New Free Online Training Empowers Educators to Support Vision Impaired Students

Date posted: 29th August 2025

Thomas Pocklington Trust is proud to launch Vision Impairment: Starting the Conversation, a brand-new free online training course designed specifically for non-specialist education professionals working with school-aged children and young people. 

Whether you have supported blind or partially sighted students before or not, this self-paced course will help you feel confident, informed, and ready to make your teaching more inclusive.

What Is on Offer? 

• Completely free and online 

• Flexible learning – you can complete it in one go or over three months 

• Interactive quizzes and real-life case studies 

• Practical tools and tips to break down barriers to learning 

The course has received rave reviews from early trials including: 

‘Great course – I am a QTVI and will be recommending this to our schools and non-VI specialists within the SEND support team.’ 

‘Good range of resources. I especially liked the simulations of the different vision impairments.’ 

Created with experts with lived experience, this course explores common types of vision impairment, enabling environments, and strategies to improve engagement and accessibility in the classroom. 

Please note: this course is not for  VI specialists and is not suitable for Higher Education professionals, but it is a fantastic resource to raise awareness and build confidence among wider staff teams. One user said: ‘The interface was accessible and easy to navigate.’ 

To find out more and to sign up today, visit Starting the Conversation – Thomas Pocklington Trust 

Any questions? Contact: EducationTraining@Pocklington.org.uk 

Let us start the conversation and make education more inclusive for everyone.