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Sensory Centre

The highly successful Forth Valley Sensory Centre - the first of its kind in the UK and one of the most advanced in the world Individual in computer room

Facilities include

  • ophthalmic and audiology consultation rooms
  • a sensory playroom for children with visual problems
  • a soundproofed audiology room where children with hearing problems can be observed and assessed
  • training kitchens for visually impaired people
  • a range of aids and adaptations for service users to test and train on
  • café and recreational area
  • meeting rooms
  • a recording studio
  • a computer suite funded by the European Regional Development Fund
  • a sensory garden

The Trust was established as a charitable company by a partnership of Falkirk Council, the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) Scotland, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils and NHS Forth Valley with support from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and service users.

Funding

Falkirk Council provided the land for the centre and more than £500,000. The RNIB gave £200,000, with £100,000 coming from Stirling Council and £50,000 from Clackmannanshire Council. NHS Forth Valley also contributed £200,000.

There have also been grants from the European Regional Development Fund, the Community Fund, the Robertson Trust, BBC Children in Need, Fresh Futures, the Falkirk Environment Trust, ASDA, Falkirk Rotary Club, Falkirk Disability Action Group and the British Legion. The Trust's fundraising appeal was also supported by a wide range of events by local people and organisations.

Designed by: The architects for the project were Jewitt Arschavir and Wilkie and the contractors were Ogilvie Construction.

Sensory Impairment

  • Currently 1647 people in Forth Valley are registered as either blind or
  • partially-sighted. RNIB research estimates that these figures are underestimated by 30% and 20% respectively.
  • 600 people are known in the Forth Valley area to have profound hearing
  • loss or to be deaf without speech. No formal register exists for the deaf or hard of hearing population so accurate numbers are more difficult to gauge. RNID research indicates that there may be 18,282 people in the Forth Valley area with a moderate hearing loss or more.

It is believed that in the UK there are 24,000 people in the population who are Deafblind. This translates into 110 people in the Forth Valley area.

Find your way

The Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Camelon, Falkirk, is reached from Redbrae Road on the A803 and is next to the Mariner Leisure Centre. A signed path leads to the Centre from Camelon Railway Station.

Telephone/textphone: 01324 590888
Text: 0780 389 7928
Fax: 01324 590889
Email:

Official Website

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