This site is designed for the visually impaired, If your browser allows, you can use the TAB key to navigate between links and then the ENTER key to select.
Henshaws Society for Blind People was first established in 1837, following a bequest of £20,000 from prominent Oldham hatmaker Thomas Henshaw and has been dedicated to helping blind and visually impaired people ever since.
Image: displays the Henshaws logo in a new browser window.
By providing a wide range of educational, residential, rehabilitation and day services, we constantly aim to enable visually impaired people of all ages to maximise their independence and enjoy the best possible quality of life.
In particular, we seek to address the wide-ranging needs of visually impaired people through the following services:
Community
Services
Our Resource Centres in Manchester and Liverpool support their local communities
by providing information and advice, social and self-help groups, informal and
accredited learning. Other specialist services include Patient Support (which
provides immediate emotional and practical support for newly diagnosed visually
impaired people) and Community Outreach (which helps people in their own home).
Specialist Information Technology and 'Skillstep' training courses are run at
both Centres, providing visually impaired people with the opportunity to access
employment or further education in an environment which has been specifically
designed to meet their needs.
Children
& Family Services
Henshaws provides practical and emotional support for blind and visually impaired
children and their families from its Resource Centre in Manchester. The Family
Support Worker is able to have a greater impact on the overall development of
a visually impaired child by making home visits and working with the whole family,
because it is they who will have the most significant influence in the life
of the child. The Service also offers advice and information on toys, education
and rehabilitation. A range of social activities are provided throughout the
year including an out of school Holiday Club, which offers a wide range of fun-packed
and stimulating activities in an environment where the emphasis is always upon
ability rather than disability.
Housing
Services and Care
Henshaws provides specialist housing and larger scale residential accommodation
for blind and visually impaired people in both the younger and older age ranges.
Henshaws Community Housing in North Yorkshire provides accommodation and support
for young adults with a visual impairment. Individuals are also given the opportunity
to study, work, train and partake in leisure activities. Two houses are run
in Newcastle for a small number of adults with learning disabilities and sensory
impairments. Residential Care is provided at the Pendleton Centre in Salford,
and also at our Southport Centre. These centres are purpose-built for visually
impaired people, and staffed by professionals who are fully trained in meeting
the needs of visually impaired residents. Younger people with a visual impairment
often have difficulty finding suitable accommodation. Crown Green Road in Salford
helps to bridge this gap, for those who wish to live independently but need
support.
Henshaws
College
Situated in Harrogate, Henshaws College offers high quality further education
to 65 young people with a visual impairment who have additional difficulties
or disabilities. The College attracts students from all over the UK, due to
its reputation for excellence. Students follow an individual programme of study,
combining personal, social and work skills, which supports them in making the
transition into adult life.
Arts
& Crafts Centre
This Centre in Knaresborough is one of North Yorkshire's most prestigious tourist
attractions. The Centre opened in 1998 and provides arts training opportunities
for nearly 100 young visually impaired people, many of whom are ex-students
of nearby Henshaws College. Visitors are always welcome to admire these talented
artists at work, and watch them making jewellery, mosaics, pottery and much
more. In the grounds of the Centre is a Garden of the Senses which combines
scents, sounds, textures and colours to create a stimulating sensory trail.
Link: Why we need to be aware of visual impairment
Link: Contacting the Henshaws Society
Link: Opens the Henshaws Society website in a new browser window.
Image: shows a picture of the front cover of the interactive CD-Rom in a new browser window.
As a UK charity, the Henshaws society is always grateful for much needed donations. The Untrained Melodies CD-Rom has not only been design to be user friendly for the visually impaired, but sales of this amazing interactive medium will raise money and awareness for the wonderful work done on a daily basis by the Henshaws society.
Link: How is the CD-ROM designed to be user friendly toward the visually impaired.
Untrained Melodies - the full interactive experience is available now!
More Information about the CD-Rom
Order your copy of Untrained Melodies CD-Rom
Quote from Chris High in 2003 “Writing gets me away for a while' from this world and into one where I, alone, can make or break the rules as I see fit.”
Navigation.
The Untrained Melodies Interactive CD-ROM
Site
designed and maintained by Winsford Multimedia 2003
©Winsford Multimedia 2003 all rights reserved
Another version of this website is available at www.chrishigh.com