Sight Loss Advice, Help & Guidance

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, or if you need specific information that you can't find here, get in touch and we'll do our best to support you.

Information and Advice

How to use a Perkins Brailler

The Perkins brailler is an essential tool for blind and visually impaired children.

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How to use different song signifiers with the Canaan Barrie On Body sign system

This video shows how to use different song signifiers with the Canaan Barrie On Body sign system.

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How to use the JAWS Screen Reader to access Youtube

How to use the JAWS Screen Reader with Internet Explorer to access Youtube.

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How to use the JAWS Screen Reader to open a file

This video shows how to open a file using the JAWS Screen Reader.

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Including Volunteers with Vision Impairment

Download Sight Scotland's top tips guide on how to include volunteers with sight loss and ensure they have a positive experience within your organisation.

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Information for blind and partially sighted voters for Scottish Parliament election 2021

Catherine Heggie, Partnerships & Information Officer at the Electoral Commission, shares important information about the support available for blind and partially sighted voters for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

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Lighting for visually impaired people

Handy hints and tips for effective lighting around the home to help someone with sight loss.

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Low vision and useful equipment guide

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

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Mindfulness for pupils with visual impairment and complex needs

Mindfulness sessions are used at the Royal Blind School to teach pupils to recognise their emotions and to learn strategies to deal with stressful experiences.

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Mobility cane or guide dog?

For blind or partially sighted people, the choice between using a cane or a guide dog is often a personal one.

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NaviLens guide

How to use Navilens at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans sites.

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Sensory activities and creative arts for pupils with visual impairment and complex needs

Sensory sessions with creative arts are more than a PE class, or a drama or music class. By combining the different disciplines, the creative arts lesson enhances the learning experience for the young people involved.

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Customer Service Guide

There are simple ways to make a café or restaurant more enjoyable for a customer with visual impairment. Download our 'Giving Great Customer Service to Customers With Visual Impairment' guide now for some simple tips.

Download our 'Customer Service for Visual Impairment' guide

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