Starting and Leading a Support Group

Welcome to Vision Exchange!

Second Sense knows how important community-based low vision support groups are for adults with vision loss.

Vision Exchange is an informal online resource for support group leaders. We are committed to helping you make your group a strong resource for your members.

Vision Exchange provides support and training to support group leaders in a variety of ways:

• Email consultations with our vision rehabilitation specialists. Contact Cody if you want some direction with meeting topics, training for your group or addressing difficult topics, such as suggesting a member stop driving.
• Facilitated workshops on low vision topics for support groups in Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties. Our professional staff can provide training workshops for your group members at your meeting site.
• Membership in the online peer-support group, made up of over 120 low vision support group leaders from across the country. Post questions, share ideas and receive resources through email.
• Starting an Maintaining a Vibrant Vision Loss Support Group, our training manual for support group leaders.
• Online resources we have complied to help you. We have both informative resource sheets for group leaders and helpful large print tip sheets for your group members. Feel free to print out any of the materials below and share them with your group.

Resources for Low Vision Support Group Leaders

Leading a support group can be very rewarding.  It can also be very time-consuming and demanding.

We have gathered a collection of resource sheets that can help make your job a little bit easier and a lot more enjoyable:

Starting a Low Vision Support Group

If you are in the early stages of starting your own group, read:

• Things to Consider Before Starting a Support Group
• What are Vision Loss Support Groups All About?
• Adjustment to Vision Loss

Keeping Members Engaged

Keeping your members engaged is an ongoing challenge when leading a support group.  These tip sheets can help:

• Marketing: How to Start a Group and Keep It Alive
• Group Facilitation Skills
• Jobs You Can Delegate: Engaging Group Members to Feel Ownership

Meeting Topics

Member engagement requires interesting meeting topics.  Here are two resource sheets to help:

• Discussion Topics, Questions and Resources
• Types of Speakers You Can Invite to Present to Your Group

Tip Sheets

Your members will look to you as a resource, asking for you to help them with daily tasks.  Here are some guides you can use to help your members with common issues they may face. We have also included large print handouts you can provide to your group members for them or a family member to use.

Magnification

• What to Do When a Group Member Says the Magnifier Doesn’t Work
• Before Buying Your First Magnifier Large Print Tip Sheet
• Using and Caring for Your Magnifier Large Print Tip Sheet

Using Devices with Buttons

• Helping Someone Use Devices With Button Keypads
• Dialing a Phone Large Print Tip Sheet

Writing

• Help with Handwriting, Taking Notes and Using Writing Guides
• Tips for Making Print More Readable for Someone with Vision Loss
• Using a Writing Guide Large Print Tip Sheet

Kitchen and Dining Skils

• Dining with Confidence Large Print Tip Sheet
• Reclaim Your Kitchen Large Print Tip Sheet
• Storing Foods Large Print Tip Sheet (coming soon!)

Home Modifications

• Home Safety Large Print Tip Sheet

Human Guide Technique

• Human Guide Technique
• Using Human Guide Large Print Tip Sheet

Family Members

• Six Tips for Positive Communications with Family and Friends
• Ten Things to Keep in Mind when Interacting with Someone with Vision Loss

Understanding Vision Rehabilitation

As a support group leader, it will be beneficial for you to understand vision loss and vision rehabilitation training.

• Legal Blindness and Visual Acuity
• What is a Low Vision Exam?
• Low Vision Basics
• What is Vision Rehabilitation?
• What is Adjustment to Vision Loss?
• Mobility: Independent Travel
• Technology Can Make Life Easier

How to Videos

Watch our series of How-To Videos to gain insight or to share with your group members.

Resources for Low Vision Support Group Leaders

Finally, a group of other resources you may benefit from:

• • • Top Ten Adaptive Products
    • Sample Attendance Sheet
    • Safety Considerations for On and Off-Site Meetings and Outings
    • Our Training Manual: Starting and Maintaining a Vibrant Vision Loss Support Group

If you can’t find the information you need here, please feel free to contact Cody Froeter, our Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist. Cody will answer your questions about vision loss, group facilitation, training, resources or any other topic about vision loss.

Contact Cody by email or call him at 312-236-8569.