Cane Walk Bids to End Year-Long Waits for Support

Blind and partially sighted people gathered at Westminster recently to tell the Government it’s time to end the postcode lottery of support for people with sight loss.

A group of blind and partially sighted people using white canes took part in a ‘cane walk’ from Parliament Square to the office of the Department of Health and Social Care, where they handed in a petition signed by more than 48,000 people.

They were there to push for improvements in vision rehabilitation, a service that people are legally entitled to when they lose or are losing their sight.

This service equips blind and partially sighted people with the skills and tools they need to stay independent: to get out and about confidently, adapt at work, do the weekly shop, and enjoy the hobbies they love. It typically involves developing essential mobility skills in how to use a white cane, as well as cooking and technology skills.

But research by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has revealed it to be a patchy provision across England with - in many cases - people waiting more than a year for an initial assessment of their needs by local authorities.

“Thousands of blind and partially sighted people are having their lives put on pause waiting for vision rehabilitation,” said blind disability campaigner and star of ITV’s This Morning, Claire Sisk.

“When I lost my sight, vision rehabilitation helped me learn how to use my cane (which I call Rick the Stick) and get out and about again. After receiving this support, my life changed so much, I was free; I had my independence back, I could be me again.”

Research by RNIB shows that in the financial year 2023 to 2024 20 per cent of local authorities had people waiting over a year to receive just an initial assessment of the services they need; 85 per cent of local authorities did not complete vision rehabilitation assessments within RNIB’s-recommended 28 days and 38 local authorities said that assessments are not always conducted by qualified Vision Rehabilitation Specialists.

“The Health and Care Secretary can be in no doubt that it’s time to act so that every person with sight loss gets the support they need, when they need it,” said Eleanor Thompson, Director of Policy, Campaigns and Social Action at RNIB.

“We know that when people don’t receive this support they often stay at home, cut themselves off from friends and family, can fall out of work or stop going about their everyday lives.

“Too many people are having their lives put on pause, unnecessarily. No one should have to wait to receive vital support after sight loss.”

RNIB is calling on the Government to develop proper guidelines and quality standards for vision rehabilitation and transform it into a regulated profession ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

To find out more visit https://www.rnib.org.uk/news/life-on-pause-rnib-calls-on-health-secretary-to-act/

Pictured from left to right: Charmaine Ashpole, Rob Sears, Claire Sisk, Mike Wordingham, Geoff Smith, Tom Skelton and Frankie Brady.