In the Scottish Borders, services to people with a visual impairment are co-ordinated through specialist workers known as low vision services – L.V.S. As part of lifelong care - social work.

• Maintaining the register of visually impaired people
• Providing a specialist assessment service
• Developing support and information services
• Overseeing the provision of rehabilitation programs

If you are experiencing difficulties with your vision or have a family member, relative or friend who would benefit from our service, please contact the service.

Low Vision Services exists to promote the interests of people in the Borders who are visually impaired.

The group is open to anyone with low vision who would like to have a say in how services are run. The group is only as strong as its members and the more people who get involved the better.

Existing members are themselves visually impaired and would be happy to chat with anyone about any issues or problems they may be experiencing.

Visual Impairment Clubs in the Borders

The Borders Talking Newspaper offers a free cassette of local news. This is 90 minutes long and contains items from the Southern Reporter and the Berwickshire News.

Borders Talking Newspaper offers other services to listeners, including a small library of talking books and music tapes. Will also read books not yet available on tape.

The Talking Peeblesshire News brings news to the blind and partially sighted or any individual who has difficulty with newspapers in paper form in tape free of charge.

The Talking Peeblesshire News also produces a regular magazine of local interest and can make tapes to meet the individual needs of listeners.

Will also produce tapes to meet the needs of patients at the requests of doctors and carers. Will produce tapes to help children with special needs in school.

Playback Services for the Blind offer a recording and reading service. Provide newspapers and magazines on cassette tape as well as having an extensive library.

The National Talking Newspaper Association have available over 180 publications on cassette tape, including national newspapers and magazines.

Charges an annual membership fee. Offers subscribers a choice of formats including cassette tape, computer disk, e-mail, CD-ROM or through their Website.

Calibre Cassette Library aims to provide the pleasure of reading to anyone who cannot read ordinary print books.

They have over 18,700 members, and offer a choice of nearly 6,000 titles to borrow, all recorded unabridged on ordinary cassettes. The books are delivered by post and the service is free.