New reading equipment for visually impaired children

Tuesday 15 May 2018

Visually impaired school children will have access to a new state of the art reading magnifier thanks to charity efforts of staff at facilities management company AFM.

Guernsey Blind Association purchased the reading magnifier - Eschenbach Visolux Digital HD - following a generous donation from its charity partner for 2018, AFM.

The product will be used by Guernsey’s Vision Sensory Teacher, Nancy DeVoe to assist local visually impaired school children when reading. She is in charge of all vision impairment needs for Education.

The Eschenbach Visolux Digital HD has a large 7-inch screen, anti-glare coating and HD camera. It has a user-friendly scroll function and base support, allowing the user to write underneath the screen.

Debbie Clarke, vision support advisor at Guernsey Blind Association, said: "The product will make a huge difference to children’s learning as it not only allows the user to be part of the classroom but also maintain independence. We’re very grateful to the staff at AFM for helping us purchase something tangible that will significantly contribute to the education of some of our local school children."

Enthused staff at AFM raised funds for the new piece of equipment by taking part in a weight loss challenge, Loud Shirt Day, Grand National sweepstake and multiple cake sales.

"Our staff did a fantastic job of coming up with ideas to fundraise and get everyone involved to raise as much money as possible. As a company, we are delighted that the money raised so far for Guernsey Blind Association will be used to help improve the education and learning of several school children," AFM’s operations manager, Martyn Pipet, said.

AFM pledged to support Guernsey Blind Association at the beginning of 2018 by providing both practical and fundraising help. The company also aims to raise awareness of the charity and its variety of services for the local community, including practical and emotional family support.