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Dual Sensory Impairment

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Certification and Registration

If a person has been certified blind (severely sight impaired) or partially sighted (sight impaired), they will have been referred through their GP to an Ophthalmologist at their General Hospital. The Consultant Ophthalmologist will have made a full assessment and diagnosis. If he/she has assessed their sight to be eligible as either blind (severely sight impaired) or partially sighted sight impaired) then they will have completed a form called a CVI. This is signed by the Consultant Ophthalmologist and the visually impaired person. The hospital keeps the form, a copy is sent to the GP, a copy is sent to the visually impaired person and a copy is sent to Worcestershire Adult and Community Services.

If a person is deaf or hearing impaired, they will have been referred through their GP to the Audiology Department in their General Hospital, where they may have been provided with hearing aids. People with a hearing impairment are entitled to registration as hard of hearing by specialist workers from Worcestershire Adult and Community Services, Sensory Impairment Team. Anyone with a significant hearing loss, whether registered or not, may be eligible for a service from Adult and Community Services, Sensory Impairment Team.

Many people who are registered as having a dual sensory loss may have some useful residual vision and/or hearing. Every person with a dual sensory impairment has different needs, and these may change throughout their life. People with substantial difficulties, registered or not, may be eligible for the same range of services from the Sensory Impairment Team in Adult and Community Services.