Beyond Optometric Services – Services for Blind & Partially Sighted People Beyond

Diagnosis

Lecture given by Simon Labbett: RNIB. Contact 01423 503 957 1) Support Services a) Rehabilitation Services Provided by social services or voluntary organisations (under contract) Issues: • Variable quality of services • Huge work load on rehab officers • Potentially damaging time lapse between registration and rehab. intervention • Status of rehab. officers undergoing change • Insufficient time given to service users in using LVAs • Follow-up care is rare b) Information and Welfare Services Provided mainly by voluntary organisations. Advice on benefits, rights and concessions. c) Emotional/Peer Support Services Provided predominantly by voluntary organisations d) Leisure & Learning Services Provided by voluntary organisations and by local education providers Voluntary Sector/Statutory sector Voluntary sector provision is patchy. Services provided vary but can include: statutory services under contract; welfare advice; resource centre; leisure; home visiting; staff/volunteer presence in eye clinics; emotional/peer support; recent registration groups Voluntary Sector pros & cons Pros: have greater time to “care”; can intervene and provide social care early when medically based services are slow; independent and can challenge statutory provision Cons: occasional poor liaison with statutory providers = duplication; patchy quality/provision around UK; potential for antiquated, non-empowering model of services; charity status makes them vulnerable to funding crisis. National Charities Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) = over 60 services, including: Talking Books; Schools, Residential Homes, Hotels, Rehabilitation training Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDBA) = focus on guide dog training and rehabilitation National Federation for the Blind (NFB) = national charity run by blind and partially sighted people

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2) Visually Impaired Perspective on Services Range of emotions: “it’s just part of growing old”; anger; denial; confusion; bereavement. The individual’s sense of identity is critically compromised. • Rehabilitation can only truly start when the individual has reached a point of

acceptance. Motivation is the key to successful rehabilitation. • One’s general view of life – glass is half empty/half full – will have a bearing

on acceptance of sight loss. • Service providers tend to provide services without full reference to the time

and manner in which people will use those services to best effect ie they may not be ready for the services that are offered.

3) Barriers Barriers are: a) Attitudinal For example: GPs may assume sight loss is just part of ageing and that options are limited; community based services (such as cinemas, libraries, galleries, fitness centres) assume they have limited relevance to visually impaired people; people with learning disabilities cannot be tested for new glasses/eye care b) Discriminatory For example: rehabilitation services are not always based on a gerantological model suitable to the majority of clients; access still denied to goods and services despite DDA; access to information all walks of life is denied (eg hospital appointment letters; drug labels; cash dispensers; mobile phone design; job adverts) c) Social Transport, Isolation and Poverty Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) An organisation/business must not discriminate against a disabled person on account of their disability. Discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably and it cannot be justified. 4) Leisure One’s self-identity is defined through work and leisure. Rehabilitation should work towards goal of quality of life based on work and leisure. Use of residual vision is a key component in that process. 5) Conclusions • Training in visual awareness is needed for all front line staff • Assessment of social care is vital to run in tandem with medical intervention • Improved access and awareness of low vision services • Jargon free information in accessible formats on a person’s eye condition • Access to reassessment of needs based on changing eye conditions • DDA enforcement extended