WARRINGTON town centre is getting back to business.

As lockdown restrictions ease, shops are reopening and people are coming back to town.

But lockdown being lifted doesn’t mean greater freedom for everyone.

Warrington Visually Impaired People, the charity which helps those with sight loss in the town, says social distancing highlights a new set of challenges for people with sight loss to overcome.

A spokesman for the charity gave three top tips if you see someone struggling in Warrington.

1 Keep your distance, but don’t disappear

People with sight loss may find it challenging to social distance, so if you see someone with a guide dog or a long cane then you can help them by making sure you keep 2metres away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also offer your help.

One guide dog owner said: “My guide dog hasn’t been trained to social distance, that’s why we need help from the sighted public.

"If you see us coming towards you, please don’t be offended that we might not be observing the two metre rule or attempting to stop – we just don’t know that you are nearby so you have to do the social distancing for us if you can. If we don’t acknowledge that, please know that we are still grateful, we might just not know what action you have taken to help keep us safe – feel free to let us know you are there.”

Warrington Guardian:

2 Say hello and offer your help

Simply by letting someone with sight loss know you are nearby; you are giving them the opportunity to ask for any help if they need it. People often feel unsure about their ability to help someone with sight loss, but their request could be a simple as finding out where a shopping queue starts, or if there is a safer place to cross a road.

One user said: "It can be really challenging at the best of times when you can’t see what’s going on around you. At the moment, it’s vital that I get more verbal information from people around me, as a lot of the environment around us is built on visual clues’

“I’m less confident getting out and about than I was. Now that lock-down is lifting, other people are trying to get their life back to what it was, but it’s a whole new world for people with sight loss. It’s a lot for us to adjust to and it would really help if people have an awareness of how they can play their part.”

3. Describe the scene

We’ve all had to adapt to unusual sights during lock-down – people standing apart in long lines outside of supermarkets for example. But those with sight loss haven’t always witnessed this to the same extent, which can be isolating and confusing. By describing what you can see to someone with sight loss, you can help them to understand the environment and navigate accordingly.

A user said: “I don’t always know there is a queue because my dog takes me to the door of the shop, not the end of the queue. Shops have introduced visual indicators and one-way systems and if you can’t see they’re a major challenge.”

"At the moment, it’s vital that I get more verbal information from people around me, as a lot of the environment around us is built on visual clues, which I can’t rely on. By saying ‘hello’ and offering some extra help could make the world of difference. Thank you."