Exeter firm refurbishes WESC Family Centre
WESC Foundation - The Specialist Centre for Visual Impairment based in Topsham Road, Exeter, invited local contractors involved in the refurbishment of the new WESC Assessment and Family Centre, to a guided tour of the new facilities they had helped to create.
A school and college for children, young people and adults with sight loss, WESC organised the open-house event to showcase the new centre and to thank representatives from the many local businesses who donated labour and equipment. Tracy de Berhardt Dunkin, Principal and Chief Executive and Richard Ellis Head of VI Specialist Services, WESC, gave a formal vote of thanks to the guests and invited them to take up the challenge of trying out the training simulation specs, used to simulate different types of eye conditions.
LA Roofing (Heavitree, Exeter) Limited, carried out the building and redecoration works at the new Assessment Centre. Lee Anderson from the local firm comments: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in this project. Experiencing some of the different types of sight loss that the children here have to deal with everyday has helped us to see how important good colour contrast and good lighting is for people with a visual impairment.”
Richard Ellis, Head of VI Specialist Services said: “The new Assessment and Family Centre provides a welcoming base for carrying out assessments of prospective WESC students. It is the first experience many disabled young people and their families have of WESC, and it is really important that their initial experience is a positive one. The centre provides a professional and positive first impression of WESC, which is really essential when families are thinking about entrusting us with their child’s education and care. The new space has been carefully planned and equipped. It is light and airy and provides an environment without visual clutter, which is confusing and difficult for young people with Cerebral Visual Impairment to cope with. WESC is very grateful to all the contractors who so generously gave their time and services to make this such a fantastic facility. We are delighted with the new centre and the high standard of finish.”
The Assessment Centre provides a calm and welcoming environment for families who are visiting WESC for the first time, or who are staying for the two day assessment organised for prospective new students. The new location is closer to the school and college, and provides visiting families with a calm and peaceful environment in which to base themselves during their visit.
Tracy de Berhardt Dunkin - Principal and CEO, WESC said: “There are many benefits to the new location, including the opportunity to plan the layout and decorate the new building specifically with our visitors in mind. The décor, fitments and lighting have been carefully thought out to create as positive an environment as possible for our young people on assessment. The way in which the assessment centre has been planned and equipped provides a standard for the rest of the organisation. Rather than just talking to staff and contractors about how a building should be equipped for visually impaired people, they can experience it first-hand, and this helps people to realise what is important and why.”
