Wales Council of the Blind

Young People

Definition: The term is used to describe people in the age and groups roughly spanning puberty to young adulthood (aged 10-24).

Category: adult social care

Credit: Department of Health

Source: Glossary of Adult Social Care Terms


Services mentioning Young People

Activities for young people - (MACS (Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia & Coloboma Support)) Sports, arts, leisure and holidays

MACS organises sailing trips and adventure weekends for young people with MACS conditions.

Apply for Assistive Technology - (Guide Dogs) Grants

Guide Dogs believes the right assistive technology – sometimes called ‘access’ or ‘adaptive’ technology – can help your child learn and play, just like everyone else. That’s why they've helped children and young people access a world of technology designed to suit their vision impairment.

Audio Book Club - (Royal Society for Blind Children) Clubs and social groups

Join us on Zoom as we listen to different audio books with other Visually Impaired (VI) young people from all over the UK! You can listen to books of your choice in the comfort of your space, have a chance to meet new people & make new friends as we have discussions, quizzes, and create your own audiobook sessions around the chosen book. Once we finish a book, we also hold exciting nominations and vote in time for the book reveal session. Audio book club is at a regular time of 5pm-6pm every Monday and Thursday for children and young people between the ages of 8-25.

Blaenau Gwent VI Education Service - (SenCom Vision and Multi-Sensory Impairment Service) Education

The service works with children and young people who have a speech, language, communication need or who have a hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairment. The teams provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching.

Caerphilly VI Education Service - (SenCom Vision and Multi-Sensory Impairment Service) Education

The service works with children and young people who have a speech, language, communication needs or who have a hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairment. The teams provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching.

Connecting Families - (Royal Society for Blind Children) Support Group

We hold monthly evening group sessions for parents and carers of vision impaired children and young people (0-25 years) which are facilitated by our team of RSBC Family Practitioners. It’s a supportive group where you will learn from the experiences of other parents and carers and in turn be able to support others with your own experiences and stories. Each month there will be a new topic covering many of the milestones and issues which parents and carers might face. It’s a safe place to share your feelings knowing others will support you. What to expect: Peer support; Empowering each other; Learning about and understanding mental health and well-being; Sharing knowledge and experience; Discussing the challenges of raising a child with a vision impairment; Open advice forum – no question is too big or too small.

Conwy VI Education Service - (North East Wales Sensory Support Service (NEWSS)) Education

The team works with children and young people from birth to age 19. Specialist skills tuition is provided for those children and young people with a significant sensory loss with support, advice and guidance being provided for families, schools and other agencies to provide a seamless approach to meeting the needs of identified individuals.

Creative - (Royal Society for Blind Children) Sports, arts, leisure and holidays

We hold regular online and hybrid sessions for children and young people of any age up to 25 to come together and share their creative passion. Whether you enjoy music, playing an instrument, singing, poetry, drama, or creative writing you can join our sessions and meet others who share your interests. Online Gaming: We hold regular online gaming sessions for children and young people to come together and have some fun gaming together. Open to any children and young people up to age 25, why not come and join and meet others whilst playing online.

CustomEyes Books - (Guide Dogs) Accessible media

Guide Dogs CustomEyes service produces large print books for children with vision impairment. These are tailor-made for each child or young person, but they are only charged the recommended retail price. The customised large print books open up a whole world of imagination and learning, by enabling visually impaired children and young people to read the same books as their sighted friends and classmates.

Denbighshire VI Education Service - (North East Wales Sensory Support Service (NEWSS)) Education

The team works with children and young people from birth to age 19. Specialist skills tuition is provided for those children and young people with a significant sensory loss with support, advice and guidance being provided for families, schools and other agencies to provide a seamless approach to meeting the needs of identified individuals.

Emotional support for children and young people with vision impairment - (Fight Against Blindness) Counselling and emotional support

A series of podcasts for parents and carers about emotional support for children and young people with vision impairment.

Family Fund grants - (Family Fund) Grants

Provide grants to the families of disabled children and young people who meet certain criteria. The grants can be used for essential items such as washing machines, fridge-freezers, family breaks, clothing and bedding as well as contributions to hospital visiting costs. They also help with tablets, laptops and sensory toys.

Flintshire VI Education Service - (North East Wales Sensory Support Service (NEWSS)) Education

The team works with children and young people from birth to age 19. Specialist skills tuition is provided for those children and young people with a significant sensory loss with support, advice and guidance being provided for families, schools and other agencies to provide a seamless approach to meeting the needs of identified individuals.

Grants from VICTA - (VICTA (Visually Impaired Children Taking Action)) Grants

VICTA provide grants for children and young people for visual aid equipment and for vacation schemes.

LOOK mentoring service - (LOOK - National Federation of Families with Visually Impaired Children) Counselling and emotional support

A free mentoring service for young people with vision impairment. Offers support on topics such as school and college; gap year ideas; career and life plans; socialising and confidence; independent living. Mentors are vision impaired themselves.

Monmouthshire VI Education Service - (SenCom Vision and Multi-Sensory Impairment Service) Education

The service works with children and young people who have a speech, language, communication need or who have a hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairment. The teams provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching.

Monmouthshire VI Education Service - (SenCom Vision and Multi-Sensory Impairment Service) Education

The service works with children and young people who have a speech, language, communication need or who have a hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairment. The teams provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching.

Moving On Up - (Royal Society for Blind Children) Support Group

If you’re in Year 6 and you want to share your thoughts and chat to others who, like you, will be moving to Year 7 in September, then why not join our Moving on Up Group! As well as the other young people, our Family Practitioners will be on hand to answer your questions and help you work through the move. This Group will give you the chance to talk about your thoughts and feelings, help you work through them and help boost your confidence before September! The sessions are fun, and enjoyable but they will also offer you a safe space to talk to others and to the RSBC’s Family Practitioner.

New College Worcester courses - (New College Worcester) Education

NCW is a national residential school and college for young people aged 11 to 19 who are blind or partially sighted. Every student at NCW has a tailored programme, carefully planned & delivered to meet their individual needs in three key areas; academic achievement, independent living skills and involvement in extracurricular activities at the College and in the community. The College also runs a range of outreach courses for professionals/parents and events for young people and their families.

Newport VI Education Service - (SenCom Vision and Multi-Sensory Impairment Service) Education

The service works with children and young people who have a speech, language, communication need or who have a hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairment. The teams provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching.

NWSB Children's Mentor System - (North Wales Society of the Blind) Counselling and emotional support

We have several volunteer mentors who provide guidance and reassurance to their younger peers, their help and guidance is invaluable, they are positive role models who are themselves registered blind or partially sighted. The Mentors give children and young people the opportunity to ask awkward questions and are able to work with their younger peers to develop confidence and new skills.

RNIB Transitions - (RNIB) Advice

Help for young people moving from school to college.

RSBC Futures - (Royal Society for Blind Children) Advice

RSBC’s “Futures” service is a bespoke service for young people 13-25 and there to support you as you start to make plans for your future. You may already know what you want to do in the future - seeking paid employment, becoming a volunteer, running your own business, taking up an apprenticeship, going onto further or higher education, or perhaps you aren’t sure yet what you’d like to do? At RSBC our “Futures” service can be your side to guide and support you as you start to make those plans. RSBC has links with partners that mean you have the best possible opportunities to build your own skills, knowledge, experience and of course confidence. Perhaps you need support with really practical things such as Access to Work (link), mobility for your route to work or college, or applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We can help with these areas too, which can sometimes feel confusing and hard to find support for. You may be a family member of a young person trying to access some information or support alongside your young person. We understand that sometimes information about the support available for blind and partially sighted young people can be difficult to access. Through the Futures service you can access one to one session with our team, get support and share ideas with other young people, get practical support with CV writing, work placements or experience and really build your confidence to take the next steps in your future. We will make sure that we support your personal aspirations and look after your wellbeing. So, whether you are making choices about your GCSE subjects, starting to think about your next steps in education, or planning your career or volunteer role, our Futures service can help you reach your goals and aspirations.

RSBC Youth Forum - (Royal Society for Blind Children) Forum / focus group

The RSBC youth forum is a group of blind and partially sighted young people aged between 16 and 25. We are committed to creating positive change and championing the voices of blind and visually impaired young people, as well as influencing all areas of work across RSBC. The youth forum works to raise awareness and challenge perceptions of visually impaired young people. We aim to represent their views and opinions, highlight the issues that affect them, and make sure we’re doing our best to influence those who can push for change and bring about improvements in services at both RSBC and external organisations. The youth forum meets online and in person, and meets regularly with trustees and staff across RSBC, to ensure that the voices of blind and visually impaired young people are at the forefront of driving the charities services and engagement.

The Powell Family Foundation - Grants - (The Powell Family Foundation) Grants

Who do we fund? Individuals: Applications may be made by, or on behalf of, vision impaired individuals who are aged 25 and under, permanently resident in the UK, and in need of financial assistance. Organisations: Applications may be made by charitable organisations registered in the UK, whose work provides direct benefit for people in the UK, and which have, as part of their aims, a focus on services (new or existing) that support vision impaired children and young people.

Torfaen VI Education Service - (SenCom Vision and Multi-Sensory Impairment Service) Education

The service works with children and young people who have a speech, language, communication need or who have a hearing, vision, or multi-sensory impairment. The teams provide a wide range of advice and intervention strategies including teaching.

UCAN Arts Awards - (UCAN Productions) Sports, arts, leisure and holidays

Arts Award is a range of unique qualifications supporting anyone aged up to 25 to grow as artists and arts leaders, inspiring them to connect with and take part in the wider arts world through taking challenges in an art form - from drama to digital art, pottery to poetry. Through progressing through the five levels, children and young people get to: discover the enjoyment of creating and participating in arts activities; experience arts events; develop creative and communication skills that are essential for success in 21st century life; explore the work of artists and craftspeople and gain insights into the professional arts world; gain experience and knowledge to help progress into further education and employment.

Wrexham VI Education Service - (North East Wales Sensory Support Service (NEWSS)) Education

The team works with children and young people from birth to age 19. Specialist skills tuition is provided for those children and young people with a significant sensory loss with support, advice and guidance being provided for families, schools and other agencies to provide a seamless approach to meeting the needs of identified individuals.

Young Sane - (Sane) Support Group

Young SANE is a virtual community that focuses on mental health for people aged under 25. They want to highlight the issues that are particularly relevant to young people and talk about their unique needs. Young SANE also celebrates the ingenuity, passion and dedication of young people who have made a commitment to tackling mental health stigma, and changing mental health for good.

Library records mentioning Young People

All-Wales standards for accessible communication and information for people with sensory loss Guidance - [Library Type]

Under the Equality Act 2010 there is a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure equality of access to healthcare services for disabled people. Public bodies need to take positive action so that all access and communication needs are met. The document sets out the standards of service delivery that people with sensory loss should expect when they access healthcare. These standards apply to adults, young people and children.

Growing Up & Moving On Report - [Library Type]

Anecdotal evidence suggests that some young visually impaired (VI) people may have a good level of education but lack independence and life skills needed to move onto the next phase of their lives. Reports from some individuals reflect that there is a lack of information about services and entitlements, lack of skills training and lack of support. This report presents a picture of how VI specialist services are addressing the mobility, independent living and social skills needs of children and young people. It maps habilitation, specialist social work and LEA support across Wales.

Information about vision impairment - Guide for parents Guidance - [Library Type]

A series of information resources on vision impairment for parents and carers of children and young people with a vision impairment.

Personal Independence Payment - information for parents of disabled children in England & Wales Leaflet - [Library Type]

Guide for parents of disabled children in England and Wales on how to claim PIP as a young person.

Reading with Confidence: a report on the provision of electronic pocket magnifiers for children with sight problems in Wales Report - [Library Type]

Visually impaired children and young people across Wales have access to The Low Vision Scheme which provides low vision aids, free of charge. There are 170 accredited high street optometrists and dispensing opticians located across Wales who offer low vision aid assessments free of charge. Under the scheme currently, only low tech low vision aids (such as optical magnifiers) are available. There is a growing concern that children and young people are not using their optical magnifiers, mainly because of their distasteful designs and limited magnification capabilities.

State of the Nation – services for children and young people with sight loss in Wales Report - [Library Type]

The aim of this paper is to provide an update on the current state of services in Wales for children and young people with a vision impairment (CYPVI), to highlight areas of ongoing concern and to seek a way forward from the Welsh Government. A previous version of this paper was produced in March 2017.

Support for children and young people with vision impairment in educational settings Guidance - [Library Type]

This guide provides an overview of the extent to which interventions delivered in educational settings are effective in realising positive outcomes for children and young people with vision impairment. It was produced by the University of Birmingham.

The All Wales Standards for communication and information for people with sensory loss Guidance - [Library Type]

The purpose of these standards is to ensure that the communication and information needs of people with a sensory loss are met when accessing healthcare services in Wales. They set out the standards of service delivery that people with sensory loss should expect to be met when they access healthcare. These standards apply to adults, young people and children.

Transitions Service in Wales Support for young people aged between 14-25 who are blind or partially sighted Leaflet - [Library Type]

Describes the support offered by RNIB Cymru to young people who are moving through school to education and work.