If sight cannot be fully restored - Glaucoma

"Early detection and treatment will usually prevent or slow down further damage by glaucoma. If you do experience some sight loss much can be done to help you use your remaining vision as fully as possible. You should ask your optician or optometrist about low vision aids and whether you are eligible to register as sight impaired (partially sighted) or severely sight impaired (blind). Registration can act as your 'passport' to expert help and sometimes to financial benefits. Only the Ophthalmologist can place someone on a partial sighted or blind register."

Shocking abuse faced by the blind

"MORE than 1.2 million blind and partially sighted people in the UK have experienced physical and/or verbal abuse, according to a survey by Action for Blind People.
In one day nearly 20,000 (4%) blind and partially sighted people were physically abused, compared with less than 1% of sighted people.
In one week almost 180,000 (16%) blind and partially sighted people were verbally abused, compared with only 7% of sighted people.
The survey also revealed a visually impaired person is three times more likely than a sighted person (24% v 8%) not to know where or who to turn to, and almost twice as likely not to be taken seriously (31% v 17%) if they told anyone about their experiences.
One of the people who took part in the survey says the charity is helping rehouse her as a result of abuse and harassment.
She said: 'I have had bricks and stones thrown at me, a football kicked at my face, eggs thrown at my window and kids spitting at me.”
The charity's chief executive, Stephen Remington, said: 'Unfortunately, visually impaired people can be seen as vulnerable and an easy target for anti-social behaviour.
"The impact this can have on a visually impaired person, who may already feel vulnerable, can be devastating.
"Many people will be as horrified by these results as we are. All of us can play a role in helping to combat such disgusting behaviour."
If you, or anyone you know, are visually impaired and experiencing verbal and/or physical abuse contact Action for Blind People on its Freephone helpline 0800 915 4666 or visit the website: www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk"

Disability Sports: Impairment no barrier to success - icWales

"HOSTED by the Penarth Leisure Centre, an inaugural Festival of Sport for the Visually Impaired has been hailed a great success. The Disability Sports Wales event was designed to allow individuals to try a range of team or individual sports in an informal atmosphere. It was organised by Linda Ruston, Disability Sports Wales development officer with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, in partnership with Paul Taylor and Simon Jones, her counterparts from Caerphilly and Merthyr respectively, and with Invaluable assistance from Action for Blind People. Twenty-five participants, ranging from toddlers to retirees, attended from the Vale, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Torfaen, Newport, Cardiff, Pembrokeshire and Blaenau Gwent. The event featured a range of 11 adapted sports comprising football, trampolining, cricket, bowls, archery, athletics, cycling, judo, boxercise and shooting. And the centre’s Lifestyle gym was available free of charge to those aged 14 and over. The UK has around two million people with a visual impairment, for example, a sight problem which cannot be corrected by wearing glasses, contact lenses or by eye surgery. Visual impairment conditions vary, including macular degeneration, glaucoma or cataracts.

Attending the Penarth event were persons who are registered as totally blind to those having nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eye).

Linda said: “All said they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The festival offered individuals the opportunity to access and enjoy a variety of sports, build confidence and promote independence.”

For further information on disability sport, contact Linda Ruston on 01446 704728 or visit the website at www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/disabilitysports.

He's the breadwinner even though he's blind

"HIS hands work with astonishing speed and dexterity and within a few moments a rug is starting to form. Said Mrisho, sitting cross-legged in the courtyard outside his Zanzibar home, is in his element. Said's skill allows him to enjoy an independent life with his family in the Zanzibar village of Haway.
He uses a metal ruler to measure lengths of the hard-wearing coconut fibre and wields scissors to cut the strands to size. Then they are all woven together to produce the carpets he sells to earn a living for himself, his wife and his three children. Rug-making is a craft that is difficult enough for the fully-sighted but Said is totally blind. Now 30, he lost partial vision in both eyes at the age of 10 after a playground accident. As his eyesight gradually worsened over the years he was facing a life of destitution. Until recently in countries such as Tanzania - Zanzibar, the ancient Spice Island, lies off the coast of its mainland - people who became irreversibly blind fell to the lowest levels of society. They were perceived as becoming a burden to their families, unable to make a contribution to the daily struggle for sur"

Poor sight isolates older people

"Depression and isolation are just some of the things that can be caused as a result of elderly people suffering sight problems, experts have claimed. The situation could be made worse by the fact that many older people are missing out on routine eye tests, the Sight after Sixty report reveals.One third of over-60s who missed out on eye checks said that their vision problems made them feel depressed, isolated and vulnerable.As many as 96 per cent of over-60s need sight correction measures, yet more than four million pensioners in the UK miss eye tests every year, with many blaming costs.However routine eye checks are free for pensioners and people on low incomes can often get discounted glasses.A quarter of senior citizens said sight problems disrupted their daily life and more than half have trouble reading.Iain Anderson, chairman of the Eyecare Trust commented: 'Good vision is so often a key factor in the elderly maintaining their dignity and independence. A simple eye examination could help improve the quality of life of millions of pensioners. It's unforgivable that elderly people are left feeling depressed and vulnerable by the quality of their vision when sight loss in older people is very often avoidable.'He added: 'Poor vision is not an inevitable consequence of ageing. Almost a third of all visual impairment in people aged over 75 is solely due to wearing the wrong glasses or no glasses at all."Regular eye examinations are also vital to ensure the early detection of a range of age-related eye conditions that can often be easily managed. Eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, a new prescription and low vision aids are all simple ways in which you can help maintain and preserve your vision."