This page offers a collection of resources designed to support both parents and educators of children with hearing or visual impairments. Whether you’re navigating early diagnosis, planning inclusive learning strategies, or seeking specialist services, you’ll find practical tools, guidance, and information to help every child thrive at home and in the classroom.
Visual Impairment Resources
- RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People)
Offers comprehensive support for families, including:- A downloadable guide for parents
- Early years and transitions support
- Advice on accessible books, toys, and learning materials
Visit RNIB’s Parent Support Page
- Torbay Family Hub – Early Years VI Support
Provides access to qualified habilitation specialists who help children develop life skills, mobility, and independence.
Explore Early Years VI Resources - Vision Factsheet for Schools This factsheet explains the different types and causes of visual impairments in children. It offers practical tips for recognizing signs of vision problems and outlines ways parents and educators can support a child’s learning and development. Vision Factsheet
Hearing Impairment Resources
- SEND Plan – Vision and Hearing Resources
A wide-ranging collection of downloadable materials for both vision and hearing impairments, including:- Communication and auditory memory games
- Braille and iPad accessibility guides
- Speech-to-text app recommendations
- Support for social and emotional development
Browse SEND Plan Resources
- GOV.UK – Audiological Referral Guidelines
This official guidance outlines the process for surveillance and referral following new-born hearing screening. It’s useful for understanding the steps involved in early diagnosis and intervention.
Read the GOV.UK Guidelines - Foundations – Parenting Disabled Children Practice Guide
Developed with input from parent carers, this guide provides insights into effective support strategies for families of children with special educational needs, including hearing impairments.
Explore the Practice Guide - Sense – Information and Advice for Parents
Sense offers tailored support for families of children with complex disabilities, including hearing and vision impairments. Their resources cover early years development, education, EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans), and financial support.
Visit Sense’s Parent Support
Useful Websites for Visual Impairment
The RNIB have produced this useful booklet Information about vision impairment: Guide for parents
Information for parents of children with vision impairment | RNIB includes practical advice, ideas and contacts for parents and families of children with vision impairment.
Scottish Sensory Centre provides useful information on a wide range of topics such as information on various eye conditions (along with implications and useful tips), low vision aids, equipment, braille.
This Scottish Sensory link has a series of early years videos entitled Let Me Play.
This is a link to the Guide Dogs website which gives information about their support and services.
A glossary of conditions has been compiled by the Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People.
CVI Scotland help people to understand cerebral vision impairments.
The CVI Society website has information and resources about cerebral vision impairment.
Angel Eyes NI provide information and support about vision impairment for families.
Braille Bug introduces children to braille.
Sense provide support to children who are deafblind or have other complex disabilities.
RNIB Bookshare provide accessible textbooks and resources to download and read electronically or adapt into various accessible formats. The service is available to learners and their parents through the child’s school gaining membership
RNIB Libraryis RNIB’s national library service in audio, Braille, and giant print.
Accessible Libraries provide information on downloading books for people who are vision impaired or print disabled.
CustomEyes Books (Guide dogs) offers large print books available at the recommended retail price.
Calibre Audio is an audio book lending service which offers a wide choice fiction and non-fiction books
The Partially Sighted Society provides information, advice, and equipment.
Useful Websites for Hearing Impairment
The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) website has a wealth of resources and advice for deaf children and their families. They also have their own dedicated YouTube channel which has useful information and advice on a range of topics, including technology.
The Cochlear Implanted Children’s Support Group is a voluntary group set up by parents of children who have had cochlear implants. Their purpose is to support other parents who are considering cochlear implantation for their child as well as parents of children who already have cochlear implants.
Auditory Verbal UK is an organisation that provides a specialist early intervention programme to support a deaf child’s development of speech and language.
Success from the start is the new and revised version of the Early Support Monitoring Protocol for deaf babies and children. It is an invaluable resource for families of deaf children from birth to three years old and will support you in monitoring your child’s progress.