D R M INDEPENDENT LIVING
FAMILY WELLBEING AT THE CORE OF SIGHT SCOTLAND Sight loss impacts not just the individual, but those that care for them as well. Sight Scotland’s Family Wellbeing Service ensures that all affected by sight loss are supported. THERE are around 180,000 people living in Scotland today with significant sight loss. With that number set to increase by 30,000 over the next 10 years, Scotland’s largest visual impairment organisation, Sight Scotland, is on a mission to reach out to even more people affected by visual impairment. The charity has been supporting people with sight loss for over two centuries, with expertise and services in education, including the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh and outreach education support, care, and the Scottish Braille Press in Edinburgh, which provides accessible formats. And the latest Sight Scotland service, the Family Wellbeing Service, which includes a national telephone support line in Scotland, takes the charity’s expertise and support into the community, increasing its reach across Scotland. Sight Scotland’s Head of Community Services, Colin Hilditch, said: “Our Family Wellbeing Service, which is free to access, is available via telephone, online and within the community. It provides information, advice and support to blind and partially sighted people in Scotland, as well as their families, carers and friends. “The service’s development stemmed from Sight Scotland research prior to the pandemic, including a community consultation, which found that many visually impaired people and their families said they had experienced a lack of support in the early stages of a sight loss diagnosis and in helping family members cope with the impact of their loved one’s sight loss. “Anyone impacted by sight loss in Scotland can connect with our service directly through the Sight Scotland Support Line or by getting in touch through the Sight Scotland website.” Agnes Stevenson, 78, of Prestonpans, East Lothian, was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration four years ago. She says she struggled to come to terms with the impact of losing her sight, and to know how to live independently with
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sight loss, and so got in touch with Sight Scotland in early 2021. “I didn’t know anything about macular degeneration. When I was told I had it, I was devastated,” said Agnes. “At that time, I got no information at all. It was a huge shock. If I had had support at an earlier point following my diagnosis, I don’t think I would have gone into such a depression. I had given up completely.
“MANY VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES SAID THEY HAD EXPERIENCED A LACK OF SUPPORT.”
It made me quite depressed, thinking that nothing else could help with my sight. When I contacted Sight Scotland, I’d just thought, ‘I have to do something.’” With support from the Family Wellbeing Service, Agnes has now been introduced to different types of disabilit yreviewmagazine.co.uk
