Coping with blindness
Dealing with sight loss
When you are told that nothing more can be done to improve your sight and that you are eligible to be placed on the Register of blind or partially sighted people, you may be overwhelmed by feelings of loss and grief or experience a range of emotions. You may feel angry or depressed and perhaps have a sense of isolation when you think that no one understands how you feel.
However help is available to enable you to come to terms with your sight loss and to encourage you to lead as full and active a life as possible.
You will be offered good, practical help and advice and the opportunity to meet others who are learning to cope as you are.
General advice
Try to remain as independent as possible. Sometimes you will need help but many times you will be able to do things that you have always done. Use your own good sense and any equipment that may be useful. Your Rehabilitation Officer may provide some essential equipment.
A range of equipment can be viewed and demonstrated at Shire View and your Rehabilitation Officer or any of the organisations for visually impaired people will be pleased to help and advise you about the use and suitability of equipment, as well as where to obtain it.
Take opportunities to meet other visually impaired people – people with sight loss can help each other and give practical support and encouragement.
There are local organisations and groups to enable you to meet with other people with sight loss
Give yourself time to adapt and remember that help is always available from a Rehabilitation Officer or Shire View.
Help and support for people with sight loss
Who can get help?
- People who need to adjust to coping with sight loss.
- People who are registered as blind or partially sighted.
You do not need to be registered to receive help, though some services are only available to people who are registered.
How to become registered
A consultant ophthalmologist can assess your vision and decide whether you are eligible for registration.
If you were not already a patient at a hospital eye clinic, you would need to ask your GP to refer you to the hospital.
If you are eligible for registration, your details will be sent to Leeds Social Services, who hold the register.
They will arrange for you to be visited by a Rehabilitation Officer who is specially trained to help people with sight loss.
Rehabilitation Officers can provide:
- Help to adjust to your sight loss and maintain your independence
- Someone to talk to about your feelings
- Help to cope with any difficulties you may have with everyday tasks
- Help to use any remaining vision to your best advantage
- Help to retain existing skills such as writing and to learn new skills, such as Braille or typing
- Help in getting about safely and independently using a variety of techniques and equipment
- Advice and information on special equipment for use in the home, such as talking clocks, talking books, large button telephones
- Information about local organisations and services which may be of interest to you
- Advice about employment, further education and leisure activities.
If you want to contact a Rehabilitation Office please ring the Call Centre on 0113 398 4702 or contact Shire View on 0113 214 4544
This page was created on: October 15, 2009 and last modified on November 19th, 2009 at 11:08.
