HLN Meets…Penny Dane and Emma Hogg, North East Sight Matters

How do you offer support to visually-impaired children and their families?

[Penny] We’ve been able to reach out online, like a lot of businesses now. We’ve set up over 50 wide-ranging activities on Zoom since receiving our first funding in October, 2020.

The things we’ve covered are skills sessions, such as adapted cookery, quizzes, horticultural experiences, creative crafts, drama music, sports and wellbeing, as well as fun things like living room discos.  We also have evening support meetings for parents and carers.

Tell us more about the ways in which you encourage visually-impaired children and young people to be more independent.

[Emma] Up until now, we’ve had to deliver everything online, but we still adapt what we deliver so that it’s always accessible. For example, the kitchen skills sessions are run by Penny, whose background is visual impairment rehabilitation – so she can demonstrate techniques and use specialist equipment, which we also send out for the children to try.

Our drama and music project encourages the children to talk about themselves and what it’s like to live with a visual impairment in a way that perhaps hadn’t been explored before. They’ve since been involved in writing a song that we’re going to record later this month. Most haven’t had the experience of going into a recording studio before! Later this year, we have a driving experience on a racetrack using adapted buggies. Driving is certainly something most of the children and their families didn’t expect to be doing, so that will be fantastic.

Emma, we know you’ve been living with a visual impairment yourself since birth. What has your experience been like?

[Emma] When I was at school, it was considered to be a ‘lazy eye’. It wasn’t until I was 26 that I found out that I actually had Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which means I have tunnel vision and night blindness.

I was in denial about the condition for years and just got on with life, which resulted in a few accidents like slips, trips and falls. Going out became increasingly difficult as I felt clumsy, especially if the light was poor.

It took me 11 years before I acknowledged it and I had to inform close friends and colleagues of my sight loss. That’s when they started to understand why I appeared to be so accident prone!

Looking back now, Emma, what would you say to your younger self?

[Emma] I would say there is support out there and you should embrace those opportunities. Don’t be afraid to let others know about your sight impairment because life is easier if people understand – and it means they’re better equipped to support you, too.

What are your dreams for the future of North East Sight Matters?

[Penny] We started North East Sight Matters to help make a difference to children, young people and their families. We look forward to organising events and activities in person, and continuing to develop a really worthwhile service that has a positive impact on those we work with.

To give children the understanding and the opportunities to understand that they have the ability to do whatever they want. That’s what will make our work feel worthwhile.

This is an organisation that is on a life journey with these children, and we would like to ensure there is a positive legacy.

To find out more about North East Sight Matters and to help spread their message, visit their website,  Facebook page or Instagram