Scotland

Visual Impairment and Learning Disability Services (VILD)

Summary: Identifying Sight Loss - Creating Opportunity

• Services provided
• Funding options
• Our story
• Research
• Contacts and further information

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At least one in three people with a learning difficulty will also have serious sight loss.

We believe the figure may be significantly higher. Over the last ten years RNIB has assessed the vision of more than 500 people with learning disabilities. We found approximately 80 per cent had some degree of sight loss. Often this sight loss had previously gone undetected.

Our aim is to ‘Identify Sight Loss and Create Opportunity’ by increasing awareness of:

• the prevalence of under-detection of sight loss
• the consequences for people with a learning disability.

Visual Impairment and Learning Disability Services (VILD) have a recognised excellence in supporting people with a visual impairment and learning disability through the provision of its specialist services. Watch our 4-minute DVD to see how we support people, from their functional vision assessment through to practical rehabilitation support.

Services provided

From RNIB bases in Scotland we provide the following services across the UK:

• services for services users, parents and carers
• services to support professionals and organisations working with people with a learning disability and sight loss.

Consultancy and training

The National Practice and Development Team offers a range of award-winning specialist training, consultancy, information and rehabilitation services for all those who are supporting adults and children who have a learning disability and suspected or confirmed sight problems.

Funding options

There is a number of options for funding our services.

Our story

Visual Impairment and Learning Disability Services have been addressing the needs of people with learning disabilities and suspected or confirmed sight loss for over 12 years. The unique expertise within this team was recognised in 2006 when we won the prestigious Scottish Care Accolade for ‘Innovative or Imaginative Training’ in the annual awards of the Scottish Social Services Council.

Research

We have been involved in a number of research projects that have provided clinical and practice-based evidence of the extent of undiagnosed sight loss in the learning disability population. We aim to continue working with partners to develop robust evidence of the nature and extend of this problem.

Contacts and further information

Consult the frequently asked questions about our VILD services or contact us to discuss your requirements.

RNIB is a partner in Look Up, a new information service which aims to transform the quality of eye care for the 1.5 million people in the UK who have a learning disability.

Content author: mike.brown@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 06/03/2008 15:41