We’ve worked with local eye care services to improve access for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. These areas now offer an Easy Eye Care pathway, which means longer appointments through opticians who have had additional training on supporting people with learning disabilities, including about using easy read information and being able to test people who find it hard to talk.

Easy eye care

The Easy Eye Care pathway provides:

• A longer eye test or multiple shorter appointments, supported by an enhanced fee for the optometrist.
• A pre-examination questionnaire for the person having their eyes tested.
• A plain English eye test results form.
• Eye care from an accredited optometrist.

We want the LOCSU (Local Optical Committee Support Unit) eye care pathway for people with learning disabilities to be available across the whole of England.

Currently the pathway is only available in a few areas:

• North West England (Greater Manchester, Cheshire & Merseyside and Lancashire and South Cumbria)
• London Borough of Sutton
• Durham

However, with support from the Vision Foundation, we have established an 18 month project seeking to set up the LOCSU pathway across the whole of London.

We want to hear from you!

We would love to hear from:

• People with learning disabilities and autistic people who are struggling to access eye care services in London.
• Advocacy groups for people with learning disabilities or autistic people who would like to offer their support.
• Optical professionals and Local Optical Committees who are interested in the pathway.
• Commissioners of eye care services wishing to reduce health inequalities in their area.

We are also keen to hear from people in other parts of the country who are interested in learning more about the pathway.

Get in touch with the team

Trevor Hunter, Eye Care Pathway Co-ordinator 

Trevor is a contact lens optician with many years experience in the optical sector both in academia and retail optics.

Phone: 07849 639992
Email: t.hunter@seeability.org

Grace McGill, Expert by Experience

Grace has lived experience of sight loss and learning disabilities and is a lifelong user of eye care services. Grace also works for SeeAbility as an Eye Care Champion.

Phone: 07849 708765
Email: g.mcgill@seeability.org