Research on the Needs of Blind and Partially Sighted People
VISION RESEARCH NEWS
AUTUMN 2005
This is a Joint Publication on Behalf of
http://www.pocklington-trust.org.uk
http://www.rnib.org.uk
http://www.guidedogs.com
http://www.vision2020uk.org.uk
Further information on articles contained within this publication can be obtained by using the contact points within the articles or by accessing the websites mentioned above.
Contents: Page No:
Completed Published Research: 3
· Thomas Pocklington Trust 3
- Evaluating a Public Health Package on Glaucoma 3
- The Effectiveness of Home Improvement Agency
Services to People with Sight Loss 4
- Our Vision Too (Project on Ethnic Minorities) 5
· Royal National Institute of the Blind 6
- The Prevalence of Visual Impairment in the UK:
A Review of the Literature 6
- Identifying the Barriers to the Take-Up of Free
Eye Examinations by Older People in the UK 7
- Out of the Paddling Pool (Transition to Sixth Form/FE) 8
· Guide Dogs 10
- The Experiences of Visually Impaired Users
of the NHS 10
- Development of GP Guidelines for Best Practice 11
- Audio Visual Information on Buses 12
· VISION 2020 UK 15
- Low Vision Project National Evaluation Report 15
Research Plans: 16
· Thomas Pocklington Trust 16
· Royal National Institute of the Blind 17
· Guide Dogs 17
Other Research News: 18
· SeeAbility - Promoting Social Inclusion for Visually 18
Impaired People from Minority Ethnic Communities
· Queens University, Belfast – Project to Open 18
Internet to the Blind/Mobile Devices and Audio Guides
· VISION 2020 UK - Network 1000, Surveying 19
the Changing Needs and Circumstances of Visually
Impaired Adults in Great Britain
· Randomised controlled trial of prevention of falls in 19
people aged 75 and over with severe visual impairment:
the VIP trial
COMPLETED PUBLISHED RESEARCH
THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST
Evaluating a Public Health Package on Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the main cause of preventable blindness in older people in the UK and studies show the public have limited understanding of the condition. This pilot study on the Isle of Wight and in South Ealing was carried out by the Glaucoma Research Unit Moorfields Hospital with funding from Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Aims
The project aimed:
· to examine the extent a public health package on glaucoma could reach its target population, using a variety of media.
· To provide a sound basis for a larger study to investigate the effects of a Health Promotion campaign on the Isle of Wight.
Methodology
Interviews were conducted before and after the health intervention which consisted of an interview on local radio and an advert in the local paper.
Findings
· The researchers demonstrated that the media campaign had an effect on raising awareness of glaucoma, although the impact varied in the two areas due to significant differences in the population.
· The pilot study has been an invaluable basis for the larger study.
Further Information
The study has been published as Baker H and Murdoch I. “Can a Public Health Package on glaucoma reach its target population?”, Eye(2004)18,478-482. Thomas Pocklington Trust is now publishing Research Findings on the pilot study:.
The Effectiveness of Home Improvement Agency Services to People with Sight Loss
Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs) advise and assist older, disabled and vulnerable homeowners and private sector tenants. Thomas Pocklington Trust funded a project by Foundations and the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York, to examine HIA services.
Aims
· To ascertain awareness of HIA services among visually impaired adults, their relatives and support networks.
· To consider ways to improve HIA service delivery to visually impaired adults.
· To identify staff training needs.
Methodology
The project included research and intervention phases with six HIAs and local partners.
Findings
· Awareness of HIAs is limited amongst visually impaired people and specialist visual impairment organisations.
· Although HIAs act conscientiously as advocates for clients, limited knowledge of visually impaired people’s needs means inappropriate methods of communication can be used.
· General awareness and working practices can improve when HIAs are introduced to the social model of disability and given training.
· A range of technical solutions will be appropriate for people with a visual impairment.
· Networking benefits HIAs and service users.
Further Information
A Good Practice Guide “Delivering Home Improvement Agency Services to Visually Impaired People” is available from Foundations: email: . An Occasional Paper and Research Findings summary is available from Thomas Pocklington Trust at www.pocklington-trust.org.uk
Our Vision Too
Improving the access of ethnic minority visually impaired people to appropriate services: building a supported community referral system.
Aims
This project aimed to examine and develop means of ensuring that services are more effectively delivered to people from black and ethnic minority (BME)communities with visual impairment, by raising awareness and capacity in communities and service providers.
Methodology
After an investigation of related work, community fieldworkers were trained and conducted ‘focus group’ discussions in their communities, giving information to group members. An action research model led to a series of ‘Sight Loss Information Fairs’, and an evaluation.
Findings
· There is still a lack of knowledge about the prevalence of sight loss in different ethnic groups.
· Potential service users in minority communities have a poor knowledge of eye conditions and of services.
· Common themes between various groups may be better addressed if the response is ‘community specific’.
· The primary need is for information, delivered through trusted routes.
· People experience ‘learned helplessness’
· Stigma, shame or pride have a disproportionate impact on minority communities.
Further Information
A research findings summary is available from Thomas Pocklington Trust, email , and an Occasional Paper is being published. The full report is available from De Montfort University, Mary Seacole Centre, Charles Frears Campus, 266 London Road, Leicester LE2 1RQ.
ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE BLIND
The Prevalence of Visual Impairment in the UK: A Review of the Literature
Aims
This literature review was commissioned from Professor Astrid Fletcher, an epidemiologist at the London School of Medicine, to identify the most reliable estimates of the prevalence of visual impairment.
HygienHygiene and Tropical MedicinMed
Methodology
Professor Fletcher and epidemiological colleagues identified and reviewed the UK literature on the prevalence of visual impairment.
Findings
The review identified the most reliable estimates of the prevalence of visual impairment for children, those of working age and of older people. For older people estimates have also been produced by gender and whether living in the community or residential care. The review also evaluated estimates of the registerable but non-registered population. The table below summarises prevalence for those aged over 65 years living in the community. In due course, the estimates in the report will be produced as population estimates. That is, estimates of the number of people with a visual impairment.
Estimated UK percentage prevalence of visual difficulty amongst older people living in the community (by age group)Source: National Diet and Nutrition Survey and Medical Research Council
Visual acuity
(binocular activity) / Age group
65-74 / 75-79 / 80-84 / 85-89 / 90+
Mild visual impairment
(6/12->6/18) / 6.1 / 4.6 / 8.1 / 11.9 / 16.2
Moderate to severe visual impairment
(6/18->3/60) / 2.5 / 5.6 / 9.6 / 19.2 / 30.0
Blind
(<3/60) / 0.6 / 2.3 / 4.3 / 4.3
Further information
The estimates will be posted on the RNIB web-site once the work is completed. Contact: Nigel Charles: or telephone 0207 391 2073.
Identifying the Barriers to the Take-Up of Free Eye Examinations by Older People in the UK
Aims
There is a lack of evidence about the barriers to free eye examinations for older people and the purpose of this study was to identify them. The intention is that these findings can be used as a foundation to develop, implement and target interventions that are most likely to increase the take-up of examinations.
Methodology
There has been very little research specifically about access to eye examinations and none about access to free examinations. To identify barriers, the most appropriate method was a qualitative one and the one chosen for this project were group discussions with a sample of older people who had a recent eye examination or who had not.
Findings
As part of the preparatory work for this study, we estimated that in any one year around 4 million people aged over 60 years in the UK do not take up the free eye examination to which they are entitled. We also know from the prevalence review that there also might be around half a million people aged over 65 years in the UK who have untreated but treatable cataract and refractive error. There is likely to be a strong link between the low take-up, of eye examinations and the size of the population of those with untreated but treatable conditions. If we are able to identify the barriers to eye examination take-up action may be taken to increase take-up and thereby reduce the prevalence of untreated but treatable conditions. In doing so, the findings will be used to inform the design of a quantitative study that will measure the relative impact of these barriers on eye examination take-up.
The barriers are:
· Explicit barriers that older people consciously associate with having an eye examination such as there not being an obvious need for one or that the care of a spouse constrains the opportunity to have an examination.
· Latent barriers that they are not conscious of which might affect the take-up of examinations, such as attitudes to eye health and knowledge of the causes of sight loss.
· Systemic barriers that arise from the provision of eye examinations and related services such as lack of knowledge of the role of optometrists and the affordability of spectacles.
· Cultural barriers that might influence eye examination take-up such as not speaking the languages spoken by local optometrists and the role of the family in caring for older people.
Further information
The report will be published in due course but unpublished copies can be obtained from Nigel Charles: or telephone 0207 391 2073.
Out of the Paddling Pool: a report of the first and second year follow ups of students with visual impairment following transition to school sixth form or colleges of further education in Wales
Aims
To identify the factors leading to, or preventing, a successful transition from school to further education at the age of 16 for young people with visual impairment in Wales. To describe the post-16 transition experiences of young people with visual impairment and the arrangements for their post-18 transition.
Methodology
This was a longitudinal study using a holistic, multiple-case study design with the young person as the unit of analysis.
Findings
In April 2004 RNIB produced a report detailing the findings from the first main stage of a longitudinal research study investigating the experiences of five young people with visual impairment in Wales as they went through the process of transition from compulsory to post-compulsory education at the age of 16. The second stage of the research explores the experiences of the young people during the two-year period since transition and describes the arrangements that have been made for their post-18 transition. The findings provide further evidence to support the findings in the main research report in 2004 that regardless of type of setting, it is important that young people continue to have access to support and guidance from a trusted adult. The findings also suggest that a specialist teacher of students with visual impairment should at the very least have a monitoring role in the young person's educational support. The opportunity to compare the experiences of the young people at two transition stages has highlighted the increasing complexity of the process as a wider range of options becomes possible.
Further Information
Further information about the research, and copies of both reports can be obtained from: Sue Keil, RNIB research department: , Tel: 020 7391 2369 and Nicola Crews,
RNIB Wales: Tel: 029 2045 0440.
GUIDE DOGS
The Experiences of Visually Impaired Users of the NHS
Aims
· To identify the experiences of visually impaired people in using the National Health Service, focusing on GP, outpatient and inpatient services
· To identify specific areas of improvement needed, in all sectors of the Service, to address the needs of blind and partially sighted people
Methods
A survey was administered as a 20 minute telephone interview to a total of 832 people on lists of voluntary local associations of blind and partially sighted people in the UK – 400 guide dog owners and 432 users of other mobility aids.
Findings
Large segments of visually impaired people are happy with the services of their GP as well as their use of both outpatient and outpatient facilities. However, there is a sizeable minority with negative experiences of the NHS.
Areas investigated include
· Access to and within the surgery
· Confidence in their GP
· GP knowledge
· Availability of preferred formats
· Staff awareness and helpfulness
· Making complaints
· Overall satisfaction with the last visit
· Improvements to the GP surgery
Key areas of improvement to the GP surgery as recommended by the population include:
· Improving access to and within the surgery
· Expanding the range of formats of communication available within the surgery
· Improving the attitudes of staff
· Improving announcement systems in surgeries
Further Information
www.guidedogs.org.uk/index.php?id=1470&no_cache=1
Development of GP Guidelines for Best Practice
Aims
· To substantiate the findings of Guide Dogs’ survey on the experiences of blind and partially sighted people in the UK
· To determine how surgeries can be made more accessible to people with a visual impairment
· To develop minimum standards and guidelines for GP surgeries
Methods
· Conducted pan-disability access audits on 27 randomly selected doctors’ surgeries across the UK between May and September 2004 focusing on communication and information, staff training, the physical environment: internal and external