Statewide Vision Resource Centre - Heatherwood School

The Statewide Vision Resources Centre is developing hospitality and career skills for students who are blind or have low vision. 

Your future barista or baker might have a vision impairment! 

This initiative aims to develop the skills and confidence of students with vision impairments in using a kitchen devices to increase their inclusion in school and community programs and future employment.

This program will introduce our students who are blind or have low vision to the skills and strategies needed to operate an oven, air fryer and coffee maker. The equipment will be adapted with contrasting and tactile labels. 

This strategy can be shared with families and schools so that they can adapt equipment similarly. 

Students who are blind and have low vision are usually wary of doing subjects and activities involving hot equipment. Their schools are wary, too. 

By teaching and enabling our students to demonstrate competency with special strategies, our students will have a positive learning experience at our centre and be confident to demonstrate this in school or at home. 

The outcomes of this initiative will be to enable fuller participation of our students in school hospitality programs, the community and future employment. 

They will also develop skills for daily living and independence.