There are many different causes of blindness and partial sightedness. Some people are born without sight, others may become visually impaired over a short period of time, or have gradual loss of sight over months or years as a result of a degenerative or other disease.
Sight loss is now a major health issue affecting about two million people in the UK, with the vast majority being older people.
Evidence suggests that over 50 per cent of sight loss is due to preventable or treatable causes. Again this is most common among older people.
Significant numbers of people also live with more serious sight loss. The leading causes are age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
If you are losing your sight you will want to make sure you know about all the help available to you. There are services in County Durham designed to support you. To qualify for some of these services it may be beneficial to be registered with us as a person with a visual impairment.
What is registration?
We are required to keep a register of people with a visual impairment, however, registration is entirely voluntary.
There are two categories of registration:
- severely sight impaired/blind
- sight impaired/partially sighted.
To qualify for some of the entitlements available it is necessary to be registered as a severely sight impaired/blind or sight impaired/partially sighted person.
How do I register?
The certificate of vision impairment (CVI 2005) has to be completed by a consultant ophthalmologist (eye specialist). If you are already attending an eye clinic, your eye specialist may decide that you should qualify for registration and will notify your local social care service. If in doubt ask the specialist or contact your local Adult Sensory Support office on the telephone numbers below.
If you are not attending a hospital eye clinic you should contact your GP, who will refer you to the eye clinic if necessary. You can also contact the rehabilitation officer for people with visual impairment in social care services for advice.
At the eye clinic, you will be asked to sign the certification form (CVI 2005) to indicate your understanding of it and to give your consent to a copy being sent to us.
When you are registered
After we receive the form from your eye specialist, you will receive a visit from the rehabilitation officer for people with a visual impairment, who will advise you on the services and benefits available.
Completion of Form CVI 2005 for registration is purely voluntary but necessary if a visually impaired person wishes to take advantage of certain benefits and entitlements.
If you have a visual impairment then you should be aware of the services provided by the Adult Sensory Support Team in County Durham.
The Adult Sensory Support Team
The Adult Sensory Support Team provides a high quality service to adults with a sensory loss in County Durham. The team will carry out a specialist assessment of your needs and plan care and support which will aim to reduce the impact your sight loss has on your daily life.
The team also works to raise awareness among the wider community, including other organisations that provide public service, of the particular needs and expectations of people with a sensory loss.
What do the Adult Sensory Support Team do for visually impaired people?
The Sensory Support Team work closely with local voluntary organisations and other services in the council. These bodies offer a range of advice, information and support to blind and partially sighted people in County Durham.
The role of the rehabilitation worker
The rehabilitation worker is a fully qualified trainer/instructor.
If you have sight loss, as part of the assessment of your needs they will provide general advice, information and training. Training will help you to adapt existing skills and adopt new skills in order to maintain your independence and safety.
The rehabilitation worker can help those people close to you to understand the implications of your sight loss. They can help with the following aspects of your life:
Mobility
- sighted guiding techniques
- advice on safe ways to cross roads
- using public transport safely
- room or building familiarisation
- advice on access to buildings, for example, local shops, GP's surgery, school or college
- white cane training
- making the most of other senses.
Daily living
- personal care (for example, safe shaving or bathing)
- how to apply make-up or style your hair
- ways of identifying clothing
- making a hot drink
- preparation and cooking of meals in the safest way
- identifying money or clothing
- simple and effective ways of doing housework
- advice on safer gardening techniques.
Communication
- using the telephone
- advice on the use of magnifiers and lighting
- handwriting and signatures
- how to make an audiotape
- using keyboards, computers, scanners and other software
- tactile languages (Braille/Moon).
Equipment
There is a huge variety of equipment that can help with every day tasks. It is vital that any equipment you have is suitable for your needs. Staff will advise you on the suitability of equipment and how you can get it. Professional advice from our staff may help you avoid costly mistakes, for example, buying inappropriate magnifiers. You can also find out about adaptations to your home.
Meeting others
There are a number of clubs and groups across the county where people who have a sight loss meet together in a social setting. The rehabilitation officer can give you details of these, or contact Social Care Direct.
Holidays
Several organisations and hotels offer holidays especially for people with sight loss. The rehabilitation officer can give you details of these, or you can contact Social Care Direct.
Visit Out 'N' About an electronic directory that improves access to information about what's out there to help people with disabilities and carers to take a break.
Getting out and about
Find out about the blue badge disabled parking scheme. For information on guide dogs for the blind visit Community Information Online.
Money matters
Depending on your personal circumstances, you may be entitled to additional benefits.
Keep working
Find out about employment and the help available.
Health
Find out about NHS patient advice, nurse advice and health information.
What other services are available?
There are other services and support available that the rehabilitation officer may discuss with you.
These include:
If you agree, you may be referred to another relevant organisation for help.
Working in partnership
In order to make sure you receive the care and support you need, we work with many organisations, for example, health services and voluntary organisations. Sometimes we need to ask other organisations to provide services for you but this will only be done with your agreement.
Access to personal records
People who receive help from us, or who offer their services as carers, may be asked to give information about themselves, their personal or family circumstances and, for some services, their financial circumstances. This information is recorded, usually on a computer, together with information given by other people.
You have the right to see the information held by us, which is about you. If you would like to see your personal records, ask any member of staff for a copy of the leaflet 'access to personal records' or contact Social Care Direct.
County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted
County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted promotes the welfare of people who are blind and partially sighted in County Durham. The society runs a community support project, providing information and practical help in response to enquiries from blind and partially sighted people, their families and friends.
The society also runs a befriending service, which visits up to 40 isolated visually impaired people and also offers a ring-a-round service to those on a waiting list. Drivers and escorts are available for people with sight loss to attend eye clinic appointments. Volunteers also help to provide a computer mentoring scheme, the RNIB Talking Book Service and the British Wireless for the Blind Fund equipment scheme.
Other services are available, including Braille/audio transcription, visual impairment awareness training, reporting facilities for hate crime in partnership with Durham Constabulary, two Talking Newspapers (north and south of the County), a Macular Disease Support Group, welfare rights advice in partnership with Action for Blind People, free loan of equipment including CCTVs, EasyReaders and Braillers, and the demonstration/sale of specialist equipment by the Home Independence Service.
Blind Life IN Durham
Blind Life IN Durham was established in June 2004. Friendship plays a big part in the organisation. It's often the case that people who get to know others who are blind or visually impaired do not feel as isolated.
The organisation provides emotional support for members, family and carers by phone, email and in person.
It holds regular social meetings, which usually includes a demonstration or talk on topics of interest to visually impaired people.
It provides a monthly newsletter, organises outings to a wide variety of places, provides computer support from a professional computer technician and online mentoring over the internet.
Blind Life IN Durham has also formed a sporting group for their members playing New Age Kurling. This provides healthy exercise as well as a social aid to mental wellbeing. Playing against sighted people creates awareness in others and builds self esteem visually impaired members.
Blind Life IN Durham can be contacted by using the details at the bottom of this page.
Home Independence Service
The Home Independence Service provides advice and information on a range of equipment for people with physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The service operates five shops and two equipment demonstration centres.
The service also funds a part-time worker employed for 23 hours within the visual loss resource centre at County Durham Society for the Blind and Partially Sighted. The present employee is blind. This role is to provide information/advice on equipment and services specific to visual loss and the centre has a range of equipment available which can be demonstrated. A range of small equipment can be purchased on site.
County Durham sight loss survey
The report summarises the findings of research undertaken with groups of blind and partially sighted people from across County Durham during summer 2008. The report was published in November 2008, and can be viewed by clicking on the following link:
County Durham and Darlington low vision services committee
The low vision group has worked since July 2008 to develop the eye care services used by blind and partially sighted people in County Durham.
The minutes of the low vision committee meetings can be selected below.
The low vision committee is guided in its work by local priorities and by the guidance provided in the recently published UK Vision Strategy. Its minutes can be found by clicking on the links below:
Key reports and documents
Useful external links for visual impairment
Further information
For further details you can download a copy of our following publications:
Alternatively, please contact Social Care Direct if you would like to find out more. You can do this using the details provided below.