With support from the Fairer Futures Fund’s City-Wide Small Grants, Focus Birmingham has delivered essential Sight Loss Awareness Training to local walking groups, enhancing accessibility and empowering people with sight loss to enjoy the freedom and wellbeing benefits of walking outdoors.

Focus Birmingham’s mission is to transform lives by creating meaningful opportunities for people with care and support needs. The organisation believes everyone deserves to live a full, empowered life, one that enables them to unlock their potential and feel truly included in their community.

Over the years, individuals supported by Focus Birmingham have consistently expressed a desire to be more physically active and socially engaged. This is reflected in national research, which shows that 64% of people in the UK living with sight loss or visual impairments would like greater access to exercise opportunities. While efforts have been made to meet this need, including the development of local walking groups, logistical challenges such as the location of Focus Birmingham’s base in Harborne have limited participation and inclusivity. Typically, only five to six individuals were able to attend, highlighting the accessibility barriers faced by many people across Birmingham.

These experiences led to a new approach. Rather than creating new groups from scratch, Focus Birmingham identified the opportunity to train existing community groups and volunteers to become more inclusive. This insight informed the development of Sight Loss Awareness Training - a practical and empowering initiative designed to increase understanding and remove barriers to participation in community activities.

The project has three key aims:

  • To improve accessibility to community walking groups for people living with visual impairments through increased awareness and understanding
  • To foster healthier, more inclusive environments where people with sight loss can take part in meaningful physical and social activities
  • To enhance physical and emotional wellbeing and reduce the isolation often experienced following a sight loss diagnosis

Birmingham is home to approximately 28,600 people living with sight loss. For many, sight loss can lead to reduced social interaction and increased vulnerability. Data shows that 3,270 falls have been recorded within Birmingham’s sight loss community, underlining the importance of building strength, confidence and supportive social networks.

Focus Birmingham strategically identified established walking groups embedded within local communities to maximise the reach and impact of the training. The Active Wellbeing Society, with its extensive presence across Birmingham, provided an ideal platform to extend the initiative. Ongoing collaboration with Neighbourhood Network Schemes (NNS) has ensured direct engagement with people at the heart of their communities. Focus Birmingham is also in active discussions with Birmingham Ramblers and plans to deliver training to its members in the near future.

The Sight Loss Awareness Training equips volunteers and group leaders with the knowledge, empathy and practical skills needed to support people with sight loss effectively. The training covers the emotional and physical impact of sight loss, accessible and respectful communication, safe guiding techniques, and ways to make walks more sensory so participants with sight loss can better experience and enjoy the outdoors.

Thanks to City-Wide Small Grants from the Fairer Futures Fund, Focus Birmingham has been able to deliver this vital training and expand it across the city. This support has helped bridge the gap between existing services and the sight loss community, ensuring that people are not excluded due to a lack of awareness or confidence.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive:

  • 26 individuals reported increased confidence in guiding someone with sight loss
  • 16 participants gained skills in providing clear verbal descriptions of surroundings
  • 53 attendees felt comfortable supporting independent mobility
  • 14 participants particularly valued the dedicated session on effective communication

These outcomes demonstrate how small, practical changes can have a significant impact, unlocking access, promoting dignity and enabling greater independence. The approach is preventative at its core. By addressing barriers early, Focus Birmingham is helping to reduce the risks of isolation, poor mental health and injury. The organisation believes that true inclusion begins with awareness, and that through compassion, education and collaboration, a healthier and more equitable future can be created for everyone.