A service for people in South Cheshire who experience vision and hearing loss has been launched.
Cheshire East Council is working with charity Deafness Support Network to provide the new “one-stop shop”.
The service is available for adults, children and young people with sensory impairments.
This includes those who are visually impaired, are deaf or have hearing loss, are deafblind – sometimes known as dual sensory loss – and those with a significant combination of hearing and sight loss.
In Cheshire East, 48,334 adults have a moderate or severe hearing impairment.
This is predicted to increase to 63,774 by 2030.
And 7,490 adults aged 65 plus have a moderate or severe visual impairment.
The number of people aged 75 plus with registrable eye conditions is 2,522, and 1,993 people are on the visual impairment register.
The new service will include help in increasing life skills, promoting independence, working with conflicts of interest and relationships, as well as coping strategies.
Cllr Liz Wardlaw, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for health, said: “The new service will enable those experiencing hearing and/or sight loss to learn new life skills, meet with other people/children with the same conditions and form a new network of support.”
Deafness Support Network chief executive Bob Birchall said: “Our combined service for residents of all ages, who suffer from both vision and hearing loss, will be easier to access.
“We’re proud of our team, our volunteers and other supporters who offer a first-class service for children, young people and adults with sensory impairments.”
Deafness Support Network has been operating in Cheshire for more than 40 years.
It has a team of more than 70 staff, including interpreters and support workers.
The charity provides services for a population of around 200,000 people in Cheshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and the surrounding areas.
For more information, to book an appointment or seek help, call 0333 220 5050, email [email protected] or visit the Live Well section on our website www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/livewell.aspx
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