New facility to help blind and partially sighted opens in Dundee

The Vision Support Service has been established at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee by the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland and is being funded by the Scottish Government.

A spokesman for the charity explained: “The service provides emotional support for people diagnosed with conditions that threaten their sight. It also offers practical advice and information on a range of aids and services to help maintain independence and reduce loneliness and isolation.

“Almost 188,000 people in Scotland already live with a sight loss that seriously affects their daily lives, and this figure is projected to double by 2031.”

Mr Matheson said: “This is a fantastic facility which will provide a very important service to blind and partially sighted people in Tayside. Sight loss or sight impairment can be very traumatic and I have no doubt that the Vision Support Service will prove invaluable to people trying to come to terms with this.

“We have been working in partnership with organisations like RNIB Scotland to improve the advice and support available to people with a diagnosed sensory impairment and this is an example of how this joint working is improving services. This commitment to improving people lives will continue with the development of a Scottish sensory impairment strategy, which will be issued for consultation later this year.”

John Legg, director of RNIB Scotland, said: “Every day in Scotland, ten people begin to lose their sight. But only a tiny percentage are offered support and counselling, despite the devastating impact sight loss can have on people’s lives.

“That’s why RNIB Scotland is working to establish a network of Vision Support Services in each health board area where none exist at present. These will offer newly diagnosed people the support they need to coming terms with sight loss and can also refer them on to other services available to them.”

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