Equity of Access to Health and Social Care Services

Equity of Access to Health and Social Care Services

People often experience inequity when using health and care services.

We aim to tackle the inequities faced by blind and partially sighted people when it comes to using healthcare and social services. We achieve this by working closely with a variety of stakeholders, forging strong partnerships to improve the coordination between the NHS and social care services. Our ultimate goal is seamless integration, ensuring that support and resources are readily available for those of us with sight loss.

Sight loss affects people wherever they live, and we understand that every location has its unique needs. Our community-based Sight Loss Councils take these differences into account to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, can benefit from a healthcare system that is integrated and fair.

We think visually impaired people deserve the best possible outcomes when using health and care services, and we’re doing a great deal to make this happen. Sight Loss Councils, led by blind and partially sighted volunteers, provide awareness sessions to healthcare professionals to raise awareness about visual impairment. For example, we are working with Northumbria University to bring about curriculum changes in nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work courses, ensuring that visual impairment awareness becomes a standard part of students’ education. We have established best practice accessibility in Bristoland also have programmes across the West Midlands and the North West. Sight Loss Councils also work with health providers to embed the Accessible Information Standard locally.

Our efforts extend to improving healthcare screening for visually impaired individuals, including addressing challenges like bowel cancer screening. We collaborate with organisations like NHS England, the RNIB, and regional partners to make sure that health screening is accessible and inclusive for everyone.

#MakeHealthAccessible

Our mission is to champion accessibility in healthcare to blind and partially sighted individuals on two fronts:

  • Expanding Access to At-Home Medical Tests

    Building on our past initiatives, we are committed to broadening the accessibility of at-home medical tests as their usage within the NHS will only increase after the COVID-19 crisis.

    We believe that addressing both of these challenges will significantly reduce health inequalities faced by blind and partially sighted people.

    As part of our #MakeHealthAccessible campaign, we are building upon our collaborative work with NHS England and sector partners to improve accessibility in bowel cancer testing. We’ve worked on the design and instructions for the FIT (faecal immunochemical test) home test kit, adapting the standard device to be user-friendly for blind and partially sighted people when received through the post as part of the national screening program.

    But our campaigning goes beyond bowel cancer screening. We want to advocate for the accessibility of other medical tests while ensuring that in-surgery support for individuals with sight loss remains, regardless of the invention of new devices.

    We need your input

    Your input is vital. Lived experiences are powerful tools for change. We encourage you to participate in our survey and share your experience to strengthen our cause. Your feedback will help us emphasise the importance of this issue and shed light on the specific challenges you face with different types of tests. It will provide an accurate and up-to-date representation of the experiences of blind and partially sighted people with at-home testing.

    Share your lived experiences of at-home tests

    Rest assured that all responses are entirely anonymous. Whether you’ve struggled with diabetes or pregnancy tests, your real-life examples are invaluable.

    To stay informed about our ongoing efforts and developments related to this campaign, as well as our other work, sign up for our campaign newsletter.

  • Accessible Information Standard (AIS)

    THIS SECTION IS BEING UPDATED DURING JULY 2025  Whilst we continue to campaign so that blind and partially sighted individuals receive health-related information in formats they can read and understand.

See our campaigns in your local area by Sight Loss Councils.

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Professionals’ Hub for the AIS

The Professionals’ Hub provides valuable advice and guidance for NHS staff on how to implement the AIS with ease. There are also tips on helping patients with visual impairments and links to additional resources.

Read Eammon Dunne’s recent feature in IFNA.

Visit the Professionals’ Hub

 

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