We provide a range of services designed to help people remain within their own home.

We aim to help people retain as much control over their lives as possible and to give support if there are relatives and friends who provide care.

People with a Sensory Impairment

Our Sensory Impairment Team aims to help people to have as active a life as possible within their local community through the provision of equipment and personal support.

The team provides a specialist service to people who are:

• blind
• partially sighted
• deaf
• hard of hearing
• deaf blind

The service is available to people of all ages. Many people will experience a loss of sight or hearing as a result of ageing or illness rather than having been born with a sensory impairment.

Our team works closely with other agencies, including GPs, hospitals, community nurses, voluntary organisations and housing agencies.

We can arrange an assessment visit, usually at your home so that we can meet you to work out what your needs are and how we can best meet them.

The person carrying out the assessment will generally look at all your care needs, not just those connected with your sensory impairment.

If you have a person who cares for you, either living with you or spending a lot of time assisting you, we can if requested, also carry out an assessment of that person’s needs.

The services we can provide include:

• Equipment to make day-to-day living easier for example preparing food and drink or knowing someone is at the door.
• Advice on managing everyday tasks and coping with sight or hearing loss
• Communication – we can recommend ways to assist with reading, writing and hearing - including access to sign language interpreters; talking books; use of technical aids through telephones and PCs. We can send you a cassette tape which tells you about all the services that are available.
• Information on what services are available either from the Council or from other organisations
• Home care
• Daytime opportunities, including leisure activities
• Advice about employment
• Welfare benefits advice
• Respite care
• Mobility training

There is no charge for the assessment or for advice and information. There is a charge for home care and some other services which will depend on your income and will be explained in detail before you agree to any service.

The Sensory Impairment Team operates a telephone duty system to receive your referrals and provide information and advice.

Contact us about yourself, a relative or friend on 0300 123 4510 and ask for the Sensory Impairment Duty Worker who is available:
Monday to Friday 9.30am – 12.30pm
Wednesday 1.30- 4.30pm

You can learn more about living with Cerebral Palsy at Cerebral Palsy Scotland [opens in a new window]

Support for parents and carers who look after someone with Cerebral Palsy can be accessed at Carers Link [opens in a new window]

Access Able

East Dunbartonshire Council has worked with an organisation called Access Able to develop a disabled access guide to buildings and locations in East Dunbartonshire.

The East Dunbartonshire pages of the Access Able website were launched following a period of consultation with the community.

Access Able is a national online access guide available to everyone. All of the locations listed have been visited by a Access Able researcher, and information includes things like parking, lifts, ramps and steps, accessible toilets and changing areas.