Patients with low vision are benefitting from an initiative developed by Visualise Training and Consultancy and funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Seeing Beyond the Eyes has released its impact report which highlights a huge increase in the number of optical professionals who will now refer patients with low vision to vital support services – up from only 9% to an impressive 96%.
The project aims to increase awareness of, and referrals to, local and national sight loss organisations and promote inclusivity across all eyecare services for people with, or at risk of, sight loss.
Download a free copy of the Seeing Beyond the Eyes resource pack at http://www.visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/resource-pack-health-pros/
Key highlights of the outcome report include raised awareness of how and where optical professionals can refer patients for support and the importance of doing so at the point of suspected diagnosis to avoid stress and anxiety. It also highlights patient feedback on how services can become more inclusive and accessible.
Seeing Beyond the Eyes is facilitated by the founder of Visualise Daniel Williams, who is aiming to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by patients who are diagnosed with irreversible sight loss, working with dispensing opticians Peter Black and Jayshree Vasani.
Daniel has retinitis pigmentosa and developed the program in response to his own experience post-diagnosis. “At eight years old, I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. One of the scariest things for my mother and me was the feeling of isolation and not knowing where to go for support. We saw countless optometrists, dispensing opticians and ophthalmologists, but at no point were we signposted or referred to support services that would have made our journey easier. The good news is that optical professionals and their teams are now able to help people to know they are not alone and there is a positive future with the right knowledge and support.”
For more information on the project visit www.visualisetrainingandconsultancy.co.uk
Listen to the podcast from the Seeing Beyond the Eyes Zone at Optrafair https://www.visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/VisualiseTC-podcast-April-2019-v2.wav
