There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability and one in three are estimated to have a sight problem which often goes undetected because they are unable to participate in a standard eye test.
SeeAbility’s eye 2 eye Campaign promotes the awareness and importance of good eye health to people with learning and communication difficulties, their support networks and care and optical professionals.
SeeAbility’s eye 2 eye Development Officers are working with the optical profession and have supported many people to directly access appropriate eye tests, many for the first time in their lives, which can take months of preparation to ensure that each test is effective and to endorse future eye care.
Andrea is a 38-year-old woman with a moderate learning disability and a reputation for ‘challenging behaviour’. When she was referred to the eye 2 eye team, her support worker said ‘She does need an eye test, but I’ve no idea how you’ll do it - she’ll probably thump the optician’.
SeeAbility’s staff worked with Andrea to help prepare her for the test by matching pictures and using a pen light torch which they shone in her eye so she would get used to the sensation before going for an eye test.
After months of familiarising Andrea with the things she would experience in the eye test she was ready to go. On the actual day, Andrea was very excited and bounded out of her house, gesticulating wildly and speaking excitedly ‘Me, you, car, eyes’.
Andrea was thrilled to be going to the Opticians, seeing it as a special event - an event that showed that she did need glasses which she is happy and proud to wear.
Edward has a learning disability. He was told that he had cataracts and that unless he had surgery he could go blind within months. Edward had stopped going out as he was scared and people appeared to be a blur when he looked at them.
The eye 2 eye team attended each appointment with Edward and talked through each step of the procedure. His eye 2 eye worker was also there to support him during his stay in the hospital whilst receiving treatment.
