Global Resources,Services & Support
Scroll down for groups providing support from across the world
We are Guide Dogs. And we’re here to help people with sight loss live the life they choose.
Over the years we’ve developed a wide range of services with and without dogs to support people living with a vision impairment. Children and adults. Friends and family. Whoever you are, our expert staff, dedicated volunteers and life-changing dogs are here to help you live actively, independently, and well.
About LOOK
LOOK supports visually impaired young people to thrive
We are a small but mighty charity, based in Hereford, but we work nationally, supporting VI children, young people and their families.
We support visually impaired (VI) young people principally through our flagship LOOK Mentor Project. We currently support 130 trained volunteer VI LOOK Mentors who are connected with VI mentees for structured and secure peer mentoring.
We support parent carers through workshops and peer-led chat sessions in our twice-monthly, free, online Parent Support Group.
VICTA is a national charity that provides support to children and young adults from 0 to 29 who are blind or partially sighted and their families. VICTA believes that everyone has the right to an independent and fulfilling life. VICTA’s support, advice, grants and activities enable young people and their families to build skills, develop confidence and help each other toward a more positive future.
MACS Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia & Coloboma Support is a UK charity supporting children and adults born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes.
Every year in the UK, an estimated 114 babies will be born with no eyes (Anophthalmia), small eyes (Microphthalmia), or a cleft in the eye (Coloboma). Many children will have additional needs or other health challenges. Contact MACS to join for support and many other services.
Working with over 12,500 people in Kent and the surrounding areas, we’re one of the largest and most respected local sight loss charities in the UK. We work to prevent avoidable sight loss, deliver excellent support services and enable people to get involved and live independently.
We understand that everyone’s needs are different, and we provide a comprehensive range of support services to help people maintain their day to day lives. This ranges from rehabilitation to equipment and social clubs depending on the individual needs of each person.
We also work closely with communities and businesses across the region to increase awareness of eye health and the prevention of avoidable sight loss. Our aim is to bring people together to help anyone with sight impairment live a fulfilling and independent life.
Launched in 1928 we have been providing radios to people living with sight loss for 95 years. We pride ourselves on providing a personal service to each individual who receives a new set.
For people with sight loss, life can become a challenge; not just the difficulty of getting out and about, but also the everyday tasks that we take for granted - like turning on the radio in the morning to listen to the news.
By providing the equipment on a free loan to those who are unable to afford a specially adapted radio we help improve the daily lives of visually impaired people.
AbilityNet is a pioneering UK charity with a global perspective. We believe the power of digital technology should be available to everyone, regardless of ability or age. Our free online resources and a network of over 300 community-based volunteers help individuals with any disability, of any age, to use all kinds of digital technology. Our vision is a digital world accessible to all.
Our teams of experts help organisations of all types and sizes to become more inclusive and to build accessible digital products and services. We are founder members of the global accessibility profession, work closely with some of the biggest businesses on the planet and organise TechShare Pro, Europe’s largest accessibility gathering.
The mission of the American Foundation for the Blind is to create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired. We mobilise leaders, advance understanding, and champion impactful policies and practices using research and data.
Since 1921, AFB has been a leader in addressing the most pressing needs of people with visual impairments and their families, breaking down societal barriers, and promoting broad systemic change. Publisher of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness for over a century and counting.AFB’s mission is to expand pathways to leadership, education, inclusive technology, and career opportunities to create a world of no limits for people who are blind, deaf blind, or have low vision.
For blind people to use a computer, they need a screen reader which reads the text on the screen in a synthetic voice or with a braille display. Visit the NVDA website and download the
free screen reader for IOS and Windows
In The UK you can subscribe to VOCALEYES for full Audio Description services in Theatre, Arts and Museums.
HumanWare's vision has resulted in a range of highly intuitive and intelligent solutions that empower people who are blind or with low vision by giving them the independence to participate effectively within a sighted world.
Metro provides the opportunity for people who are blind or partially sighted, of all ages and abilities, to take part in many different sports and activities across Greater London and the surrounding areas.
We are proud to deliver competitive, inclusive sports for teams and individuals. And most recently, we are also expanding the range of the social activities we offer!
Calibre Audio Library is a national charity providing subscription-free service of unabridged audio books for adults and children with sight problems, dyslexia or other disabilities, who cannot read print.
We are a U.K. based company specialising in the design, manufacture and supply of innovative aids for the blind and partially sighted.We have a printed catalogue with photographs of our complete range of products which we will be pleased to mail to you on request.
Sight and Sound Technology is the UK and Ireland's leading provider of hardware and software to the blind, visually impaired and those with learning and reading difficulties. We work in unison with private individuals, charitable organisations, educational establishments and commercial enterprises to help our users fully realise their potential. Our product solutions have been specifically designed to improve quality of life at work, at study or in the home.
Hello, I'm Hillary! I started Sensory Sun because my daughter Madilyn was born with bilateral anophthalmia in 2005. My role in life transformed within months from stereotypical college girl into the mother of an infant who was blind.
MAPS WonderBaby.org is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here you’ll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what they’ve learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families.
International children’s anophthalmia microphthalmia
network is a support group made up of both families and professionals, for families dealing with these issues. The support group can put you in touch with other families or medical professionals who can help.
Be My Eyes
Blind or low-vision person requests assistance
As a blind or low-vision person, whenever you need visual assistance, our volunteers are happy to help. Through the live video call, you and a volunteer can communicate directly and solve a problem. The volunteer will help guide which direction to point your camera, what to focus on or when to turn on your torch.
For some children, learning to play an instrument or to sing can add immeasurably to their lives. For others, many of whom have severe learning difficulties, music therapy may offer a lifeline. With the right encouragement, these children can develop their talents to remarkable ends, breaking down barriers, promoting social inclusion and helping to fulfil their potential as individuals and musicians.
RNIB, the Royal National Institute of Blind People, is the UK's leading sight loss charity. We offer practical and emotional support to blind and partially sighted people, their families and carers. We raise awareness of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people and campaign for change to make our society more accessible for all. We want to change our world so there are no barriers to people with sight loss.
Blind in Business was founded in 1992 by three blind graduates. After graduating from university with good degrees we initially found it difficult to gain work, due to misconceptions and wariness from employers who were wary about visual impairments. But we persisted, and two of us became partners in leading law firms. The third went on to do a Master of Business Administration at Cranfield, and became a successful businessman – making history as the first blind person to gain this qualification.
NAPVI is a USA national membership organization that enables parents to find information and resources for their children who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities.
NAPVI helps to provide leadership, support, and training to assist parents in helping their children reach their full potential.
We give thousands of blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to borrow our Touch to See books from a free postal library.
We do this by designing, creating and publishing Touch to See books for all ages. These books include raised tactile pictures accompanied by atmospheric, educational and entertaining audio guides. The audio guides, often narrated by famous people, help fingers explore the tactile images, tell the stories of the pictures and describe their features. In this way, the senses of touch and hearing combine to make up for the missing sense of sight. By including colour images of the topics in the tactile pictures, our books can be shared with sighted friends, family and classmates.
If you have a disability or you are a carer in the UK there may be benefits, grants or other financial support available to you. This service is there to help
Do you have a Disability?
Are you a parent or carer of a Disabled child or adult?
If so, use this website to save time finding Disability Grants. Charities and Trusts provide funding towards the high cost of disability equipment, holidays, housing, days out.........in fact anything above and beyond the normal costs of everyday living.
Searching for extra funds takes time - in between work, hospital appointments, caring, therapies........
And the hundred and one other things we all have to juggle every day!
Discover what’s available nationally and in your local area by searching the individual sections
We support families raising disabled or seriously ill children. Find out about our grants, eligibility criteria and how to make an application.
MERU is a charity that creates unique, assistive products for disabled children and young people.
As a charity we are able to develop products which wouldn’t normally be commercially viable. In this way we are able to help people who may have very specific or complex needs.
Our products are designed and manufactured by our small team, with the help of our dedicated volunteers. We work with families, individuals, health and social care professionals and other organisations to ensure that our products are designed for purpose.
Eyes and Independence based in Australia empowers people with vision impairment so they can participate confidently, independently, and enjoyably within their community. With dual qualifications as a Specialist Teacher in Vision Impairment and Early Childhood, as well as extensive experience as a Specialist Teacher of Orientation and Mobility, Kerri Weaver is a top vision specialist based in Queensland. She is also the first Better Start Provider in Australia and can provide services both in person or remotely to your or your loved ones.
The European Blind Union is a non-governmental, non profit-making European organization founded in 1984. One of the six regional bodies of the World Blind Union, it is the only organization representing the interests of blind and partially-sighted people in Europe.
EBU currently has 42 member countries, each represented by a national delegation. It produces a monthly Members Newsletter in English, and a three-monthly Focus Newsletter in English, French, German and Spanish.
EBU provides a European platform for its membership to share views, expertise and information and to act together on matters of common interest.
The Royal Society for Blind Children offers a range of services including emotional support and practical advice for families, opportunities for children and young people to build confidence and skills through activities, and a specialist further education college.
Nestled in the village of Sundarajanpatti in the outer fringes of Madurai in Tamilnadu, the Indian Association for the Blind (IAB) promises the visually challenged a life of confidence and opportunities. Started in 1985 by S.M.A. Jinnah, a visually challenged activist, IAB has been the pioneer in empowering the visually challenged towards self-reliance through various initiatives.
Jinnah envisioned a changed future for thousands of visually challenged children by providing them education. This dream led to establishing IAB, the institute that has made remarkable progress, be it in the number of lives it has touched or numerous services that are being offered. Currently, in Tamil Nadu, out of the 30,000+ educated and vocationally trained visually challenged people, 20% are being educated, rehabilitated, and even employed by IAB.