Sarah Shaw

Advocacy and Welfare Worker

Since starting with the Society in 2010, Sarah has made a huge difference to people with impaired sight empowering them to access the support to which they are entitled.

Sarah supports clients to comment upon and potentially influence provision which supports their vision needs by ensuring that their voice is heard by Service Providers. This may mean accompanying clients to forums and meetings or passing on comments and concerns on specific issues.

Sarah will accompany people to appointments if asked to do so, or scribe important letters on their behalf. If a client is worried that they will forget to ask about everything which is concerning them at an appointment, or perhaps forget all of the things they have been told, Sarah will attend the appointment with them, take notes and prompt on pre-agreed questions.
Sarah will also support clients to get the financial support they need. She will assist clients to complete forms from Social Security and Housing. She will also ensure that clients (subject to financial review) are provided with assistive equipment from EYECAN on a long term loan basis.

As part of her role, and to support the importance of prevention within the Island, Sarah will meet anyone in the community who would struggle to pay for an optician’s appointment. Subject to financial review the cost of an appointment may be covered by EYECAN.

“I am delighted to work for a charity which is so responsive to the needs of Islanders with sight loss, always respecting them as individuals whilst supporting their wellbeing and independence with a range of different services”.