Family Insight project – Northern Ireland
Supporting you and your family in living and learning
Are you a parent or carer of a child with any degree of vision impairment? You’re not on your own. Our Family Insight project is here to support you.
What we do
Funded by the Big Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland, Family Insight is a five year project led by RNIB NI in partnership with Angel Eyes NI. We support and empower families with children aged 12 and under, living with a sight condition.
Ruth Storbeck, mum to Sala-Joy who is in P3 and registered blind says: “Thanks to a great team supporting her education, Sala-Joy is thriving in mainstream primary school. Her teacher makes simple adaptations to whatever they’re doing in class to make sure she’s included and can follow along; she has one to one support with her reading and writing, and is learning to use her cane around school.
All the kids have been great, lending a hand when she needs it and she’s continuing to build firm friendships.
Every child should have the opportunities to thrive in a school of their choice, no matter what their level of sight.”
We want families to feel fully equipped to:
- Understand their children’s eye condition and how it affects their sight
- Access support both at home or in school
- Help your children reach their full educational and social potential
Our Family Insight project offers both practical and emotional support, to the whole family:
Confidence and skills building workshops including one to one tuition
- Group confidence building for children, including summer schemes.
- Practical workshops for parents to better understand how to support their children in both their educational setting and at home e.g workshops showing how technology can support children in learning.
- Activities like IT, music lessons or swimming.
- Music therapy sessions for children with a sight condition and those with complex needs.
Family events
- Fun days for the whole family to enjoy together
- Family residential weekends with tailored activity sessions
- Great opportunities to share experiences and concerns, and build peer support networks
Support with education
- The Educational Advocate will provide advice and guidance for parents getting to grips with the NI education system, through workshops or one to one guidance
- Referral to other relevant services and organisations, for example Vision Support teachers and other education professionals, local health trust’s sensory support service, benefits advice, other voluntary organisations
Above all, we want families to get together, share experiences and feel empowered.
Useful links for families
- Download Let’s play, a guide with toy and play ideas for children with vision impairment. Whether you are a parent, teacher or carer of a child with vision impairment, our guide will help you create fun-filled playtimes for your child to develop and explore their senses.
- Visit our activities and events webpage and download your copy of our Events Guide and find other sources of support available to you and your family in Northern Ireland.
- Sign up to our Insight Online enews for handy tips and ideas for professionals, parents and carers on creating inclusive play environments, creative activities and further resources to help you support your child as they grow. The essential read for education professionals who support children and young people with vision impairment.
- Go to our Children, young people and families section for details of more information, products and services available UK-wide.
Download your copy of the Family Insight project booklet
Contact us
You can contact either project partner to find out more about our Family Insight project
RNIB NI, call 028 9032 9373 or email [email protected]
Angel Eyes NI, call 028 9094 1632 or email [email protected]