In Milton Keynes, there are many services and groups that can help people with a visual, hearing, or dual sensory impairment to lead an independent and fulfilling life.
This section aims to provide details of support available to people with a sensory impairment, including how to access information and advice around specialist equipment, and information about social and leisure opportunities available.
Milton Keynes Sensory Services
Gloucester House, 399 Silbury Blvd,
Central Milton Keynes, MK9 2AH
Tel: 01908 401135
Email: mkss@bid.org.uk
Web: www.sarc-bid.org.uk
Supports adults and children with a sensory loss living in Milton Keynes. Services are delivered from offices at Gloucester House, in community venues, at home or remotely. The aim of the service is to provide a range of resources and support to enable people with a sensory impairment to live as independently as possible.
Services currently offered:
- Information and advice
Deaf, hard of hearing, visual impairment or dual sensory loss are offered advice and guidance
- Specialist Assessments
Designed to help people with a sensory loss to access rehabilitation, orientation and mobility training
- Hearing Aid Support
If you live in Milton Keynes or registered with a local MK GP support is provided with hearing aid maintenance, training and advice.
- Equipment Provision
Free of charge equipment with eligibility criteria which include, but are not limited to:
- People living along with a sensory loss
- People with a sensory loss who are in a caring/parental role
- People at significant risk of harm within their own home
If you don’t meet eligibility requirements, you can visit our Resource Centre where you can try out equipment and get information on where it can be purchased.
For those with sight loss there is also:
- Specialist assessment
- Daily living skills training
- Provision of equipment where you meet criteria
- Mobility training
- Eye Clinic Liaison service
Referral is by contacting either using information detailed above or online form. Please see website for further details on local services, events, training and other information.
Bucks Vision MK Resource Centre
1st Floor, Margaret Powell House
423 Midsummer Boulevard
Milton Keynes, MK9 3BN
Tel: 01296 487556
Email: reception@bucksvision.co.uk
Web: https://www.bucksvision.co.uk/contact
Bucks Vision MK Resource Centre is an important point of contact for information and equipment for blind and partially sighted people in Milton Keynes.
Bucks Vision is managed and run by volunteers who all have first-hand experience with visual impairment. The equipment on display at the Resource Centre includes:
- Large button telephones
- Daylight lighting
- Talking watches and clocks
- Writing aids
- Electronic reading aids
- Computer equipment
- And much more
NHS Adult Hearing Service
Eaglestone Health Centre, Standing Way,
Milton Keynes, MK6 5AZ
Tel: 01908 725330
Web: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/services/community-services/milton-keynes-adult-hearing-service
Adults aged 16+ who require a routine assessment of their hearing can be referred by their GP or self-referral form on the website. There are exclusion criteria:
- Anyone under 16 years
- Anyone with learning difficulties
- If you require a home/nursing home visit
- Currently under care of MK Audiology Department
- Some with diagnosis of dementia
- If you require transport to be arranged
Audiology Services
Entrance 4, Main Outpatient Department, Luing Cowley
Centre,
Milton Keynes Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust,
Standing Way, Eaglestone, Milton Keynes, MK6 5LD
Tel: 01908 725 330
Web: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/services/community-services/milton-keynes-adult-hearing-service
Audiology Services comprise the Audiology and Hearing Aid Department and the Children’s Hearing Assessment Unit. The philosophy is to provide a service to assist in the identification and diagnosis of hearing loss and to minimise, as far as possible, the difficulties arising from it. Following referral from an appropriate health professional, a range of services is offered to both adults and children:
- A full audio assessment service to Ear, Nose and Throat.
- A domiciliary service on GP’s request.
- Direct GP access for audiometry and hearing aids.
- Assessment of babies from the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme and ongoing rehabilitation.
- Tinnitus Service.
- 24-hour hearing aid repair service, excluding weekends and bank holidays.
There is open access for hearing aid repairs and follow up to patients with NHS aids who are under the care of the Audiology Department at Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. These patients can contact the department directly for an appointment. Patients who have been fitted with NHS hearing aids by another provider should contact that provider for follow-up arrangements.
Access for hearing tests for children is usually made through paediatricians, health visitors, speech and language therapists and school nurses.
Note: Uses a Relay app to help with communication over the telephone if required. See website for details.
MK Deaf Zone
Email: admin@mkdeafzone.org.uk
Web: www.mkdeafzone.org.uk
MK Deafzone is a group run by profoundly deaf volunteers for local profoundly deaf people in and around Milton Keynes. All volunteers and attendees use British Sign Language (BSL). The group’s aim is to provide friendship and support to profoundly deaf people in and around MK.
VICTA – Visually Impaired Children Taking Action
Challenge House, Sherwood
Milton Keynes, MK3 6DP
Tel: 01908 240831
Email: admin@victa.org.uk
Web: www.victa.org.uk
VICTA is a national charity set up to help families with visually impaired children through the provision of information on education, welfare, and leisure activities for their child.
Organises activities designed to instil confidence, promote independence and build social networks to share information and reduce isolation.
Grant applications can be made towards the purchase of equipment which helps with visual impairment e.g. braillers, computers and magnification software. Activities, grant programmes and services for:
- Families and early years children from birth upwards.
- Pre-teen activities for 10 – 13 years
- Youth activities for 14 – 17 years
- Young adults 18 – 29 years
Sound News Milton Keynes
PO Box 6353, Milton Keynes, MK10 1DU
Tel: 0300 311 9988
Email: sound.news@talk21.com
Web: https://www.soundnews.org.uk/
Sound News supplies recorded local news for blind or partially sighted people. The service is also known as the Talking Newspaper. Recording are via memory sticks and sent out weekly. For further information, please call on the above telephone number.
Milton Keynes Reader Service (MKRS)
First Floor, Margaret Powell House,
403 Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 3BN
Tel: 01908 231123 (Tue to Thurs 10.00am-5.00pm)
Email: mkreaderservice@yahoo.co.uk
The Milton Keynes Reader Service offers a free face to face reading and writing service to individuals with physical and sensory disabilities in their own home. They also offer large print, brailling, and audio service. Milton Keynes Reader Service can also provide a transcription service to all individuals and organisations which provide accessible information to blind and partially sighted people and people who cannot access printed information in cases of English as a second language, illiteracy, or similar.
EYE for ART Club
Bucks Vision
Milton Keynes, HP19 9HH
Tel: 01296 487556
Email: reception@bucksvision.co.uk
EYE for ART Club is a club for visually impaired adults that offers many forms of arts and crafts and social activities, including card making, porcelain flower making, fabric panels, weaving, knitting, sewing and museum visits.
The club meets monthly at Springfield Community Centre in Milton Keynes on the first Tuesday of the month from 10am – 1pm.
Calibre Audio Library
New Road, Weston Turville, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 5XQ
Tel: 01296 432339
Email: enquiries@calibre.org.uk
Web: www.calibreaudio.org.uk
Calibre Audio Library is a subscription-free postal and streaming library service of audio books for people with:
- Visual impairment
- Arthritis
- Dyslexia
- Autism
- ADD/ADHD
- Other physical & neurological conditions
There are over 17,000 books in 70 categories including over 3000 children’s titles. Books are available for streaming, download or USB memory. The full catalogue is available online, or individual subject catalogues are available to purchase in large print.
Membership of the audio library is free for those under 25 and those using our USB memory stick only service. A highly subsidised membership is available for other eligible members.
The service is completely free for younger members (unless they live overseas) and the collection is full of leading contemporary children’s authors.
Further details are available on the website.
Bucks Vision Walking Group
143 Meadowcroft, Aylesbury
HP19 9HH
Tel: 01296 478556
Email: reception@bucksvision.co.uk
Web: https://www.bucksvision.co.uk/our-services/activity-groups/walking-groups
Aylesbury
Walks run on the last Saturday of the month at locations across the Aylesbury Vale. Sighted Guides and transport can be provided or companions are welcome.
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes has a long running and very successful Walking Group whose volunteers run a programme of two different walk lengths:
Long – These walks are normally about 3-4 miles long and take place each month at the weekend. A programme of walks is arranged in advance.
Short – The shorter walks last about an hour. The walks run on a weekend each month during the summer season (March – October)
Transport and a sighted guide are provided to members who would like one.