RNIB – who are we? • RNIB, Action for Blind People, National Talking Newspapers and Magazines and Cardiff, Vales and Valleys, work in partnership to draw on a wide range of skills and resources. Together, we make up the RNIB group of charities and offer a make up the RNIB group of charities and offer a wide range of services across the UK to support wide range of services across the UK to support an increasing number of blind and partially sighted people. • Our close working relationship enables us to provide a unique combination of complementary strengths and expertise.
Strategy 2009-2014 • In 2009, led by the views of our members and other blind and partially sighted people, we decided that for the five years from 2009 to 2014 we would focus on three important areas of work: • stopping people losing their sight • stopping people losing their sight unnecessarily • supporting people to lead independent lives • making society a more inclusive place for blind and partially sighted people.
Success - Health Services • The needs of blind and partially sighted people will be considered in the planning of health services • Through our role leading the UK Vision Strategy, we are delighted that the Public Strategy, we are delighted that the Public Health Outcomes Framework - which sets out the desired outcomes for public health and how they will be measured - will now include an eye health indicator tracking the three major causes of sight loss.
Success - Smoking and sight loss • The links between smoking and sight loss are better understood and fewer people will lose their sight as a result • We have been warning the public about the link between smoking and sight loss for several years but many people still fail to understand the risks. but many people still fail to understand the risks. So we were really pleased when the European Commission decided to listen to our concerns and adopted a new health warning "smoking increases the risk of blindness" to be printed on tobacco products throughout the European Union.
Success - Treatments • More people have had their sight saved by ensuring that potentially sight saving treatments are available when they need them • We challenged how Primary Care Trusts across England are restricting access to cataract England are restricting access to cataract surgery and how NHS healthcare providers are using unlicensed or cheaper drugs to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Success - Support • Practical and emotional support is available to more people at the point of diagnosis and is of a higher quality • We have made significant progress across the UK to ensure that Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLOs) are on hand to provide practical and emotional are on hand to provide practical and emotional support to people losing their sight. Nearly 18,000 people were supported in eye clinics by our ECLOs when they were diagnosed with sight loss in 2011/12 and our eye clinic support studies course is improving the quality of this support.
Success - Benefits • More blind and partially sighted people are receiving the benefits they are entitled to • We have worked with the Department for Work and Pensions to make sure that 17,400 blind and partially sighted people have received the higher rate component of received the higher rate component of Disability Living Allowance. We have also supported blind and partially sighted people to voice their views on the proposed benefit changes leading to the introduction of Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
Success - Shopping • Blind and partially sighted people can shop more independently • We teamed up with Debenhams to launch an enhanced personal shopping service for blind and partially sighted customers across 134 of and partially sighted customers across 134 of their stores to make shopping for clothes easy and enjoyable. •
Success - Television • Blind and partially sighted people can enjoy TV more easily • We worked with three television manufacturers to develop TV products with talking features so that blind and partially talking features so that blind and partially sighted people can watch TV more independently. We are also working with TV broadcasters to increase the amount of audio description available.
Social Exclusion • Many blind and partially sighted people face social exclusion, isolation and neglect. 44 per cent of blind and partially sighted people report that they feel “moderately” or “completely” cut off from the people and things around them. • There is a link between sight loss and poor mental health, particularly for older people. Around 35 per cent of older people with sight loss are also living with some form of depression .
Travel • Independent travel is difficult for blind and partially sighted people, and as a result many feel themselves to be trapped at home . 60 per cent of blind and partially sighted people reported that they needed help to get out of the house because of their sight loss and 43 the house because of their sight loss and 43 per cent said they would like to leave home more often.
Shopping • Access to shops and shopping is also a major challenge for blind and partially sighted people. 75 per cent of blind and partially sighted people need help to go shopping because of their sight loss and 45 per cent because of their sight loss and 45 per cent need help to manage their money and only 11 per cent of blind and partially sighted people can use a cash machine on their own.
RNIB • Last year, over 1,000 blind and partially sighted people responded to 'Seeing it my way' an initiative developed to ensure that every blind and partially sighted person, regardless of age, ethnicity, extent of sight loss, other disabilities, or location across the loss, other disabilities, or location across the UK, will have access to the same range of information and support.
Outcomes for blind and partially sighted people 1 That I understand my eye condition and the registration • process 2 That I have someone to talk to • 3 That I can look after myself, my health, my home and my • family 4 That I receive the statutory benefits and support that I am • entitled to 5 That I can make the best use of the sight I have • 6 6 That I can access information making the most of the That I can access information making the most of the • • advantages that technology brings 7 That I can get out and about • 8 That I have the tools, skills and confidence to communicate • 9 That I have equal access to education and life long learning • 10 That I can work and volunteer •
Publications • Seeing it from their side – A guide to recognising and supporting sight loss in your care home with Age UK • The Banking Experience – how to make financial services accessible for blind and financial services accessible for blind and partially sighted people • E-newsletter for professionals working with older people – do you want to subscribe
Partnership working – projects ongoing • Silver Dreams Success: Older People Taking Control (OPTiC) • Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in partnership with Action for Blind People, Fire and Rescue Service Staffordshire and North Yorkshire, Age UK Stafford and District, and York Blind and Partially Sighted Society were successful in securing funding Sighted Society were successful in securing funding from the Big Lottery Silver Dreams fund (in association with the Daily Mail) for an innovative new project called Older People Taking Control. • The project is aimed at aimed at empowering older people to help each other and their communities and will run in Staffordshire and York.
Partnerships • Age UK • Alzheimer’s Society • Stroke Association • Thomas Pocklington Trust • Dept of Health – hospitals guide • Dept of Health – hospitals guide • High Street banks • VISAL – Visually Impaired Seniors Active learning
Working together • Action 10 – to include Rebecca Sheehy /Julia Barrand (RNIB) in any discussions about taking this piece of work forward. • We would like to see that members take back • We would like to see that members take back the messages from RNIB that we support blind and partially sighted people. • We are open to participate in any projects around older people and sensory loss
Contact • Julia.barrand@rnib.org.uk • 0121 665 4248 • Mobile 07775754219 • Mobile 07775754219
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