Advice & resources

Looking for guidance

Whether you're looking for guidance for yourself, or want to know more about how to support someone with sight loss or blindness, we are here to help.

Find information here about sight loss, including advice to help with the different ways sight loss can impact on your life.

You can search by topic, and if you can't find the information you need just let us know and we'll do our best to support you.

Featured guide

There are simple ways to make a cafe or restaurant more enjoyable for a customer with visual impairment. You can download our new guide, "Giving great customer service to customers with visual impairment" for some simple tips!

Explore our customer service tips

Information and Advice

How Royal Blind School pupils use BrailleNote devices for word processing and emails

How Royal Blind School pupils use BrailleNote devices for word processing and emails.

How to create sensory story resources for pupils with visual impairment

Multi-sensory stories are a great way for people with multiple disabilities and visual impairment to learn and to interact with stories.

How to create tactile graphics

This video shows how to create tactile graphics using a printer and a heat fusing machine. This video is for educators and Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired.

How to iron safely

Clothing care is an important life skill that may be overlooked when people with visual impairment are growing up. In this video, a pupil with visual impairment demonstrates how to use an iron safely.

How to make a cheese sandwich

In this video, we demonstrate how to teach a young person with visual impairment to make a toasted cheese sandwich safely.

How to make velcro boards for braille learners

In this video, Science Teacher Anna Christal discusses how to use velcro boards to support children's learning.

How to organise the kitchen to make cooking easier for people with visual impairment

This video demonstrates how to organise the kitchen area to enable a person with a visual impairment to easily locate items and cook a meal.

How to sew on a button

In this video, we give advice on how a person with a visual impairment can sew a button on to a piece of cloth.

How to sign 'Afternoon' with Canaan Barrie on body sign system

This video shows the Canaan Barrie sign for "Afternoon".

How to sign 'Again' with Canaan Barrie on body sign system

This video shows the Canaan Barrie sign for ‘Again’.

How to sign 'Lights Room' with the Canaan Barrie on body sign system

This video shows the Canaan Barrie sign for "Lights Room".

How to sign 'Orange' with the Canaan Barrie On Body sign system

This video shows how to sign 'Orange' with the Canaan Barrie On Body sign system.

Canaan Barrie on body sign system

The Canaan Barrie on body sign system is used to communicate with children who have multiple disabilities, as well as visual impairment. The sign system was developed at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh.

On body signing helps develop a young person’s natural gesture and, in turn, helps them communicate better with their world around them.

Check out videos demonstrating the signs below

Information and Advice

A photographer with partial sight shares how he captures amazing images

Matthew has around five per cent vision. But being partially sighted doesn't stop Matthew from seeing Edinburgh's many vistas and capturing images on his DSLR camera.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration guide

Download Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans' guide on Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

An introduction to sighted guiding a young person with visual impairment

This video is an introduction to guiding a young person with a visual impairment.

An introduction to the Canaan Barrie On Body Sign System

The Canaan Barrie On Body Sign System is used to communicate with children who have multiple disabilities, as well as visual impairment.

Benefits of braille

The ability to read and write braille is still key to independence for many blind and partially sighted people all over the world.

Braille facts

Braille is a tactile reading and writing system. It opens up the written word to blind and visually impaired people.

Dementia and Sight Loss Guide

Download Sight Scotland's guide on activities and care for people living with dementia and sight loss.

Explained: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Answering commonly asked questions about age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Explained: Cataracts

Answering commonly asked questions about cataracts.

Explained: Charles Bonnet Syndrome

A Sight Scotland Veterans Rehabilitation Officer offers expert advice on Charles Bonnet Syndrome and how to cope with the condition.

Glaucoma guide

Download Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans' guide on glaucoma.

Low vision and useful equipment guide

Download Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans' guide on low vision and useful equipment.

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