Another year older

Indigo Access turns 8 on the 26th of June. To say this year has been one of our most challenging, is an understatement!

But we have pieced together some of our very best achievements to celebrate with: Our continued commitment to training and developing our team saw Anniesa, Joelle, Vicki and Sarah pass their Signature Level 2 Communicating and Guiding with deafblind people course. Anthony and Rose refreshed their knowledge on the St John Ambulance Principles of Manual Handling course. Josie took a one day Mental Health First Aid course as well as completing University College London’s Hearing Therapist Skills training.

Our private lip-reading courses remain popular “I have found it an enormous help with a very patient and clear teacher”. And our Wokingham class is fully subscribed.

Then Covid-19 hit and Indigo Access had to adapt quickly. We have been innovative in providing audio descriptive shopping experiences for customers. Allowing them to remain fully informed of what shopping during a pandemic was like, from the safety of their home. We have translated government guidance from English into British Sign Language. We produced our own “easy read” posters for customers with minimal English.

Whilst we work from home, our workers are coming up with clever ways of keeping our customers brains ticking over. Quizzes and crosswords have been undertaken, reminiscence work has been provided and access to news items such as Black Lives Matter has been relayed. We have supported parents with home schooling, chasing food vouchers, arranging holiday refunds. We have embraced technology such as zoom. Our workers have made sure customers have been able to continue to access hospital, GP and medical services. This promotes their health and wellbeing.

Lastly we are proud that over the last year we have provided over 6000 hours of support to people who have sensory needs. We look forward to easing out of “lock down”. We look forward to the next challenging 12 months.

Thank you to all of the team. And all of our customers.