An Angus mum is helping transform the lives of people with visual impairments, as they regain independence and build confidence after losing their sight.
Laura Ramsay, from Carnoustie, started working with North East Sensory Services (NESS) seven years ago and says helping others is ‘a brilliant feeling’.
The charity provides support to blind and deaf people, helping them live independently.
And Laura has a special connection to NESS as they previously provided support to her son, 12-year-old Ben who is profoundly deaf.
Laura, 42, works as a rehabilitation worker for the charity. She helps those with visual impairments rebuild their lives and learn daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, using technology, outdoor travel and visiting shops.
‘Different ways of doing things’
The mum-of-three says: “When someone is newly diagnosed or they have sight loss that is deteriorating, the first thing I do is to carry out an assessment.
“I’m looking to find out about their condition, how it affects them daily, what they are no longer able to do and what they want to achieve.
“I look at the orientation and mobility side of things. How are they when out and about, are they able to see or hear the traffic, do they see kerbs, colours, identify landmarks?
“I also look at their independent living skills. That includes things like how they are in the kitchen, are they safe to make a cup of tea or to put on the oven?
“Can they see the buttons on the microwave or the washing machine and are they safe to chop and prepare food? Do they have hobbies they want to continue with?
Professional problem-solver
“It’s about trying to find different ways of doing things to suit that person, because two people with the same eye condition don’t have the same experience.
“You must go in with an open mind and listen to them. At the end of the day, it’s their life, it’s their home, and it’s about how they want to live it.
“We’re basically professional problem-solvers.”
‘You find out what their hopes are’
Laura spends as much time with a clients as they need in order to achieve what they want to. Whether it’s practical or emotional support, Laura is there to help.
She continues: “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone at the start of their journey and then at the end, when my job is done.
“People go through an emotional process and we’re here to help with that too. You find out what their hopes and dreams and goals are and how you can help them get there.
“When you see the person out and about when you’re not working, you think, ‘I’ve helped that person do that’. It’s a brilliant feeling.
“I see what we do at NESS and the difference we make. I get really excited about my job and going to work. I’m so proud our service users trust us to work with them.”
‘People are grieving the sight they’ve lost’
Laura finds the most rewarding thing to be the difference in her clients at the end of her time with them, compared to when she first meets them.
She explains: “We help people achieve the independence they want. It’s about finding other ways of doing things.
“People want to maintain their independence and the people I work are grieving the sight they’ve lost.
“It’s a huge process they have to go through to accept this is the way life is now. We support them to get back on their feet again.
“I’ve worked with service users who have said at the start ‘what’s the point? I can’t do anything.’
“And now they’re out walking, shopping, going to the GP and hairdressers, they’re ironing, cooking.
“They’re doing everything they should be able to do, just in different ways. The transformation is absolutely huge.”
Conversation