Mobility & Independent Living Skills at The Royal National College for the Blind

Your independence, and enjoyment of it, is an absolute priority for our team during your time at the College. We place as much importance on mobility & independent living skills training as we do on your academic or vocational qualifications and we know that in combination they can help you achieve your full potential. We see the results every day, and every year when students graduate and move onto university or into the world of work.

Our Mobility and Independent Living Skills team are fully qualified experts here to help you develop the skills you need to live life to the full. They have vast experience working with both students who have been blind or partially sighted for many years, and those who have only recently lost their sight or experienced deterioration in their sight.

Mobility Training 

One of the most important elements of your independence is the ability to get around safely and confidently, whether this is on foot or when using public transport.

When you first arrive at the College, you will have one-to-one sessions with one of our expert mobility trainers, and it will be tailored to suit and meet your needs. These sessions will focus on mobility and orientation and help you familiarise yourself with common campus routes.

We are able to support:

• Long cane
• Symbol cane
• Guide dog

We will work with you on:

• Orientation skills
• Night mobility
• Use of public transport 

Independent Living Skills

Independent Living Skills training offers one-to-one training on almost every aspect of daily life. It supports you as you develop the skills and the confidence to live a full and independent life while you're at RNC, and when you leave. Whether it's buying clothes or washing them, making a hot drink to making a balance transfer at your bank, enjoying social activities or a supermarket shop...

Areas covered in Independent Living Skills include:

* Household tasks, such as washing, ironing and changing bedding
* Personal presentation for work and social activities
* Personal organising and budgeting, e.g. for shopping or a holiday
* Preparing meals safely and independently for yourself and others
* Managing personal finances - be it using an ATM, chip and pin machines, counting cash or paying bills

What if I have a Guide Dog?

Guide Dogs are more than welcome at the College, and our campus is fully accessible to Guide Dog owners. As well as specially designed rooms for students with dogs, we have a Guide Dog washing room and separate laundry facilities for your dog’s bedding and towels, as well as spending pens and areas for free running.

Students who have a Guide Dog or who are currently waiting for a Guide Dog are given support and advice from our friends at Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and from the RNC Mobility Trainers.