Our mission
Our mission is to enable and empower children and adults to achieve their goals, overcome barriers and obstacles and have the skills and confidence to navigate life. We offer expert support, services and advice across Surrey delivering our work in homes, communities, and from our main office hub.
At the heart of our mission lies a deep commitment to equality. We advocate for accessibility and inclusion, to ensure that people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, partially sighted and deafblind can lead full and independent lives. We work in partnership with the people we support and collaborate with families, professionals and community partners.
Our values
We Innovate:
Constantly striving for creative solutions to make a greater impact
We Empower:
Building independence and confidence in those we serve
We Respect:
Treating every individual with dignity
We Include:
Building a diverse and inclusive community where everyone belongs
We are Accountable:
We ensure that every decision made is with consideration to all those we are accountable to – including the communities we serve, our funders, commissioners, donors and the charity commission
We Champion Accessibility:
Leading the charge to make Surrey more accessible
Calum's story
Calum became blind after unknowingly consuming alcoholic drinks laced with a deadly chemical, methanol, in Laos, South Asia.
Calum was flown back to the UK and admitted to a hospital in London who referred Calum to us.
Calum said, “I first received help from the charity’s Technology Team who showed me how to use a screen reader and voice over for iPhones which was really helpful as I hadn’t been able to communicate with family and friends since the incident.”
Calum also received an assessment followed by daily living skills training which he told us, “Made such an improvement to my life. The liquid level indicator made a big difference as I could do something by myself like making a cup of tea.”
Laura, Sensory Specialist Worker, then started mobility training with Calum, showing him how to use a long cane and progressing to routes outside. Calum said, “The mobility training has been amazing, as for a while I couldn’t go out at all.”
The first route was to the gym and Laura carefully planned the safest route and broke it down into stages, which they practised together for weeks. Calum also practised this route with a friend and ten months after losing his sight Calum stepped out from his house alone for the first time and walked to the gym unaided.
Calum said, “I never thought I would be able to walk this route by myself. I have been practising a lot but always with someone. The first time from my house to the traffic lights and then from the top of the road to the gym, it’s a good feeling, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. Without the help of Laura and the charity I wouldn’t have been able to do this, I am so grateful.”
