Page 14 - Community Living Magazine 32 - 2

inclusion

Sense believes and promotes the idea
that everyone has the right to enjoy
creative, social and active opportunities,
which are vital for living full, rich and
engaged lives. The TouchBase offers a host
all together now of arts and wellbeing activities organised
by an in-house team of artists and
facilitators to run sessions, including
dance, drama, yoga, gong therapy, pottery
A facility that supports adults and children with multisensory and massage, to name a few.
By working with other disability and arts
impairments and complex needs also offers opportunities to organisations, we are able to share skills
the whole community, writes rebecca hodgson and experiences to deliver the best
possible support, and work with others to
trial new programmes and technology,
ouchbase Pears is a fully accessible, offers employment and volunteering such as the use of SubPac audio systems,
multipurpose building for the opportunities to local people so they can which translate sound into vibration,
Twhole community in the heart of gain and develop skills. offering an immersive experience.
Selly Oak in Birmingham. Within the building’s public spaces are These sessions are made fully accessible
The ethos of the facility is to provide the Selly Oak local library and a friendly, by tailoring them to the specific interests,
opportunities for everyone, regardless of fully inclusive café that hosts social and needs and wishes of the people who take
ability, to come together, learn new skills, support groups, including those for families part. This is done in a number of ways,
meet people and to be an active part of and siblings and a coffee morning with such as offering deafblind communication
their community. communication in British sign language. awareness, consultation with those taking
TouchBase, which opened last year, is For those who find new experiences part in the sessions and inclusion training
run by charity Sense, which has been difficult, familiarisation sessions are held to arts practitioners who deliver sessions.
supporting people who are deafblind and where people are introduced to the This enables genuine, creative
those with complex needs, as well as their building at quieter times. collaborations with people who have
families, for more than 60 years. TouchBase offers a varied programme of complex needs.
Services for adults and children run activities for the whole community All sessions are planned with
from the building include a specialist including theatre productions with relaxed consideration given to the environment,
college, children’s groups and day performances, sensory story time, messy communication and mobility by using
services. TouchBase Pears also hosts play and sensory play and a sing and sign outcome-focused planning and evaluation
arts and wellbeing sessions for those choir for newcomers and experienced tools. Through understanding the needs
with and without disabilities and signers alike. of individuals, we can tailor experiences
to ensure people can be as engaged as
possible and participate fully.

stay and play
Sense’s specialist services for children and
young people host and support a number
of initiatives and projects based at
TouchBase Pears.
One of these is a “stay and play” group
for children aged 0-5 years who have a
combined vision and hearing impairment
(multisensory impairment or MSI) and
those who have a single sensory
impairment with additional complex
needs. This group is designed to bring Sense/TouchBase Pears
parents together in a safe environment.
Many families have tried more general
The cafe, open to the public, hosts social and sensory sessions. However, they comment
support groups and a coffee morning with they can find these difficult and isolating
communication in British sign language
14 Vol 32 No 2 | Winter 2018 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk