RNIB Scotland announces its hopes for the next 12 months.
RNIB Scotland has listed eight things it would like to happen in 2020 that could make life better for blind and partially sighted people.
The national sight loss charity wants to see more people take advantage of free eye examinations, with check-ups every two years advised. These can potentially pick up the first signs of problems when they might still be arrested or even reversed.
For those who are facing sight loss, the charity says emotional counselling and reassurance should be available at the point of diagnosis, while more specialist teachers should be recruited to help children with sight loss reach their full potential.
The charity welcomed the Scottish Government ban on pavement parking and Edinburgh Council’s crackdown on advertising boards, and now urges all local authorities to remove obstacles that can be dangerous to people with sight loss.
It also called for a reform to the benefits system, reworking qualifying criteria to more sensitively recognise people’s needs.
The charity also wants to see a change in society’s attitudes to sight loss, encouraging blind and partially sighted people to lead full and meaningful lives, and called for a “serious re-think” of electoral procedures to ensure blind and partially sighted people can vote independently and in private.
Finally, with the number of people with sight loss who are unemployed remaining high, the charity wants to dispel some of the misperceptions employers can have about what a blind or partially sighted worker can or can’t do.
RNIB Scotland director James Adams said: “We’re making a lot of progress in Scotland but there’s still things to do. Edinburgh has set a good example for other towns and cities to follow and make our streets more accessible by reducing clutter. We also have a chance to redesign and improve those parts of the welfare system that are being devolved to the Scottish Government.
“Scotland is also the only place in the UK where eye examinations are free for everyone. But despite a rise in the number of people going for these this is slower in some of our most deprived areas and we need to increase uptake. We are also concerned about the recruitment of specialist teachers for children with sight loss. A high proportion of those currently in post are now reaching retirement age.”
