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Understanding Sight Loss
Research shows that 1.1 billion people globally have sight loss and the RNIB estimates that 250 people start to lose their sight every day in the UK. This is the equivalent of 1 person every six minutes. Living with sight loss is predominantly sighted world can be challenging. It can affect all aspects of everyday life including accessing healthcare, finding work, keeping in work, communication, getting around and making purchases.
This Sight Loss Toolkit aims to remove some of these barriers by increasing understanding of sight loss.
This Sight Loss Toolkit aims to remove some of these barriers by increasing understanding of sight loss.
Why Does Sight Loss Matter
Many of us will experience sight loss, and many more of us will know someone who has sight loss - as a friend or family member, a colleague, a patient, a client, or someone you meet.
Despite the numbers above, people with sight loss are more than that. We all want to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to society, and people with sight loss are no different.
A person's experience of sight loss can also be influenced by other disabilities, and vice versa. Did you know that adults with learning disabilities in the UK are ten times more likely to have a sight problem. Of those, six out of 10 will need glasses.
Again these statistics raise some interesting questions:
how many of us have seriously thought about the impact losing our sight might have on different aspects of our lives
How many of us really know what we can do to support people who have developed sight loss
What about the language we use and how we communicate? Do we consider its impact, including whether it could be a barrier or disempower people with slight loss.
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