SeeAbility's award winning eye 2 eye service

Transforming eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities

The Department of Health estimates that a considerable proportion of people with learning disabilities (between 30-40%) will have a significant impairment of vision. A disturbing pattern of disadvantage exists throughout the UK, where instead of a holistic approach, people who are blind or partially sighted with learning disabilities tend to be categorised by local authorities and disability organisations - according to their sensory, physical or learning disability. People with multiple disabilities can become marginalised through limited communication between service providers.

Services that offer accessible eyecare to people with learning disabilities are limited, therefore visual impairment often goes undetected leading to poor eye health, dependence and in some instances, preventable blindness.

In 2005 SeeAbility launched the eye 2 eye service with the aim of transforming eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities. The eye 2 eye service aims to achieve this goal through:

• A number of eye 2 eye Community Development Projects across the UK - we currently or have had projects in Barnsley; Bristol; Sheffield; Birmingham; London and West Sussex.
  
• Look Up, a national information service launched during Learning Disability Week in June 2007. Look Up offers specialist support through a website, www.lookupinfo.org, telephone line and training.  
  
• Lobbying and Campaigning activities designed to influence local and central government policy on eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities.
  
• A fundraising strategy which aims to raise awareness and voluntary income to resource the Campaign.
  
  Read our New Summer  Campaign Report 2009 (3524KB)
  
  Key Facts:
  
• No-one is too disabled to have a sight test
  
• Sight is the key to learning, communication and movement
  
• 1 in 3 people with a learning disability have a sight problem
  
• People with learning disabilities may not know they have a sight problem and they may not be able to tell others
  
• People with learning disabilities need regular eye tests - an eye test is not just about getting glasses it's about having an eye health check
  
• You don't have to be able to read or talk to have an eye test
  
• Lots of people with learning disabilities need support to have eye operations to make their sight better
  
• Sight problems are often found in people who challenge services and have poor communication skills
  
• People with learning disabilities need the same help as everyone else who has a sight problem
  
• Lots of people with learning disabilities may need support to get used to wearing glasses so they can make the most of the sight they have

Read our Report "A review of existing investigations into eye care for people with learning disabilities"