Help a blind man back on his feet!!

mrcow

Wow you've had such constructive advice so far that mine's going to sound rubbish! :D

If you are looking to start your own business and are stuck for inspiration, then I love this site:

http://www.500ways.co.uk/html/500_ways.html

Much of it won't be suitable for you as an individual, but some of it may start you thinking of things that you'd be intersted in doing?

jpe20

500 ways : yeah good initial website for ideas regarding setting up a business. Thanks for that one. I watch Dragons Den too another source of ideas and info!!

Savvy Sue : My hearing problem is not that bad ... wear hearing aids so find it hard in groups. Will use the RNID website sometime to find myself a decent phone. THATS IT DESIGN a PHONE FOR OLD PEOPLE!!! plenty of them out there who cannot use these small gadgets. Will seriously consider CAB legal advice volunteer work if I decide to go down the legal route,

PasturesNew : Really do not like the idea of REMPLOY

FleaGo: RNIB is an excellent source of info. Read that page you linked for me and was depressed to read the fact that only 1 in 4 blind people of working age are actually in work. The goverment needs to do something about this IMHO. Seems to me that you are more likely to have a job if you are a nasty criminal! They offer only limited support on I do not really need like laying out a CV etc and what jobs to go for. May be worth a call to their employment line. Route of self-employment seems the more appropiate route to me at the moment though very vague information given on the RNIB website, Needs some more digging.

Had an idea of setting up a web blog on my experiences of getting a guide dog which I am due in FEB 08. I feel I have reasonable writing skills and could possibly write a decent blog on it though not sure about the "reveal all" nature of blogs these days. Can you make money from blogs via adverts?? Also is the moral question of I should give any money made to the Guide Dog Association. People love dogs in the UK so I guess there would be some interest in it?

Jools

magic57

Hi
Just to say I wish you luck in whatever you do.
I work with a little girl with very little sight and am very interested in how people live with site loss. If you have good writing skills how about writing a book of your experiences? I bet you have loads of tips to share about making life easier. Also many people really don't know much about when and how to assist people with visual impairment (if indeed they need assistance). Sometimes the things others say to the child I work with make me cringe.
You are right everyone loves guide dogs. Please remind us all not to just speak to the dog and ignore the owner!

Good luck

magic57

Ohh forgot to say. If you need a phone how about the ITT Easy use Phone.
[SIZE=-1]www.easyusephone.co.uk

I am nothing to do with this site at all. I have just got one of these for my elderly parents. My dad is disabled and has hearing loss. The buttons and display are large and it has a loud ring. Its not perfect but the best I could find for them. You can preprogramme four numbers for fast dial.

Of course certain auction sites sell it cheaper .;) (Thats where I got it)


[/SIZE]

jpe20

Thanks for the tip , I was thinking more along the lines of a fixed line phone!! .... Probably would buy something like this soon in the future. Don't reallylike the look of the big-button phones though sometimes you have to accept looks for usability.

As for the other post I have often contemplated doing a book along the lines you suggested. I personally am in the unusual position of losing my eyesight from my early 20s which is young whereas alot of blind people have a fixed loss from birth (I assume) or experience sight loss in old age.


What I find hard is the continual adaptation to ever decreasing sight loss. I do not have the advantage of say somebody like "David Blunkett" who was born with a fixed loss and had the support "practical and pyschological" of a blind school. Compare this to my case where I more or less have to find my own way.

jpe20

Just found two useful websites thought I post them up incase some1 with similar problems look up this thread.

http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/
and
http://www.blindinbusiness.org.uk/

action looks like it offers support services for blind people setting up in business and the second one offers support for employment and has a in depth equipment support programme.

Jools

cat9586

Hi Jpe20, sorry to hear about your eyesight problems. My father and uncle both suffer from RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa), so both have had deteriorating eyesight since a young age.

My father had to stop work about 16 years ago as his sight got too bad, he too has a guide dog, biggest god send ever. I know that he goes out of his mind with boredom, he just wants to work and have an internet cafe or something, but is restricted as not only is he registered disabled so it my stepmum, brother and myself although I am no longer at home.

He's in touch with a local group which gets together people in a similar situation. A while back he was trying to teach some of them basic computer skills, and it is nice to meet up with local guide dog users and go to the beach and let the dogs have fun.

My uncle on the other hand is in a more tricky situation, he owns his own business, but due to stress this year, his eyesight has worsened and now he may loose his driving license. If he loses his licence then his business may have to close down. He found going to his local job centre helped. They informed him of what he is entitled to and what options are available to him.

Sorry to have yabbered on for ages but I hope something helped. Its a topic that has been very important to me for a very long time. I strongly suggest going to the Job Centre and explaining to them the situation and asking to see someone who is a specialist in that particular field though.

Remember your not alone

jpe20

cat9586 sorry to hear that your family have similar problems to me. My eyesight problem is essentially RP like your father and uncle.

I would have thought the "Access to Woek" programme would have helped out youe uncle if his problems were getting to and from work and the odd trip. If the job involves loads of driving then I would say that things are difficult. I would suggest your uncle contacting the Action for Blind People Charity (linked in my last post) and see if any alternative help is available. Maybe grants/subsidy is available for a support driver say????

Nice to hear that your dad is doing well with his new guide dog as i very much hope for the same and maybe I can get out a little more than I am doing now.

Saw your competition signature and I am thinking of doing similar though am somewhat concerned about effects of winnings on my benefits being seem as income!! Obviously if you sell the items on ebay for profit or win 12000quid then you should not expect to receive signifcant benefirs. Is it worth the effort and the hassle of more junk mail and telephone calls?

Ranbled on a bit !!!

Jools

magic57

Hi again

I am an ex competition addict too. I am pretty sure that prizes are not counted as income. Now I am back working I do not really have time anymore but when my kids were small I did loads to keep myself busy. I used to do slogans or tiebreakers as they are called. There is a knack to it but over the years I won loads of prizes such as sveral bikes, a tv, two video players, settee, dolls house and probably the best was £600 of Pizza hut vouchers. I don';t like pizza. They had a use by date of only six weeks so in the end I was giving them away to strangers in the street! I shared all my prizes with my family and friends and was very poplar for a while! :rotfl:
There are a lot of competition sites and one on this forum. If you are good at writinf I'm sure you could master slogan writing very quickly. Good luck.

magic57

Another small tip. Use a different mobile number just for comps if you want to miss all the junk phone calls.