Labour peer immortalised in bronze to celebrate achievements of vision impaired people

A bronze bust of Labour peer, the Rt Hon Lord David Blunkett – the UK’s first blind cabinet minister – has been unveiled at the House of Lords. The unveiling was part of a special event last night​​ by national...

OCULUS supports the 23rd German Down Syndrome Sports Festival in Wetzlar

Once again, OCULUS brought the 'Vision Olympics' to the German Down Syndrome Sports Festival in Wetzlar. Participants had the opportunity to have their vision tested and receive a brief screening of the anterior segment of their eyes. This year, the...

Has ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ gone too far?

The past few decades of surgery since the ‘mad cow disease’ have been dominated by a push to switch to disposable instruments. The reason is to prevent cross-contamination and reduce the risk of surgical site infections – especially so with...

Children with vision impairment waiting up to 18 months for essential life skills training

Only one in four Scottish councils meets the national standard for habilitation support, leaving some children waiting more than a year for help developing basic independence skills, a new report by RNIB Scotland reveals. The report highlights a growing crisis...

CooperVision announces UK&I OptiStudent™ award winner

The end of June saw the final of the UK&I OptiStudent™ Awards, an annual competition for optometry students across Europe, organised by global contact lens manufacturer, CooperVision. Representing Cardiff University, third year optometry student, Cherilyn Tan, was announced as this...

Mapping the Future of Vision Impairment Services in Scotland

Vision Collaborative Scotland, formerly the Scottish Vision Services Steering Group, has re-launched with a new name, a renewed purpose, and an ambitious vision. Now known as Vision Collaborative Scotland, the group of third sector partners is committed to transforming the...

Charity radio manager steps out with family for Edinburgh Kiltwalk

The manager of an award-winning charity radio station is keeping it in the family and taking part in Scotland's largest mass participation walking event. Kris Wallace, Operations Manager at RNIB Connect Radio, will take on the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday,...

Top blind artist celebrates his love of braille by designing unique limited-edition tactile coffee tin

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of braille, the UK’s top braille artist is having a summer of love for braille, blindness and coffee. Clarke Reynolds, also known as Mr Dot in recognition of his incredible career creating braille-inspired art, has...

Know Your Risk: Glaucoma UK launches interactive online quiz to help prevent sight loss

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the UK – it can affect anyone, at any time, and is often symptomless. Approximately 700,000 people in the UK have glaucoma, but 50% of them don’t know - if...

An environmentally friendly eye service

A single cataract procedure in the UK has been estimated to have a carbon footprint equivalent to driving a typical non-electric car for 310 miles. Surprisingly, very few centres around the world have worked out the environmental cost of cataract...

Conference Report: KCL Ophthalmology Society Annual Conference 2025

King’s College London (KCL) Ophthalmology Society 2024/25 hosted the third Annual KCL Ophthalmology National Conference 2025, entitled ‘Advancements and the Future of Ophthalmology’ in London on 5 April 2025. Held at Guy’s Campus, the event drew a wide audience from...

Conference Report: National Students Ophthalmology Conference 2025

On 10 May, we led the fourth National Student Ophthalmology Conference (NSOC) for the first time in person, in London, with remote accessibility via Zoom, hosting over 130 attendees from the UK and across the globe. The day was packed...