RNIB Scotland Annualreview 2013/14

RNIB Scotland annualreview 2013/14

Living withconfidence

Contents

• Making every day better
• About us
• Our work in numbers
• Being there
• Supporting independent living
• Creating an inclusive society
• Stopping people losing their sight unnecessarily
• Your support
• A brief look at our finances
• Thank you
• How you can help
• Contact us

Making every day better

This annual review marks the end ofRNIB’s 2009/14 five-year plan. It isimpossible to sum up all of our successes,but here are just some of those of whichwe are particularly proud in Scotland in2013/14.

We held a landmark conference exploringthe services available for children andyoung people with sight loss. Thereprobably has not been anything similar inScotland for more than a decade. Wetapped into a real groundswell of ambitionamong teachers, health and socialservices professionals, taking stock ofhow we help children and young peoplemaximise their life chances, and askingwhat we could do better. Our Haggeyeyouth forum, meanwhile, went fromstrength to strength, this year embarkingon a new and innovative direction to bringtogether young and older people withsight loss.

In September, we held our second“Technology for Life” conference. This builteven further on the success of theprevious year, and showcased many of thecutting edge developments that arehelping blind and partially sighted peopleworldwide to gain more and moreindependence.

We continued to campaign for the rightsof those with sight loss and were pleasedto have persuaded one Scottish localauthority to reverse its decision to stoppaying subscription fees to the RNIBTalking Book Service. We continue tosupport parents and children from earlyyears to school and beyond, and to helpadults find or retain a foothold in thelabour market.

But there is much more to do and we aredetermined to play our part in RNIB’s newplan for 2014/19. This cements ourcommitment to be there for even morepeople when they are losing their sight.

When someone is losing their sight, wewant them to receive the help and supportthey need to come to terms with thispotentially devastating news and face thefuture with confidence. So this year wehave strived to consolidate and expandour Vision Support Service in health boardareas across Scotland.

Reductions to services and incomescontinue to have a huge impact on thelives of many people with sight loss, so itis more important than ever that we reachas many of them as possible. Our welfarerights service identified unclaimedentitlements for blind and partially sightedpeople in Scotland alone amounting tojust over £1million.

This review highlights the difference wemade in 2013/14. Although the tougheconomic climate is having an impact onour resources, we are proud that our hardwork has led to many achievements thisyear. These are only possible thanks toyour generous financial support. Each andevery one of our supporters, along withour dedicated staff and volunteers, ismaking every day better for everyoneaffected by sight loss.

Ken Reid,Chair

John Legg,Director

About us

We’re the Royal National Institute of Blind PeopleScotland and we’re here for everyone affected by sightloss. Whether you’re losing your sight or you’re blind orpartially sighted, our practical and emotional supportcan help you face the future with confidence.

Our ambition is to make every day better for everyoneaffected by sight loss: by being there when you arelosing your sight, supporting independent living,creating an inclusive society and preventing sight loss.

We’re a charity, proud to be led by a strong and activemembership of blind and partially sighted people, who,along with our trustees, give direction to our work.

Our work in numbers

• RNIB Scotland has over800 members and 640volunteers
• Our Vision SupportOfficers reach 1,300people each year at thepoint of diagnosis,providing emotional andpractical support
• RNIB Scotland has over190 employees working in15 locations
• £6.6million has been invested to roll out theEyecare IntegrationProject, in which we are apartner, a high-speedelectronic link-up betweenopticians and eye clinics,across which digitalimages of eyes can besent for faster, morein-depth scrutiny
• 92 per cent of people whoused our Vision SupportService said it was themain factor that improvedtheir independence andquality of life
• Our income maximisationservice in Scotlandidentified £1,009,519 inunclaimed benefits andother entitlements
• Although around 36,000people are formallyregistered, an estimated188,000 people live withsignificant sight loss inScotland

Being there

Every day in Scotland, 10 people begin tolose their sight. But only a smallpercentage will be offered support andcounselling, despite the devastatingimpact it can have on people’s lives. Andyet without support, people can rapidlylose confidence, leading to social isolationand potential mental health problems,often manifested in feelings ofdepression, anger and confusion.

To help bridge this gap, we are busilyworking to establish Vision SupportServices in health board areas throughoutScotland to help people come to termswith sight loss. These advise on what aidsand adjustments can make life easier,help people to retain their job or re-trainfor new work, and explain what benefitsare available. Much of this is help thatNHS eye clinic staff will not have the timeor knowledge to offer patientsthemselves.

In 2013/14, we had Vision SupportServices in place in Ayrshire, Borders,Edinburgh and Lothians, Shetland andTayside.

Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil MSPlaunched our Ayrshire Vision SupportService in June, established inpartnership with NHS Ayrshire & Arranand the three local authorities in theregion. He said: “This is a fantastic newservice that provides practical andemotional advice and support at an earlystage, which is key to ensuring people canlive as independently as possible. It is alsoa great example of how partnershipworking across local health, social careand third sector service can ensurepeople receive quicker access to thetreatment, advice and support they need.”

A key part of our Vision Support Service isLooking Forward, a four-week peersupport programme to assist people tocome to terms with their sight loss byoffering help and information. By creatinga supportive environment, LookingForward allows people to talk aboutproblems and solutions with others whoare experiencing similar difficulties.

With the launch of the ScottishGovernment’s “See Hear” strategy tomeet the needs of people with a sensoryimpairment, we are also working closelywith other sensory loss organisations tointegrate services where this would bebeneficial and embark on joint ventures.

In June, for example, our VisualImpairment Learning Disability (VILD)team joined up with Alzheimer Scotland tolaunch a new booklet, “Dementia andSight Loss”, explaining how to detect thefirst signs that something may be wrong with someone’svision. We have already pioneered techniques to helpdiagnose “hidden” sight loss among stroke victims andpeople with learning disabilities. People with dementiamay also suffer sight loss that goes undetected,compounded by the fact that they are unable tocommunicate it.

We also received £150,000 from the ScottishGovernment to develop a “vision toolkit” that will helpspecialists identify potential sight problems in peoplewith autism, in partnership with Scottish Autism andNapier University. And in October, we joined up withmental health charity Breathing Space to expand theout-of-hours emotional support available to people livingwith sight loss.

Ian’s story

Ian is in his 50s and was a taxi driver in Ayruntil he lost his sight due to ischemicretinopathy.

“When you’re told that your sight won’t improve amillion things go through your mind. I didn’t knowwhat would happen with my job, money, mymortgage. Will I go completely blind? I hadhundreds of questions and was getting frustratedabout not getting any satisfactory answers.

When I spoke with the Vision Support Officer I felt it was a sign that thingswere starting to move in the right direction. She talked for a couple ofhours about the support that was available. It was reassuring thatsomebody was there to answer my questions.

If it wasn’t for RNIB Scotland I would be at a loss.”

Supporting independent living

Scottish sprint star Libby Clegg,who is registered blind, sharedher build up to the 2014Commonwealth Games inGlasgow with listeners to ouraward-winning Insight Radiostation. Libby suffers fromStargardt’s macular dystrophy, adeteriorating eye condition, whichmeans she only has slightperipheral vision in her left eye.

Libby discussed her training regime, hermotivation, the obstacles she faces, andher hopes and fears as the competitionapproached, in an audio diary broadcastevery two weeks.

“I’m delighted at the opportunity to sharemy thoughts,” she said. “Insight Radio is aradio station that aims to inspire andinfluence blind and partially-sightedpeople all around the UK and indeed theworld, and I hope my diary will encourageblind people to make as much of their lifeas they can.”

Insight received £24,396 from ScottishNatural Heritage to help increase accessto Scotland’s countryside by people withsight loss and other disabilities. ‘InsightOutdoors’ began in April exploring a mixof themes from rambling and audiodescriptivetours, to nature festivals,landscape history, and even a blindwildlife photographer who capturesstunning bird-images by listening to thebeat of their wings.

Insight also broadcast “Work Matters”,a series of programmes on learning andemployment for people with sight lossand other disabilities. The series, supported by StandardLife, examined everything from new and accessible ITlearning opportunities to how to format a CV and preparefor a job interview.

Working in a busy radio environment, of course, is anideal medium to bring out the skills needed in theworkplace. Ten young disadvantaged people fromGlasgow received training certificates from Insight aftercompleting training in basic broadcasting skills, such asinterviewing for radio, planning content, editing audioand studio recording techniques. The main focus was onconfidence-building, communication and team work.

RNIB Scotland also presented leaving certificates to 16people who completed a training course to improve theirchances in the job-market. The participants, agedbetween 21 and 58 years, all had different degrees ofsight loss. Some had been blind since birth; others lostsight later in their working lives. Some had never workedbefore; others had a 20-year history of employment.

Today, new technology and the move towards a moreinclusive society means their employment prospectsshould be much wider. Despite this, the actualunemployment statistics for working-agepeople with sight loss, at 66 per cent,make grim reading. That’s why we’vetaken a lead in helping people find work orretain the jobs they had before losing theirsight. We need to challenge the falseperceptions that too many employershave about what blind and partiallysighted people are capable of.

The pre-employment programme coveredCV-writing, preparation for job interviewsand mock interviews, communicationskills, confidence-building workshops,technology presentations, and visits toState Street, a local employer.One participant has already got a job.

Anneza Akbar, 22, from Edinburgh is blindin one eye and partially sighted in theother. After completing the RNIB courseshe secured a telecommunications jobwith a call centre. “I thought the course

was very useful,” Anneza said. “It focusedon the skills you need to get a job and didn’t dwell on thefact you have a disability and got that balance right. There was a real sense of community on the course andpeople caring for each other.”

Our Edinburgh and Lothians team provide acomprehensive range of services including assessmentand care management, rehabilitation, low vision, visionsupport, volunteering, children’s services, a resourcecentre and over 20 groups and activities. Its incomemaximisation service worked with 142 clients andgenerated income for clients totalling £373,249.

Meanwhile, across Scotland, our wider incomemaximisation service worked with 297 clients and wonan additional £636,270 in total.

Elsewhere, we held three community safety eventsthroughout Ayrshire alongside Action on Hearing LossScotland, with speakers from the police and fire service.People with sight or hearing loss can be more vulnerableto accidents in the home and outside. These eventsdiscussed home-safety checks, preparing a fire-escapeplan, and the free installation of smoke alarms.

Our Haggeye youth forum launched thefirst issue of its quarterly magazine,“Haggazine” in September, written andedited by its members. Haggeye alsobegan an innovative new project to bringtogether younger and older people livingwith sight loss. These events were anopportunity for participants aged between18 and 30 and 55-plus to learn from eachother, to share ideas and experiences.

The “Education, Respect, Awareness”initiative, funded by a Big Lottery grant,kicked off in Dundee and was followed bythree further events in Inverness, Galashielsand Stirling. Participants discussed newtechnology such as iPads and personalcomputers, then the young Haggeyemembers ran a “Complaints to Campaigns”workshop.

At present, there are thought to be around 2,000 blindand partially sighted children and young people inScotland, although it is believed many with partial sightremain undetected. Most attend mainstream localauthority primary and secondary schools.

Our Scottish National Conference on Children and YoungPeople in April attracted more than double the number ofparticipants expected, with over 200 people booking aplace. Teachers, social workers, occupational therapists,child psychologists and young people all took part. Theconference discussed what’s in place, from early yearsdevelopment through to post-16 support.

Sarah’s story

Sarah Maclean has Leber’samaurosiswhich left her with no vision. She isstudying English Literature and Frenchat Glasgow University.

“I found my school experience a full andengaging one. I was fortunate enough to have anexcellent learning assistant, and so my work wastranscribed quickly and efficiently into braille. Iwas also given the most up-to-date equipmentwhich ensured that exams and essays could becompleted easily. I also had an excellent mobilityspecialist.

However, I would say that school IT networks need to review their securityin order to allow devices such as iPads, and particularly braille-notes, tooperate on them.”

Creating an inclusive society

A bicycle that uses ultrasonicsensors to detect obstacles in acyclist’s path was among theinnovations on display at ourhigh-profile Technology for Lifeconference in Glasgow inSeptember, exploring how newtechnology can transform the livesof blind and partially sightedpeople.

Delegates at the two-day event,supported by Wolfson Microelectronics,Optos and the Scottish Government, hada chance to try the Ultra Bike, wear“smart-specs” that automatically focuslight on undamaged areas of the eye, andlearn about a tool which diagnoses healthproblems just by scanning the retina inthe eye.

New technology has revolutionised theaids and adaptations that visuallyimpaired people now use for everydayliving. Today, thousands of products makeliving with sight loss easier and helppeople remain independent. We wantdesigners to keep thinking about how torealise new technology’s potential to helpblind and partially sighted people be partof an inclusive society.

In August we launched our latesttranscribed book on the opening day ofthe Edinburgh International Book Festival,the world’s biggest literary gathering.

The book was an audio and braille versionof a short story collection entitled“Elsewhere”. Several of the stories’authors – including Vivian French, JamesRobertson and Julia Donaldson – werepresent. Many have had stories of theirs produced as RNIB talking books by ourtranscription centre in Partick, in somecases narrated by the authors themselves.

Nick Barley, director of the EdinburghInternational Book Festival, said: “Theneed to ensure that books are available toeveryone in society, including those whoare blind or partially sighted, is a veryworthwhile message for us to help give avoice to.”

But we still need to persuade publishersto produce more books in accessibleformats. Too often, those accessiblebooks that are available commercially areexpensive, abridged and released yearsafter mainstream publication.

To help highlight this shortage, JuliaDonaldson also visited our transcriptioncentre to transcribe one of her favouritestories onto audio-disc during Book WeekScotland in November. “The work thatRNIB does to ensure more books aremade available to adults and children with sight loss istremendously important to me,” she said.

As well as transcribing her own text into audio, weshowed Julia how we can turn one of the illustrations inher book into a tactile diagram for young readers withsight loss to experience through touch. During BookWeek Scotland we invited members of the public tobring along their own favourite poem, short story orpassage from a book to the centre to transcribe intoaudio or braille.

We welcomed a decision by Renfrewshire Council to helpprovide audio books for people who are blind or partiallysighted. We had expressed concern the previous yearwhen the council said it would no longer pay subscriptionfees for its residents to our audio and braille lendinglibrary. Many people with sight loss are elderly and on lowincomes, while those of working age experience highunemployment levels. However, in May the councilagreed to reinstate the funding, a move we applauded.

While most people don’t think twice aboutwhat books are available to them, thechoice for blind and partially sightedreaders is very limited. And yet for many ofthese, often older and perhaps livingalone, reading is an absolute lifeline.

That’s why even the modest amounts ofmoney involved here can have a hugelybeneficial impact.

It is vitally important that the voices ofblind and partially sighted people areheard in the corridors of power. With keypolicy areas like health and social caredevolved to the Scottish Parliament, wehave been able to help shape eyecarepolicy with the support of a very effectiveCross Party Group on Visual Impairment.

This has helped to ensure that£25.6million has been invested ineye-health services in Scotland over thelast five years.

In April, we transferred our survivingarchive material from our Lothians andEdinburgh section to Edinburgh University.The collection paints an often grim pictureof the harsh lives adults and children withsight loss endured in Victorian andEdwardian Edinburgh. Usually, they weredependent on subsistence work orwelfare relief.

The Edinburgh Society for PromotingReading Amongst the Blind on Moon’sSystem was formed in 1857. The Societychanged its name to The Society for theWelfare and Teaching of the Blind and in1995 to Visual Impairment Services SouthEast Scotland. It merged with RNIBScotland in 2002.

The most revealing item in the archivecollection is a register of blind people.Those helped were mainly classified asdisabled from working full-time and reliedupon poor relief, charitable aid, andsupplementary earnings from suchactivities as hawking, knitting, teaching orplaying music, selling tea or keeping house.