Tech for All FAQs

You can speak to a member of our technology team, who will help you identify the type of equipment which will be of most benefit. We can in some cases arrange demonstrations through trusted suppliers, so you can be sure before you apply that the technology will meet your child’s needs.

To contact a member of our team, call 0333 070 3706.

Tech for All is open to every child in the UK from age three to (and including) the age of 18 (at the time of application) who has a vision impairment, (age zero to eighteen for sensory equipment). Our applications are only open to UK residents, with a valid UK address or residents of the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Please see our eligibility criteria for more details, this is contingent upon the device applied for.

What we mean by a vision impairment or visual impairment

A vision Impairment means an individual certificated or eligible to be certificated as Severely Sight Impaired (blind) or Sight Impaired (partially sighted).

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland:

To be certified as severely sight impaired (blind), your child’s sight has to fall into one of the following categories, while wearing any glasses or contact lenses that they may need:

• Visual acuity of less than 3 / 60 with a full visual field.
• Visual acuity between 3 / 60 and 6 / 60 with a severe reduction of field of vision, such as tunnel vision.
• Visual acuity of 6 / 60 or above but with a very reduced field of vision, especially if a lot of sight is missing in the lower part of the field.

To be certified as sight impaired (partially sighted) your child’s sight has to fall into one of the following categories, while wearing any glasses or contact lenses that they may need:

• Visual acuity of 3 / 60 to 6 / 60 with a full field of vision.
• Visual acuity of up to 6 / 24 with a moderate reduction of field of vision or with a central part of vision that is cloudy or blurry.
• Visual acuity of 6 / 18 or even better if a large part of your field of vision, for example a whole half of your vision, is missing or a lot of your peripheral vision is missing.

In Scotland the definition of Visual Impairment is:

• Best corrected visual acuity (both eyes open) equal to or worse than 6/18/0.5 logmar.
• Requires N18 print or larger to read comfortably.
• Visual field loss with both eyes open which significantly affects function.
• Any eye movement disorder which significantly affects visual function.
• Any form of cognitive visual dysfunction due to disorders of the brain which can be demonstrated to significantly affect function.

Before we can process your application, we will need to have received a copy of your child's registration documents or proof that they have a vision impairment. Your application form will not move forward for review until we have seen these.

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to apply so to meet the eligibility criteria for Tech for All, we can accept one of the following:

1. A certificate of a person’s registration as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind):
   • In England, Wales, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey: a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) including parts one and two. To receive a CVI, an eye specialist (known as an ophthalmologist) needs to examine your child to decide whether your child can be certified, and if so they'll complete an official certificate with the results of an eye examination, as well as information about your child's circumstances.  
   • In Northern Ireland: a CVI (Northern Ireland) 
   • In Scotland: either a letter confirming notification to VINCYP (Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People) or a CVI Scotland 
2. Letter from an ophthalmologist stating that the child or young person’s sight is at a level which makes them eligible to be registered if desired (we will accept this if a young person is not yet registered).
3. Letter on NHS headed paper from a consultant showing the child’s name, date of birth and vision impairment diagnosis.
4. Letter from a Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI) stating that the child or young person’s sight is at a level which makes them eligible to be registered if desired (we will accept this if your child is not yet registered). The letter must include contact details for the QTVI.
5. A registration card issued by or on behalf of local authority stating the child/young person’s name alongside a birth certificate or passport showing the child or young person’s full name and date of birth. Please upload these as one document.
6. Letter from a Guide Dogs Habilitation Specialist confirming status of vision impairment registration.  Please note, Guide Dogs Habilitation Specialists can only provide these letters for children and young people who they are currently working with.

Before we can process your application, we will need to have received a copy of one of the above to show your child's registration documents or proof that they have a vision impairment, with a file size no larger than 3MB. Your application form will not move forward for review until we have seen these. 

I have lost my registration certificate (CVI), how do I get a replacement?

If you live in England or Wales and have lost your CVI (Certificate of Vision Impairment) and need a replacement, contact the Ophthalmology department where your eye specialist first certified your sight loss. They should hold your original CVI and be able to give you a copy of it. Your local authority sensory department and GP may also have copies.

If you live in Scotland you will have a Confirmation of Registration, instead of a certificate. You can request a copy of your registration document from social care.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can request a copy of your certificate from your Ophthalmologist or local authority.

I don’t have my proof that my child has a vision impairment. How can I get it?

If you are experiencing any issues in getting proof to support your application, our team of trained professionals can help. Call us on 0333 070 3706 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. 

The devices are all hand picked by our technology specialists to meet your child’s needs. If you would like to discuss this, please contact our team on 0333 070 3706.

Our friendly Tech for All team can provide advice throughout the year. Devices are subject to available funding.

Please feel free to contact us to discuss your child’s needs however there are some items we are unable to fund, this includes:

• White Goods
• Gaming equipment/software
• Televisions
• Separate monitors
• iPhones
• iPad Pro
• Travel Costs
• Glasses/goggles prescriptions

Your application needs to be supported by a VI professional, including:

• Guide Dogs Habilitation Specialist

• Local authority service providers, including QTVI teachers who work directly with your child

• Health workers (VI)

• Social workers

The application will need to be supported by a VI Professional or Guide Dogs Habilitation Specialist working directly with the applicant at the time of the submission. This evidence should be provided via a supporter letter and must be:

• On headed paper or from the supporters email account
• Addressed to Guide Dogs
• Dated within the last 12 months
• Showing the professionals name, job title, organisations name, organisations address, professional phone number and email address

We have template supporter letters available please contact the team techforall@guidedogs.org.uk to request more information.

If you live in England or Wales and have lost your CVI (Certificate of Vision Impairment) and need a replacement, contact the Ophthalmology department where your eye specialist first certified your sight loss. They should hold your original CVI and be able to give you a copy of it. Your local authority sensory department and GP may also have copies.

If you live in Scotland you will have a Confirmation of Registration, instead of a certificate. You can request a copy of your registration document from social care.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you can request a copy of your certificate from your Ophthalmologist or local authority.

If you are experiencing any issues in getting proof to support your application, our team of trained professionals can help. Call us on 0333 070 3706 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. 

Please provide supporting documentation as PDF. Sorry, we are unable to accept images or photos as this format is not accessible to screen reading software. 

We're sorry that we are unable to provide this application form through the medium of Welsh at this time. We will look at how we can continuously improve and develop our process to accommodate welsh language speakers. Guide Dogs is committed to meet the highest possible standards of service within reason in the Welsh language and in line with the standards set by the Welsh Language Measure 2011.

The devices provided through Tech for All are intended for home use, and we do not advise that you child takes it into school. Please check with your child’s school should they require specific technology needed in the classroom.

We can only accept one Tech for All application every four years for each child with a vision impairment, but there can be more than one application per household if each child is eligible.

Please see the full terms and conditions outlining the Tech for All service. If you have any questions regarding them, please call our team on 0333 070 3706 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.  

No, the only proof we require is that your child is certificated or eligible to be certificated as Severely Sight Impaired (blind) or Sight Impaired (partially sighted).

A supporter letter from a professional is needed for assistive and sensory equipment applications.

No, the application is not based on means testing. It is very important to answer all the questions as we'll make a decision based on your answers.

If your child is eligible for Tech for All and the application is approved, Guide Dogs will pay directly to our supplier for the device and you won’t be required to pay for it. We'll provide a case with each iPad. If you decide you'd like any additional items to help, such as chargers or screen protectors, then you'll need to buy these yourself.

No, we do not offer upgrades of the device. If the devices offered as part of Tech for All are not appropriate for your child's needs, please contact a member of our team by calling 0333 070 3706.

The offer is not transferable or exchangeable. From time to time we may have to substitute the device with another of similar value in the event that the device is not available due to circumstances beyond our control. 

We'll process it and send you an email, confirming the application has been received.

If your application is completed fully and you have supplied the correct documentation it normally takes three weeks for us to process an application. We’ll send you an email to let you know if you’ve been successful or not. Please be aware our decision is final and we will not enter into any further correspondence.

If your application is rejected because you haven’t given us enough information, we’ll let you know what’s missing and ask you to resubmit your completed application form by a certain date.

If you have already submitted an application and are awaiting a decision, please call our team on 0333 070 3706 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.  

We aim to contact you within three weeks about your application. In busier periods we may take a little longer to get back to you. We ask that you only contact us once this amount of time has passed. 

We can only approve an application if it meets our terms and conditions, which includes our eligibility criteria.

If you are unhappy with our decision, please read our complaints and appeal procedure, which details the next steps for you. Please note that it can take up to 28 days for us to respond on receipt of your form and we can only accept a complaint or appeal in writing and cannot progress over the phone. Please bear this in mind when talking to our team on a call.

We attend Guide Dogs Family Events throughout the year, where you can meet a member of our team and ask questions. At some events we have the equipment with us, allowing you to try the products yourself.

No, you will own the equipment and therefore be responsible for its upkeep including any updates and maintenance. We highly recommend adding your device to your home insurance.

Yes, please email us if you would like to chat through your application.