2009-11-11 12:03:46 - Warwickshire Association for the Blind (WAB), which specialises in assisting visually impaired and blind people in the region, is set to guide businesses on how they can become more accessible to people with sight loss.

The charity, which was formed in 1911, is set to engage local businesses and raise awareness of what action the Disability Discrimination Act legally requires companies to take and how else they can help.
WAB, which aims to provide support to the estimated 16,000 Warwickshire residents with a visual impairment as well as their friends and families, has recently moved to

a new base at Budbroke, Warwick from their former home in Sydenham, Leamington.
Susie Murray, part of the fundraising team for WAB, said: “Our aim is to help companies change the way they operate in order to comply with existing laws that they may not be aware of.
“It is not just about making businesses more accessible, it is about changing people’s attitudes and enabling individuals to aid visually impaired people more effectively.
“It is also about making provisions for visually impaired employees. It is estimated that around 75 per cent of the county’s visually impaired population are unemployed and that is an issue we are keen to address in conjunction with other local voluntary services.”
Leamington and Coventry-based financial experts, Harrison Beale and Owen (HB&O), have worked with the charity for the past seven years.
Mark Ashfield, director and charity expert for HB&O, said: “This is a very important initiative and we are happy to be able to offer our support to the Warwickshire Association for the Blind.
“The charity has helped countless individuals in the years we have been involved with them and the value of the work that they do should not be underestimated.
“We hope to become even more involved with the organisation going forward and we are confident of an exciting future for us both.”
WAB offers a range of services including drop-in centres, advice and information, community services, access to clubs and groups, equipment services, rehabilitation and registration, talking newspaper services, visual impairment awareness training and transcript services.
If companies or individuals want to become more involved in supporting WAB, find out more about their visual impairment awareness training or any other area of the charity’s work, visit www.wa4b.org.uk or call 01926 411311.

ENDS

Picture caption (L-R): John Davis, manager of WAB, with Carla Kelly and Mark Ashfield, from HB&O, Peter Soles, chairman of WAB, Vaughan Rees, vice chairman of WAB, and Webster the guide dog.

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