Qualified Teachers for the Visually Impaired (QTVI)

The VI service provides for children and Young People with medical diagnoses of visual impairment by Orthoptists, Ophthalmologists or Paediatricians. We include children and young people with SS or SSI Registrations and children with no diagnosis but have deteriorating eye conditions which cannot be corrected with glasses.

• The QTVI offers advice, support and training to families and educational settings to enable children and young people with VI to access all areas of the curriculum.
• Assesses functional vision and needs and offers advice for

 EHCP Assessments, Health and care needs and the use of Specialist ICT for Children and Young People with Visual Impairment.

• Supports direct teaching of specialist skills including Habilitation and Braille.
• Contributes to access audits of educational settings so appropriate reasonable adjustments can be made.
• Uses the NatSIP eligibility criteria to guide decision-making for the support of individual children and young people with VI.

Habilitation Specialist

Habilitation training supports children and young people with a vision impairment and their families to learn about the breadth of ways that they can receive support to develop their mobility and independent living skills in the home, educational, community and public settings

Following an initial Functional Vision Assessment, the Habilitation Specialist will carry out the following:

• The teaching of early movement skills
• Independent Living Skills
• Sensory Skills
• Cane Training
• Environmental Orientation/route learning
• Public Transport
• Mobility Aids