Housing

Our housing services provide long-term care for people with sight problems and undertakes research and consultancy to make the built environment more accessible for people with disabilities.

Our policy, research and consultancy work concentrates on buildings, transport and the street environment. We aim to continue our research and development into access solutions and mobility aids.

We offer guides, journals and information packs. For more information, see our list of publications.

Housing projects

RNIB runs three residential homes in the UK:

• Kathleen Chambers House offers permanent and short-term accommodation with care for blind, partially sighted and deafblind older people. We also host a club of deafblind people living in the neighbourhood.
• Tate House provides a range of specialist services for blind and partially sighted and deafblind people. We offer high quality accommodation and care for older people, tailored to individual needs.
• Wavertree House redeveloped and opened in 1998, is a modern, purpose-built development comprising 42 self-contained flats to promote independent living with support for older blind and partially sighted people, and those with failing sight and hearing.

Successes

• We were included in the Housing Corporation's efficiency toolkit launched in August 2007. Our case study shows how staff can be involved in sheltered housing efficiency strategies, through training aimed at improving their skills and working practices.
• Our Visibly Better accreditation scheme was relaunched in 2006. It aims to ensure that residential and nursing homes, and providers of sheltered housing, meet the needs of blind or partially sighted people.
• The Bristol 2000 project involved a major redevelopment of Bristol Harbourside. We helped to create a new cultural quarter serving the communities of the region and regenerating the heart of the city through developing nationally important education and cultural centres. RNIB’s JMU Access Partnership was involved in the development of access design standards and policies for the project and appraisals of the various centres and car parking.
• In co-operation with London Transport, we set up two types of electronic wayfinding systems in two different transport interchanges, Pathfinder and the RNIB REACT. For more information, email info@jmuaccess.org.uk or call 020 7388 1266.
• 'Night Site', a project set up by RNIB’s JMU Access Partnership and the Civic Trust, looked at ways of including elderly and disabled people in the evening activities of cities and towns. For information about this project, contact our access consultancy department at info@jmuaccess.org.uk.

Content author: webeditor@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 06/03/2008 15:41