Progress in sight National standards of social care for visually impaired adults The Association of Directors of Social Services October 2002 Alternative formats This document is also available in large print, Braille and on audio tape. It can be supplied on a floppy disk in pdf format for a Windows PC or Apple Macintosh computer (requires Adobe Acrobat™ Reader) or as a Microsoft Word document or a plain text file. It can be obtained in any of these formats for £10 plus postage and packing from: RNIB Customer Services Telephone: 08457 023153 PO Box 173 Fax: 01733 371555 Peterborough PE2 6WS Minicom: 0845 758 5691 E-mail:
[email protected] It can also be downloaded from the following Web sites on the Internet: www.adss.org.uk/eyes.shtml (The Association of Directors of Social Services) www.guidedogs.org.uk (The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association) www.rnib.org.uk (The Royal National Institute of the Blind) Copyright notice This publication is free from copyright restrictions. It can be copied in whole or in part and used to train staff and volunteers or for any other purpose that results in improved services for visually impaired people. However, any material that is used in this way should acknowledge this publication as its source. Edited by Andrew Northern (
[email protected]) Designed by Ray Hadlow FCSD (
[email protected]) Typeset in Stone Sans by DP Press, Sevenoaks, Kent (www.dppress.co.uk) Printed by CW Print Group, Loughton, Essex (www.cwprint.co.uk) Published in October 2002 by the Disabilities Committee of the Association of Directors of Social Services, Riverview House, Beaver Lane, London W6 9AR The Association of Directors of Social Services is a registered charity, number 299154 2 Contents Introduction 4 Acknowledgements 5 Notes on terminology 6 The extent of the problem 8 The purpose of the national standards 10 The principles underpinning the national standards 12 The national standards — A summary 14 Part One.