Main heading

People's Network Home | Useful Information Sites | Children | Job Seekers | Lifelong Learning

 We think you will find the following links useful, but please note that Cheshire County Council accepts no responsibility for external sites or their contents.

Accessibility Technology

• Dolphin Providers of software solutions for people with visual and print impairments
• Keytools to help provide a better interface between people and computers
• Microsoft accessible technology for people of all abilities
• Sight and Sound Solutions for people with reading difficulties, the blind and visually impaired
• WebABLE  is the authoritative Web site for disability-related internet resources

Disabilities and the Elderly

• Alzheimer's Disease Society factsheets and publicity about dementia and the care of confused people 
• Futurenet Adult Dyslexia organisation
• Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities 
• Libinfo Disability resources  
• Mental Health Foundation support, information etc. about various mental health problems
• Ricability An independent research organisation that provides information for people with disabilities and older people
• Vale Royal Disability Service  provides lots of links to other disability sites, local and national 
• Youreable Has sections on travel, employment, mobility products, includes the entire Hamilton Index of disability equipment produced by the Disabled Living Foundation.

Education

• Basic Skills Agency 
• BBC Skillswise Online resource for literacy and numeracy
• Learn English A British Council site set up to help learners and teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Includes free material to practise your English, for adults and children.
• The Vital Link Includes links to a variety of literacy material, including Quick Reads

E-books

• Bags of Books Specialist children’s bookshop; extensive range of story tapes
• Project Gutenberg over 2,500 out of copyright titles which can be downloaded without charge
• World Public Library Wide range of downloadable texts

Racial Equality

• CHAWREC Cheshire Halton and Warrington Racial Equality Council
• Gate2Home Virtual keyboards in lots of languages. Search the internet or send emails in your own language script and some languages, you can also cut and paste text to use it as a basic word processor.
• Refugee Council Valuable material on refugees and asylum seekers

Visually and Hearing Impaired

• Action for Blind people 
• British Computer  Association for the Blind. Aims to promote the special needs and interests of visually impaired people who either work in the computing field or have an active interest in computing
• British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society. Self help group which seeks to help its members live with and overcome their visual problems and to bring relief by stimulating research into the causes and eventually the treatment of RP
• British Wireless for the Blind fund supplies radios for blind listeners
• Calibre cassette library
• Cotis A self-help grouping of tape recording services and cassette libraries
• Copyright Copyright and visually impaired people
• Dawnbug This site contains a variety of sections concerned with the use of computers by the blind
• Deaf247 Internet resource for all British Sign Language and deafness related information especially in United Kingdom
• Deafblind A Deafblindness web resource site
• Deafness Support Network based in Northwich
• E-Access Bulletin a free, independent monthly email newsletter on information technology issues for people with visual impairment and blindness
• European Captioning Institute 
• Fight For Sight Raises funds for research into the prevention, treatment and cure of eye disease and blindness at the Institute of Ophthalmology, research arm of Moorfields Eye Hospital
• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association 
• Henshaws Society for Blind People is a leading edge charity providing care and support for people of all ages who are blind and partially sighted across northern England and North Wales
• International Glaucoma Association offers patients and health care professionals interested in preventing blindness from glaucoma, a forum for the exchange of ideas and the opportunity to campaign for greater Government recognition of the problem
• Macular Disease Society Information on the most common cause of visual impairment, macular degeneration
• Manual Alphabet
• Nystagmus Network Self help group for all those affected by the eye condition nystagmus
• Oneword Audio books on the radio. Oneword is a new digital radio station that specialises in the transmission of audio books, plays, comedy and reviews, particularly unabridged recordings
• RNIB Royal National Institute for the Blind
• RNID Royal National Institute for the Deaf
• Royal Association for Deaf People  
• Royal National College for the Blind. College for people who are blind or partially sighted, based on a large residential campus where students prepare for a wide range of nationally recognised academic and vocational qualifications
• Sense The national deafblind and rubella association
• Soundings  National registered charity which provides public service information in audio to anyone who requests it
• Talking Newspapers National newspapers and magazines on audio tape, computer disk, e-mail, internet download and CD-ROM for visually impaired and disabled people.
• Techno-vision Specialists in the supply of equipment and systems for visually impaired people, both in Britain and abroad
• Webwords Listen to Talking Books before you choose them.

 Volunteers

• Volunteering England works to promote volunteering as a powerful force for change, both for those who volunteer and for the wider community. This web site offers a range of resources for anyone who works with or manages volunteers as well as to those who want to volunteer.
• WRVS Volunteers and support to provide help to people, particularly older people, live independently and with dignity in their homes and communities