access to a number of benefits such as:

• Free advice on dealing with sight loss.
• Free sight tests.
• Blue badge.
• Discounts on your TV license.
• Some disability benefits / tax allowance benefit.
• Discounts on public transport such as a Disabled Person’s Railcard.
• Free or discounted corrective lenses (if these are suitable for you).

Registering your dual sensory impairment (combined sight and hearing loss)

The definition of deafblindness as adopted by Optalis is: ‘Deafblindness is a combination of sight and hearing loss that affects a person’s ability to communicate, access all kinds of information, and get around.’

There are currently no direct benefits or concessions linked to the deafblind register. The register is optional, and eligibility needs to be confirmed by an appropriately trained professional or organisation.

To register your sensory impairment contact: adultsocialcarefrontdoor@rbwm.gov.uk