A SOCIAL media site has been launched allowing the visually impaired to share ideas, solutions and tips for everyday life.

The Action Connect site has been devised by Action for Blind People which hopes it can help transform the lives of those with sight problems.

Noel Hemmings, a technology co-ordinator at the charity's Middlesbrough branch, said: "On the internet, often all you can do is Google your condition, but the actual personal stories about the barriers you begin to face as your sight goes and the way you get through it are not there."

Mr Hemmings, who has a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, signed up and soon began receiving questions from the parents of children recently diagnosed with the same degenerative condition he developed at 11.

Through the site, he was able to offer help and support - and most importantly, hope - on how the condition can be managed and how life goes on after sight loss.

He said: “I was able to answer a lot of questions and explain how I did things when my sight started deteriorating.

“Through the site, you get to share your experiences and turn a negative thing that’s happened to you into a positive thing.”

Noel, a 40-year-old dad of two admits he once “lived in denial” about his condition and even worked in construction - a job which involved climbing on top of roofs.

“The quicker you accept it, embrace it and let people know, the better. Life does go on.

“You read people’s stories online and see them asking for help and gradually, you see that they are becoming more confident and offering advice to others themselves.

For information, or to join Action Connect visit www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/connect or call 01509 632407.