NEW HORIZONSseescape is launched with the help of Provost Jim Leishman and our Honarary President Gordon Brown (see P3)

INSIDE

Update from The Optician | Tech Update | Volunteer View

seenewsNOVEMBER 2018

expanding horizons for peoplewith sight impairment

Welcome

If you would like to share your thoughts about the newsletter or your ideas for content, please contact Lindsey McDonald, Editor, on 01592 644 979 or email lindsey.mcdonald@seescape.org.uk

Contents Message from the Chief Executive ..............................................................3

See the Difference.....................................................4

‘Tis the season to be jolly...’.......................6

Fundraising Update ................................................7

Tech Talk ..................................................................................8

App Chat .............................................................................10

CVI (Cerebral Visual Impairment) ....12

See Education .............................................................13

Volunteer View ............................................................14

Update from The Optician ........................15

A Message from the Chief Executiveby Carl Hodson

“The deep crop of summer is ready for harvest. And autumn’s celebration has come again.”

These opening words come from a poem by Bruce Springsteen, one of his first pieces of work in April 1969; entitled Seascape.

This sentiment rings true for us as this year has been a significant year where we have seen in changes, made great progress and enjoyed success.

We have directly helped more than 2,000 people achieve a better quality of life through our Sight Support, Befriending and Assistive Technology Services. Not to mention that our Optician saw more than 900 patients.

We’re delighted that we have got these services right and have in place the means to reach out to many more of the 4,000 people who are registered blind in Fife under our new name of seescape.

Having operated under the name of Fife Society for the Blind for the last 150 years, we felt it was time for a change as we broaden our horizon and become known operationally as seescape for – hopefully – a further 150 years. Our registered and charitable name remains the same.

There can be a lot to a name. Did you know that Google was originally called Back Rub! Or that Yahoo! was Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web; or even that Pepsi Cola started out as Brad’s Drink?

Sometimes a name can hold you back and sometimes a name can catapult you forward because it captures the imagination, and more accurately sums up you as an organisation.

We are about seeing the landscape of needs of people with a sight impairment.

We are also about providing a sense of freedom – through independence and empowerment – and expanding horizons for those living with sight loss.

The new name is optimistic and energetic – just like us.3

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See the DifferenceWe quite often get asked about the difference between RNIB and seescape based here in Kirkcaldy.

We both deliver services across Fife but these are quite distinct and separate. We are also quite different in our set up, with RNIB being a UK based organisation, whilst seescape is very much focused on our local Fife community.

We do collaborate on many things and refer clients to each other dependent of their needs. We have detailed below what services we both provide.

(Fife Society for the Blind)

seescape manages the register for sight impairment in Fife and was founded as a charity over 150 years ago to support people living with sight loss to remain independent.

seescape servicesSight Support: Our expert team can assess your needs by talking on the phone or by visiting you at home. Working with you on an individual basis, we will help you boost your independence through training in living skills, the latest technology and assistive aids.

Assistive Technology: We can provide advice and training on the latest smart technology devices and software which will help you live more independently, communicate easily with friends and family, and enjoy your hobbies.

Community Engagement: An important part of our role is to ensure our clients have access to support groups and befrienders in order to help prevent social isolation.

The Optician at seescape:

• Eyecare: Scotland’s first charity optician. Free NHS eye tests, exclusive frames, filters and hands-free magnification to suit all budgets. 3D scanning technology which provides 3D imaging of the eye.

• Hearing Care Services: Testing, advice and support, and hearing systems to suit all budgets.

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RNIB Pathway Services Fife

A separate organisation to seescape, which rents space at seescape’s premises at Wilson Avenue, Kirkcaldy. Provides a range of specialist services for adults and children who have a learning disability and confirmed or suspected sight problems.

Vision, Learning Disability and Complex Needs Services: Raise awareness of high incidence of undetected sight loss experienced by people with learning disability or complex needs.

Children’s Services:

• Children & Families Sight Loss Support Officer and Workforce Training: Specialist support to parents, carers and professionals in vision, inclusion, information, training, assessment and learning disability.

• Sensory Library & Support: Advice and equipment on loan for childcare settings and families in Fife.

• Support for Transition: Work with families to help in the transition process.

• Eye Can Do: Afterschool activity club for those aged 5-12 and 12-18 years old.

Carer’s Café: Monthly on Saturdays for coffee/chat with therapy rooms and info sessions.

SENSORY TECHNOLOGY

R O A D S H O W

WEDNESDAY 14th NOVEMBERVine Conference Centre,

131 Garvock HillDunfermline, KY11 4JU

10AM - 3PM

Come along and find out what technology can do for you if you have a sight, hearing or dual sensory loss

ALL WELCOME

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‘Tis the season to be jolly…’

CHRISTMAS C O F F E E M O R N I N G

The Christmas Coffee Morning will take place on

Friday 30th November 2018 from 10am to 12.30pm at

seescape, Wilson Avenue, Kirkcaldy KY2 5EF.

We will have lots of exciting stalls displaying fabulous

gifts for your Christmas stockings including: crafts,

home-baking, tombola and lots more!

We are looking for contributions for seescape’s stalls:

cake and candy, tombola prizes and raffle donations. If

you can help by donating any of these items, we would

be most grateful.

If you would like to donate any items, we would be

delighted to receive them! All tombola items should be

handed in to Wilson Avenue by Friday 23 November.

All other items can be handed in on the morning of the

event. Please remember to check that all food items and

toiletries are unopened and within sell-by dates.

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Fundraising UpdateThe Nightmare Series strikes again…!We were delighted to welcome Chris Russell when he popped into seescape to hand over £910 raised through his Nightmare Series.

Chris organises runs ‘in the dark’ throughout the winter where participants pay to take part and Chris donates all the takings to seescape...and has been doing so for the past thirteen years!!

Chris marks out the course with flour - he’s found it to be the best thing to use for participants to follow with only a head torch to show the way. The course is usually around five miles long.

Thank you so much Chris for your continued support and good luck with your runs this winter!

Summer Prize Draw winner

We would like to send our congratulations to William Young who won the first prize of £500.00.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the draw, which raised £798.00 for seescape.

The Final 200 Club ResultsAugust winners:

1st Prize: Sharron Taylor (£130.00)

2nd Prize: LJ & D Manweiler, Marjory Shepherd (£26.00)

3rd Prize: Elspeth McKee, DP Ferguson, JA Gardner (£15.60)

September winners:

1st Prize: Robert Russell Snedden (£127.50)

2nd Prize: Sheena Graham, Christina Morrison (£25.50)

3rd Prize: Allan Innes, Ms C Miller, Mervyn Brown (£15.30)

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to everyone who has participated in the 200 Club over the years.

THE 200

CLUB RESULTS

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TECH TALK by Stuart Beveridge

The Dyson 360 EyeTired of hoovering every day or missing chunks of dirt, dust and possibly other mess such as pet hair? I certainly was! I solved this issue by purchasing a Dyson 360 Eye robot vacuum cleaner.

This self-navigating dirt destroyer is designed to clean every floor of your house at the simple touch of a button. It’s powerful enough to clean well on all floor types and surfaces, smart enough to navigate efficiently from room to room on one level and simple enough for anyone to use. Setting it up is also a breeze. Just plug in the pleasingly small and discreet charger/docking station, place the already assembled robot hoover on it and, when it’s charged, hit the button on its top to start cleaning. It’s as simple as that. Note that for best results you do need to make sure your floors are tidy, but if there is enough room for the robot to successfully navigate, you have nothing to worry about.

So how does it work?

The Dyson 360 Eye is small, compact and runs on rubber tracks rather than wheels. It gets its name from the tiny 360° camera which sits on top and it’s this camera that is the key.

Essentially, it means that the hoover can see in every direction simultaneously, which helps it to not only map out where it’s going, but also to avoid obstacles. It still bumps into things now and again, particularly items below its camera line, but the Dyson knows where it’s going in relation to where it’s been.

In terms of its approach to cleaning, it’s methodical, calculating and efficient meaning that it covers as much of your floors as possible. It picks its starting point and slowly works its way outwards in squares, each time overlapping a little with its previous path so it doesn’t miss anything.

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The fascinating thing about it is that when it is running out of charge, it goes back to its docking station, recharges, and then remembers all of the places it had previously cleaned and just carries on hoovering the rest of the house. There’s really no limit to where the robot can clean, just close your doors on any of the rooms you don’t want it to go and they will be avoided.

The Dyson Link app

You also have the ability to connect your Dyson robot to an app on your smartphone. The app, which is fully accessible for iPhone users, allows you to use your phone to perform useful features. At the point of writing this article, the app is also available for Android users however I have been unable to thoroughly test it so am unsure how accessible it actually is with the TalkBack screen reader.

The app allows you to start and end cleaning sessions remotely, control the cleaning schedule, and view what your robot did in each session.

Final Thoughts

I send the 360 Eye out every day before I leave the house for work. It cleans the whole of my one bedroom bungalow, meticulously covering every available space.

The one drawback of it is that it doesn’t clean skirting boards, so you will still need a manual hoover of some description, but on the whole, my life is made so much easier with the Dyson robot in it.

Another small consideration is the 360 Eye works best in daylight or decent artificial light. Since it relies on a camera to navigate, the Dyson is more sensitive to changes in lighting as it cleans. It has two infrared ‘headlights’ to help combat low-light areas, but it still works best when it can see clearly.

Now for the ‘big but’…the price. £800 is a lot to spend on anything. However, for me, the benefits outweigh the cost. It is, without doubt, a luxury, but it delivers and does so with minimal fuss and from my point of view is life changing.

For more information, please contact me on 01592 644 979 or email stuart.beveridge@seescape.org.uk

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APPchat By Stuart Beveridge

As we are now well and truly into the season of winter and approaching Christmas, I decided to use this edition of App Chat to discuss the Hive app and Hub. The app is fully accessible for both Apple and Android devices and is relatively easy to navigate and use.

I purchased the Hive Hub back in August of this year and although it is pricey at £300, I have found the benefits to be enormous in terms of giving me more control and access to my heating, lighting, security and everyday appliances in particular.

As I have a busy daily schedule, I wanted to make the process of operating my heating that little bit easier to manage. Until I purchased Hive, I had no way of setting timers or controlling the thermostat when trying to warm my home up effectively. This is now a thing of the past thanks to the Hive app and hub. From controlling heating and hot water, switching lights on and off, and even turning everyday appliances such as the kettle on using Smart Plugs, I have total control of my entire home using the Hive app on my iPhone at anytime, anywhere. This has helped make my life much easier and in theory, should help me keep my utility bills affordable.

So how does Hive work?

Firstly, you must have a smart meter and a reliable internet connection through your WiFi router before even considering looking into purchasing the Hive Hub. It is also important to note that Hive is exclusive to British Gas customers. Therefore, if you are with an alternative energy supplier you will need to contact them directly to find out if they have a similar option.

You then need to have the hub installed by a qualified engineer. Once this has been achieved, you can manage and set up your smart thermostat,

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plugs and lights straight from the Hive app on your smart phone.

The Hive thermostats allow you to monitor the temperature in your house, set heating timers and even set the thermostat to a target temperature so that if it falls below the set degree, the heating will turn on automatically.

The Hive Smart Plugs can make energy use more efficient by enabling electrical appliances in the home to be turned on and off or by setting schedules. So for example, if I am walking my guide dog and returning home, I can turn the kettle on using my iPhone and it will be ready to pour as soon as I am through the door. The use of Smart Plugs also gives the added benefit of allowing me to switch off appliances I might have accidentally left on even though I am not actually in the house. So they basically can help take the stress out of my working day because I can monitor everything on the go.

The Hive Smart Light Bulbs work in essentially the same way as the plugs meaning you can schedule timers so they will be switched on when you are out of the house which is really good from a security point of view.

The additional advantage of being able to connect all of your Hive appliances and heating to a Smart Speaker such as a Google Home or Amazon Echo means that you have the opportunity to control everything just by using your voice.

In summary, finally going down the route of making my home “smart” gives me total control of almost every appliance, heating and security, all through the use of an app. It makes my life far easier and definitely gives me peace of mind for the future, both in terms of monitoring my utility bills and also for security reasons.

In my personal opinion, for those of you who are smart phone users and are reasonably tech savvy, this kind of technology could be a game changer for you in the future.

For more information, please contact me on 01592 644 979 or email stuart.beveridge@seescape.org.uk

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CVI (Cerebral Visual Impairment)

What’s all the fuss about?Visual impairments are broadly categorised as Ocular (OVI - to do with the eyes) and Cerebral (CVI - to do with the brain).

Many think of CVI in terms of profoundly disabled children, but they represent the minority – the vast majority of people with CVIs, both adults and children, don’t know they have them. But there are tell-tale signs, which will vary from person to person, but might include:

• A sense of discomfort walking down stairs, particularly without a rail, and stepping onto a downward escalator requiring a leap of faith.

• A dislike of busy, crowded places

• A need for extreme tidiness, and irritability if others move things out of place

This list is by no means comprehensive, and not everyone affected by any of the above will have CVIs, but some will.

People with CVIs often have passed standard eye tests, and so vision is not thought to be the reason for difficulties, and some are given behavioural labels, like autism, ADHD, DCD, dyspraxia, dyslexia and learning difficulties. These labels are widely associated with children, and in Scotland 26% of children have additional support needs in schools, much attributed to these labels, and within these labels can lie hidden CVIs.

In the adult population, any event affecting the brain can cause CVIs. It is thought that 40% of the brain is dedicated to visual processing, so there is a likelihood that if something alters the brain, like a stroke or dementia, it is likely to affect a part responsible for visual processing.

At CVI Scotland, they know that CVIs can make life extremely difficult, and those affected range from premature babies to the elderly, and the profoundly disabled to high functioning professionals. CVI Scotland also know that with a little knowledge, time and patience, lives can be transformed.

CVI Scotland’s world leading website is written to help people gain the knowledge, to support those they love and care for.

Visit www.cviscotland.org or email info@cviscotland.org for more information.

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seeWillsThe new see news will look to include informative news and articles from different areas that our clients may be interested in. If you as our readers and clients have anything in particular you would like us to look into then please let us know. This edition we look at the sometimes not so easy subject of Wills. Note: We provide the information in a general format for awareness and do not endorse or recommend the contents from outside sources. For advice appropriate to your own personal circumstances, please consult your own solicitor.

The following information is from Will Services Scotland – www.willservicesscotland.com

Wills - Advice & Assistance - Why should I make a Will?: If you don’t make a will and you die intestate the government have a laid down procedure for the distribution of your assets. That distribution may not reflect your wishes and will certainly not be tax efficient. Your estate may not go directly to your spouse and/or children as you expect.

When someone dies it is the people left behind who have to pick up the pieces of sorting out and administering the estate. The administration is much easier and cheaper if there is an up to date valid will.

Everyone should have a will no matter how small their estate: You can take the pressure off your loved ones by detailing your specific funeral arrangements (hymns, burial or cremation etc.) and even pre-paying your funeral expenses.

You can give specific items which may be valuable or just sentimental to friends and gift money to favourite charities.

In modern times many couples live together unmarried or with same sex partners. Neither partner has any legal right to the other’s estate without a will.

Step children need protection also. Only legally adopted children have the same rights as blood children.

In Scotland, marriage does not revoke a previous will, so as you can imagine it is extremely important to rewrite it after settling with a new partner.

Always check that you are best prepared for what is best for you and your family.

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Volunteer View

Keeping it in the Family by Hilary Brannan

We were all delighted to receive our long service awards at the recent Fife Voluntary Action Awards.

Boyd and I were introduced to Fife Society for the Blind (now seescape) over 20 years ago by Boyd’s brother and sister-in-law Sandy (Alec) and Irene Brannan who many of you will remember.

We joined the Rambling Group for a weekend at Loch Ard and haven’t left since, we even managed to get my parents Sheila and Harry Duncan involved. We’ve rambled many a mile, had wonderful youth hostel weekends, outward bound holidays, rattled a few cans, befriending, swimming, Baldridgeburn Club and best of all met and made some wonderful friends along the way.

seescape Chief Executive Carl Hodson on our award-winning volunteers:

“It is fantastic to see our volunteers being rewarded and great to see a whole family that has given so much time and dedication to helping people with a visual impairment; well done!

This encompasses the essence and spirit of volunteering, community and good citizenship within your local area. Something we are very grateful exists within all our volunteers and we thank you all for all that you do that continues to help expand the horizons. – see volunteering!!

If you feel you could help volunteer either in our social groups or in other areas of our work be it befriending, fundraising or helping in the office, please get in touch with Marie Lindsey, Community Engagement Co-ordinator, on 01592 644 979 or email marie.lindsey@seescape.org.uk

Every little helps as they say! Thanks again”.

Hilary and Boyd

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Update from

at

Exciting times in the Optician at seescapeWe have two new recruits who have joined our team. Steven Halstead is our new Low Vision Optometrist and Donna Herd is our new Optical Advisor, helping Karen run our busy clinics.

We now have appointments 5 days a week - Monday to Friday - and some Saturday clinics too.

Our range of frames has increased with something to suit all budgets and styles, with prices starting from £29 up to our top designers at £189.00. Remember we do accept NHS vouchers towards the cost of any of our frames.

Book your appointment today by calling 01592 649 728.

Christmas Offer!We are running a fantastic Christmas Hamper Prize draw.

All you have to do to enter is to book and attend an eye test at The Optician at seescape before Friday 14th December 2018.

Remember to quote ‘CHRISTMAS’ when you attend your appointment.

Good Luck!

Wilson Avenue, Kirkcaldy KY2 5EFTelephone: 01592 644 979Email: info@seescape.org.uk www.seescape.org.uk /seescapefife @SeescapeFife

seescape is the operational name of Fife Society for the Blind. Registered Scottish Charity number SC001354.Fife Society for the Blind is a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland number SC164278.

FRIDAY 30th NOVEMBER 2018 from 10am to 12.30pm

seescape, Wilson Avenue, Kirkcaldy KY2 5EF

We will have lots of exciting stalls displaying fabulous gifts for your Christmas stockings including:

crafts, home-baking, tombola and lots more!

All monies raised from the event will go to improve the lives of people living with sight loss in Fife.

CHRISTMAS C O F F E E M O R N I N G