At Angel Eyes NI, we provide comprehensive support to families and young people with vision impairments. We offer a wide range of services for professionals, including training for individuals and organisations, along with presentations that highlight the full scope of what we do. Whether you're seeking advice, assistance, or more information, we welcome referrals and enquiries. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to learn more about how we can support you or your organisation.

Our Origin Story

The beginning of Angel Eyes NI started with Sara’s personal journey. In 2005, Sara welcomed premature twins, Peter and Connie, into the world. The next 10 weeks were a roller coaster as they battled infections in Neonatal so Sara was over the moon when they were discharged to come home.  However, the joy of this was accompanied by unexpected challenges when they were diagnosed with Ocular Cutaneous Albinism and registered as severely sight impaired. Struggling to find adequate support, information and resources for her children, Sara realised the glaring absence of services tailored to families with visually impaired children in Northern Ireland.

Driven by a determination to ensure that no family faced similar obstacles alone, Sara along with the support of other likeminded parents founded Angel Eyes NI. Since 2007 the charity has played a key role in shaping and expanding services to meet the diverse needs of our children. From advocating for policy changes to developing innovative solutions like their Virtual Reality Vision Impairment Simulator, Empatheyes, we are passionate and determined to create positive change to make the world we live in accessible for those with a visIon impairment.

Vision and Mission

Angel Eyes NI will contribute to the creation of a fully inclusive society for children and young people who are blind and partially sighted so they can achieve their dreams, aspirations, and full potential.

It is important to us to remain transparent in all our work, and we seek, therefore, to protect our independence by only accepting funding and investment from those organisations which are supportive of our aims and of how we operate.

Our Vision

All children and young people who are blind or partially sighted in Northern Ireland will have equal access to everything they need to flourish.

Our Mission

Looking ahead, our focus remains on expanding our impact, furthering collaboration, and advocating for inclusivity. We aim to create a world where every child, regardless of their visual abilities, has equal opportunities to flourish.

Angel Eyes NI will contribute to the creation of a fully inclusive society for children and young people who are blind and partially sighted so they can achieve their dreams, aspirations, and full potential.

It is important to us to remain transparent in all our work, and we seek, therefore, to protect our independence by only accepting funding and investment from those organisations which are supportive of our aims and of how we operate.

Objectives

Angel Eyes will continuously raise the profile of children and young people with a visual impairment and be recognised as specialists in our field by our beneficiaries, stakeholders and professionals in health and education.

Our Strategic Objectives are:

1. All children and young people who are blind or partially sighted in Northern Ireland, will have equal access to education.
2. All families with a child who is blind or partially sighted in NI will have access to the services and support they require to bring up and support their child.
3. All children and young people who are blind or partially sighted in NI will have equal opportunity to accessible clubs and activities.
4. Angel Eyes will raise awareness of the needs of children and young people who are blind or partially sighted in NI by enabling them to have access to policy makers and legislators.
5. Angel Eyes will be recognised as an organisation that specialises in creating positive change for children and young people who are blind or partially sighted in NI, based on their needs and challenges.

The Core Values of Angel Eyes NI

Angel Eyes has grown significantly since its inception in 2007 whilst remaining in touch with its core values, which are at the heart of the organisation and form the basis for our strategic direction. These core values are:

Advocate

We work to identify and draw attention to the barriers of accessibility and inclusion, and campaign for the rights of children and young people who are blind and partially sighted.

Educate

We aim to enable families by providing information and access to training, to raise aspirations, and to make informed choices for their child.

Navigate

We aim to empower families to navigate the complicated support system, to be able to secure the support they want to fit their needs, and that of their children, by maximising the lived experience in our team which is at the heart of all the support we deliver.

Innovate

We are passionate about creating innovative solutions to make a positive impact, and to overcome barriers for children who are blind or partially sighted.