North East Sensory Services

Name

North East Sensory Services

Legal name

Grampian Society for the Blind

Website

https://nesensoryservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Sensory Impairment Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI), Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

Keywords

• Sensory impairment services
• Assistive technology support
• Vision rehabilitation services
• Deaf blindness support
• Disability charity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

North East Sensory Services (NESS) is an independent Scottish charity operating as the Grampian Society for the Blind, delivering what it claims is the first integrated joint sensory services in Scotland. It provides social work, rehabilitation, mobility training, ICT and assistive technology training, audio library services, hearing aid support, lipreading classes, BSL interpreting, transcription, and awareness training to blind, deaf, and deafblind people across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, and Dundee.

Product overview

North East Sensory Services (NESS) is an independent Scottish charity delivering integrated joint sensory services across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, and Dundee. NESS provides a comprehensive portfolio of support services for blind, deaf, and sensory impaired people rather than a single product. The core services include social work and rehabilitation, a Young People's Sensory Service (YPSS), ICT for All technology training, an Audio Library with over 2,300 audio book titles, hearing aid support, lipreading classes, and employment services. Professional offerings include BSL interpreting, transcription services, and sensory awareness training for organizations. Additional initiatives include fundraising events, a weekly lottery, social clubs, and the NESS Cafe. The organization operates resource centres in Aberdeen and Dundee and serves approximately 6,500 blind and deaf people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social Work, Rehabilitation and Specialist Support

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2019/20, 143 individuals accessed the ICT for All service across the operating area
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland: The ALLIANCE is Scotland's national third-sector health and social care intermediary representing over 3,000 member organisations including sensory loss charities. It is an adjacent peer to NESS because NESS sits within its membership ecosystem and engages with the same Scottish commissioning and policy frameworks.

Broad incumbents

• RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People): RNID (formerly Action on Hearing Loss) is the UK national charity supporting people with hearing loss and deafness. It is directly comparable to NESS because both provide hearing aid support, communication services, lipreading training, and BSL-related resources for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): RNIB is the UK's largest charity for people with sight loss, providing advice, advocacy, and services. It is directly comparable to NESS because both deliver rehabilitation, assistive technology support, and community services for blind and partially sighted people, though RNIB operates nationally rather than regionally.
• Guide Dogs UK: Guide Dogs is a major UK charity providing mobility services, including long cane training and symbol cane support, for blind and partially sighted people. It is comparable to NESS because both deliver vision rehabilitation, mobility training, and daily living skills, though Guide Dogs is much larger and operates nationally.

Regional players

• Visibility Scotland: Visibility Scotland is a Scottish charity supporting people with visual impairment through rehabilitation, equipment, and advocacy. It is a regional peer to NESS, overlapping on core services (rehabilitation, daily living aids, mobility) but primarily serving central Scotland rather than the North East.
• Sense Scotland: Sense Scotland is a Scottish charity supporting people with complex needs including sensory impairments. It is a regional peer to NESS because both deliver sensory-related support services within Scotland, though Sense Scotland's remit extends to multi-sensory impairment and learning disabilities beyond sensory loss alone.
• Scottish War Blinded: Scottish War Blinded is a Scottish charity providing welfare, rehabilitation, and technology support to veterans with sight loss. It is a regional peer to NESS, sharing similar rehabilitation and assistive technology services but with a narrower veteran-only beneficiary base.

Direct peers

• Deafblind Scotland: Deafblind Scotland is a specialist Scottish charity providing one-to-one guiding, communication, and social support for people with combined sight and hearing loss. It is directly comparable to NESS because both deliver guided support, communication services, and social groups for the deafblind population in Scotland.
• Sense: Sense is a UK national charity supporting people who are deafblind or have single-sensory impairments with additional complex needs. It is highly comparable to NESS because both serve deafblind people (including those with Usher Syndrome) and deliver communication support, rehabilitation, and community-based services.
• Hearing Link: Hearing Link is a UK charity offering support, advice, and rehabilitation services for people with hearing loss and their families. It is comparable to NESS because both provide lipreading classes, hearing loss management training, and peer support services, with overlapping professional training offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nessnortheast
• Facebookfacebook.com/northeastsensoryservices

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North East Sensory Services