Rehabilitation Work (Visual Impairment) – FdSc

Become a specialist in enabling people who are blind or partially sighted to be as independent as possible in their day to day lives by studying this foundation degree in Rehabilitation Work (Visual Impairment). As one of the only programmes of its kind in the UK, teaching for this rehab course will be based at our recently extended £71 million campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

We offer individual applicant days for you to come to the University. On these visits we can show your our facilities, discuss the course and talk over any queries. We are not able to be present at University open days. To arrange a time to suit you please contact:

Peter Cookie (Admissions Tutor)

Tel: 0121 202 4223

Email: Peter.Cooke@bcu.ac.uk

What’s covered in the course?

Visual impairment is a life changing experience and very often you will be working with people who are at a crisis point in their lives. A qualified Rehabilitation Worker’s strength is to be a problem solver and to respond to a person’s unique and complex situation. You will develop individual training programmes based on the person’s needs and aspirations.

Your initial learning focuses on the individual and the impacts of visual impairment on all aspects of life. You will look at how to work in partnership with your clients and their families, and how to work inter-professionally to promote the needs of experiencing sight loss.

You will also learn how to enable people with a visual impairment to become independent in their daily lives. This may be through teaching orientation and mobility skills, safety and independence in the kitchen and the home, techniques to overcome communication barriers and making the best use of a person’s strengths and any remaining vision.

You will attend the University’s recently extended £71 million City South Campus for block learning weeks that are spread throughout each academic year. During these weeks you be involved in lectures, simulation sessions and a range hands on group activities on this practical course.

You will benefit from learning from an experienced teaching team and specialists from the sector as well as using our specialist resource rooms and training kitchens. In between teaching weeks you will be able to access extensive online materials and take part in valuable work based learning placements.

Why Choose Us?

• The course teams excellent student satisfaction scores reflect the quality of our teaching and our commitment to placing students at the heart of everything we do. The FdSc Rehabilitation Work course achieved a 100 per cent satisfaction score in the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 National Student Survey.
• The foundation degree is accepted as the trusted qualification to be employed as a Rehabilitation Worker in local authorities and non-statutory agencies across the UK. The course is delivered through seven block teaching weeks spread throughout each academic year. These are blended with work placements in each academic year and online study.
• You can study alongside your present employment. If employed within the sector you may be able to continue working full-time with dedicated study days. For those in unrelated job roles you may be able to manage studies and placement commitments alongside a part-time job role. Our virtual learning environment (Moodle) provides resources for each module to guide self-directed study in-between University attendance weeks.
• Dedicated work placements in each academic year ensure you qualify with the competence and confidence to work effectively in practice. Many parts of the course are very practical and hands-on. Lectures and online support will enhance your learning and you will be putting skills into practice from week one.
• Working with the individual, and as part of the professional community, you develop specific skills to improve the mobility, independent living and communication skills of people with all levels of visual impairments.
• Experts from outside the University are involved to provide additional specialist knowledge and experience. Engagement with people who have a visual impairment ensures you gain in-depth insights, invaluable feedback and a sense of personal satisfaction from supporting people to live independently.
• Being part of the University’s Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences within a large higher education institution means there are many extra resources from which our students can benefit. These include extensive IT services and support, library resources including help with researching, our Personal Development Department.