West Midlands Local Peer Support Group

The Beacon Centre for the Blind has been supporting people living with sight loss in innovative ways since 1875. From teaching braille in the 1800s, to helping people get the most from assistive technology today, they have always been passionate about supporting those living with sight loss to live the fullest and most independent lives possible.

Barrie has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and is an experienced screen reader user. He currently works at the Beacon Centre as an IT and Assistive Technology Trainer, where he supports individuals in adapting to sight loss by developing their digital skills and confidence.

Barrie began his career in the sight loss sector in 2023 as an Enablement Officer with Focus Birmingham. Prior to this, he worked as a self-employed Accessibility Assessor, collaborating with organisations including the Premier League and the Racecourse Association to improve the accessibility of their venues and events.

Please come and join us to hear from Barrie and ask any questions you may have, we will also have a social catch up where we can discuss and plan some of our in-person get togethers and future meetings for the coming year.

We welcome and encourage you to come and have your say in how we move forward with this peer support group and how we can best support our community in the West Midlands living with inherited sight loss.

So please come along and share any ideas you have for venues and events you may like to visit this year or if you would just like a chat, advice or simply need a listening ear, we are here to support our community living with progressive sight loss.

Whether you are a returning member or new to the group, everyone is welcome!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Venue

This meeting will be held online via Zoom.