Day 2 – ‘Can We Make It Work’

Our team returned to the UK on 20th February boosted by the fact that the ‘Improving eyecare in Ethiopia’ project will make a real difference to the local community in Addis Ababa and reflect the values, which are at the heart of D&A.
 
“I met people so proud [...]

Ali is a 38 year old man who has a severe learning disability and challenging behavior. Ali’s parents reported that they tried to have Ali’s eyes tested when he was a child but found it difficult to find an Optician who would see him and this experience had put them off trying again.
After a [...]

Steven lives in Malawi. He had struggled at school because of his poor vision. His teachers mistakenly thought he was not very clever. In fact, Steven was very intelligent, but could not see what the teacher was writing on the blackboard. He did not want the other children to laugh at him, so he had [...]

Pauline, a 40 year woman has learning disabilities and epilepsy. Pauline also has reduced vision and Neurofibromatosis which had always worried the care manager of the home where she lived and who had consistently taken her for regular eye tests. (Neurofibromatosis is an inherited condition where there are multiple tumours arising from connective tissue [...]

A unique sight-saving initiative in Birmingham has helped over 1000 people with a learning disability access appropriate eye healthcare. Three years ago SeeAbility, formerly The Royal School for the Blind, launched the eye 2 eye Campaign to improve the sight of thousands of people with a learning disability.
There are an estimated 10,000 people with [...]

Glaucoma – the loss of vision caused by increased pressure within the eye – affects about two in every 100 people over the age of 40 in the UK1, and although the damage is irreversible, early diagnosis is vital to keep damage to a minimum.With National Glaucoma Awareness Week fast approaching – 3-9 March 2008 [...]

Frank has multiple disabilities and very complex needs. He is 30 years old and has never had an eye test before. His mother was becoming increasing anxious about how he kept rubbing his eyes and making them sore. SeeAbility staff escorted Frank and his mother to an appointment at the opticians and subsequent appointment at [...]

Nikiemo is 17 and lives in Ziniare, Burkina Faso. Every day he cycles 10 miles from his parent’s home to his school. This was a dangerous journey for him, as he suffered short-sightedness. Once his eyes had been tested and he got the spectacles he so desperately needed, he set off on his bike, delighted [...]

Edward has a learning disability. Edward was told that he had cataracts that have caused a serious loss of vision and he was warned that unless he had surgery to remove the cataracts he could go blind within months. Edward had stopped going out as he was scared and people appeared to be [...]

‘You and Eye’, a film made by The Misfits, a Bristol theatre group for people with learning disabilities which outlines the issues surrounding sight impairment is to get a screening at Bristol Eye Hospital. The film commissioned by SeeAbility, formerly The Royal School for the Blind, aims to raise awareness of the need for [...]