Connecting with Families of Vision Impaired Early Years Children in 2025!

Early years can present significant challenges for parents as they adjust to their child’s vision impairment diagnosis and learn to navigate their new circumstances. That’s why it’s important for us to offer early years specific days and services that provide much needed support and offer possibilities for the future.

VICTA & RSBC bring families together, hosting Family Days for blind and partially sighted early years children

VICTA is thrilled to have partnered with RSBC on this project – two charities offering their services in a combined setting, while giving parents an opportunity to connect. Quite often, parents attending our early years activities are meeting other vision impaired children and parents for the first time. It can be the very first insight into a community that they are becoming part of.

In October 2025 we hosted a joint Family Day at the Eureka Children’s Museum in Halifax tailored specifically to babies and toddlers from 0 to 4. It was wonderful to welcome and meet families from North Yorkshire as well as families who travelled from as far away as Lincolnshire.

Sessions across the day included ‘habilitation and play’ by Rosie from RSBC, and ‘sleep support and information’ by Charlotte at VICTA. We were also very pleased to be joined by two local QTVI’s, who delivered an insightful talk on Early Years educational settings, and the first steps into schooling. Alex from RSBC delivered a session introducing parents to the new and exciting world of assistive tech, with top tips around getting ahead of the game when supporting children to use technology to assist with everyday life.

The day closed with a meaningful talk from Hanna, a young VI person and representative from VICTA; she spoke about how her Mum was her greatest role model and how her guidance shaped her into becoming an independent and educated young lady – with a full and happy life.

The children were entertained throughout the day by a fabulous creche facility. After our morning of workshops and getting to know each other, families then had the opportunity to visit the museum – which is full of interactive and accessible exhibits.

“Thank you for organising the early years event yesterday with RSBC. It was a very informative event. We learnt a lot of useful things that can help us with Esme. The girls loved the creche- so thank you for organising that as well”

– Amy Coatsworth

We’re looking forward to working together again in 2026 and providing more opportunities for families to come together with their vision impaired babies and toddlers.

How to get involved

Join the Parent Network Facebook Group >

Email parents@victa.org.uk to get in touch with Charlotte Mellor at VICTA Parent services.

VICTA Early Years Sensory Discovery Packs – a supportive welcome into the VI community for families

In 2025, our Early Years Sensory Discovery Packs continued to be one of the ways we walk alongside families at the very start of their journey.

That’s why each pack is carefully curated with input from parents and professionals, offering a gentle starting point and are filled with items chosen to help parents explore the senses together. To make the experience even more personal, every pack includes a heartfelt message of encouragement from a VICTA family whose own child is now older, a reminder that you’re not alone, and that there is a whole community available for support.

Available in two versions — one for babies aged 0 to 18 months and one for toddlers aged 18 months to 4 years — the packs provide a broad range of sensory opportunities. Alongside the items themselves, families receive access to play suggestions and videos to help them get the most out of their pack. Our hope is that these early sensory experiences not only support development, but also nurture confidence, curiosity and joyful connection for both parent and child as they discover the world together.

Since the project launched, we have provided over 200 families with a Sensory Pack, and with the help of our Sensory Pack Appeal which has been generously supported by VICTA families, look forward to continuing to be a first point of contact for new parents in 2026.