Author: Zeme Davey Ross

First Report of Session 2019–20   Overview The Select Committees findings are damning and show what we have long suspected and known, that a system with the right intentions to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is failing the very people it is meant to help. “This generation is being let down—the reforms have not done enough to join the dots, to bring people together and to create opportunities for all young people to thrive in adulthood.” The committee has identified a concoction of a lack of oversight, leadership, joint working, funding and...

The three activities people with a visual impairment most want to get involved in are cycling, swimming and going to the gym.   This is just one of the significant insights lifted from a comprehensive survey by Metro Blind Sport exploring the attitude, preferences and behaviours of its visually impaired network with regards to physical activity. The survey, completed by 60 Metro Blind Sport members and 111 non-members, was conducted via an online survey. All participants were in some way already engaged with sport either directly through Metro Blind Sport or through one of the charity’s partners.   Key...

Vision UK, the umbrella organisation which leads collaboration with partners across the eye health and sight loss sector recently recognised the groundbreaking work being done by the Seeing Beyond the Eyes team at their joint conference with the Royal Society of Medicine. The team faced stiff competition from 5 other nominees in their category so were delighted when it was announced that they’d been awarded The Vision UK John Thompson Award for Excellence in Services, Support and Care 2019, one of the new thematic awards at this year’s event. The team’s achievements in bringing the optical and sight loss...

Vision UK recently announced the winners of three new thematic awards and the Astbury, and David Burt OBE Awards at the Forward View Eye Health and Sight Loss Conference held in collaboration with the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM).   Other awards focused on the recognition of work across four key themes: Evidence and statistics Services, support and care Research, cures and treatments The 5 awards were presented at the after-conference reception by Nigel Clarke, Chair of Vision UK and Michele Acton CEO of RSM. The awards were sponsored by Mr Nick Astbury the former Chair of VISION 2020...

On 9 October, the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) hosted the Vision UK Forward view: Vision and eye health conference, a joint conference between the RSM General Practice (GP) with Primary Health Care Section, Vision UK and in association with the RSM Ophthalmology Section and Digital Health Section.   With 190 attendees, there was a real buzz on the day. Bob Hutchinson, President, RSM General Practice with Primary Healthcare Section and Matt Broom, Chief Executive Officer, Vision UK began proceedings by welcoming the delegates, with the key message focusing on collaboration and co-operation across all professions and specialties for...

Inherited Retinal Dystrophies (IRD) COUNTS is a patient led multi-stakeholder group, managed by Retina International, focused on new therapies and improved services for individuals with IRDs. IRDs represent a group of sight conditions for which, until recently, there have been no effective treatments and where gradual but permanent changes occur that reduce vision. They include Retinitis Pigmentosa, Usher Syndrome, Stargardt Disease, Leber Congenital Amaurosis/Early-Onset Severe Retinal Dystrophy (LCA/EOSRD), Best Disease, Cone Dystrophy, Cone-Rod Dystrophy, Achromatopsia, Choroideremia and X-Linked Retinoschisis, which are the conditions the IRD COUNTS study focuses on. The IRD COUNTS study, part funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust,...

The UK’s first vision and hearing survey aims to capture vital data on UK issues.   A lack of accurate data is contributing to a £58billion bill for vision and hearing loss in the UK, according to a report published today that calls on the Government to support the first ever national survey of the UK population’s sensory needs. It is estimated that around 2 million people in the UK are affected by partial sight loss, and this is expected to rise to 2.4 million by 2024. The number affected by hearing loss is estimated at 11 million, and...

A dispensing optician has been shortlisted for a top national award from Macular Society. Jayshree Vasani is one of the nominees for this year’s Macular Society Awards for Excellence. Dispensing optician Jayshree has been shortlisted in the Optician or Optometrist of the Year category, which is open to practitioners working in any environment, such as a high street business, hospital or local society, who provide outstanding services to people with macular disease. Jayshree has been a dispensing optician for three decades, qualifying in 1989. She divides her time between working in practice at Skye Optometrists in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and...

Disabled people are four times worse off financially than non-disabled people, according to new research commissioned by the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC). Disabled people typically have lost around £1,200 per year as a result of welfare changes with households with one disabled adult and one disabled child losing out most. Changes to the welfare system over the past ten years have left disabled adults four times worse off financially than non-disabled adults, according to new research commissioned by the DBC, a coalition of over 80 UK disability organisations. While many people who receive welfare support have experienced cuts of...

After more than ten years of running the Balham Resource Centre, Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) is to move services to new homes in surrounding boroughs. This follows a strategic review undertaken by TPT which will us have a greater focus on Education, Employment and Engagement. Services currently hosted in the Balham Resource Centre will transfer to other sight loss organisations providing support to blind and partially sighted people in the south west of the capital. This will ensure that services, including lunch club and the ongoing IT Project, will continue in new and better equipped locations. Moving activities to...

A student from the University of Northampton has devised a simple solution to help blind and partially sighted people navigate railway stations. Danny O’Beirne’s research found that many people with vision impairments are put off travelling by train in the UK due to the potential for confusion when they arrive at a station. Danny who is in the final year of his Product Design course, said: “I found there’s often a lack of clear information about platforms, train times, delays and service cancellations which is putting people off using trains altogether. For example, when entering a station, a person...

Yes, you can now, thanks to unique research from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC). The research reveals the top ten washing machines which are the easiest for blind and partially sighted people to use. This washing machine information is available online and, on request, in Braille, please phone 0208 9950 880 if you require this. It is also available over the phone as an audio recording for the cost of phoning a landline. Dial 0330 223 53 55 and follow the instructions. With funding from Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT), RiDC ran a workshop with blind and partially...

Vision UK is pleased to announce that their CEO Matt Broom was given the Freedom of the City of London at a ceremony at Guildhall, London on 10 June 2019. For that day at least, he became their youngest Freeman! Vision UK is the independent partnership organisation which works with organisations in the eye health, sight loss sector and beyond for the benefit of blind and partially sighted people, their communities and the general population including those at risk of sight loss. Matt Broom joined VISION 2020 UK on 2011 to implement the organisation’s strategic plans and operations. He was...