Annual Review 2014/15
RNIB Scotland
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We’re RNIB Scotland and we’re here for
everyone affected by sight loss.
Whether you’re losing your sight or you’re blind or partially sighted,
our practical and emotional support can help you face the future
with confidence.
Our ambition is to make every day better for everyone affected by
sight loss: by being there when you are losing your sight,
supporting independent living, creating an inclusive society and
preventing sight loss.
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Contents
2. About RNIB Scotland
3. Contents
4. Key statistics
5. From our chair and director
7. Our work: Being there
7. Willie's story
8. Our work: Independence
8. Tuesday's story
9. Our work: Inclusion
9. Graeme's story
10. Our work: Prevention
10. Alana's story
11. What we set out to do - and what we achieved
11. Help from Vision Support Service
12. Living every day with confidence
13. Accessing welfare benefits
14. Getting out and about confidently
15. Making use of technology
16. Achieving full potential in education
17. Supporting people into work
18. Making information accessible
19. Improving eye-healthcare and understanding eye conditions
20. A brief look at our finances
22. Our supporters
23. Thank you
24. How you can help
25. Contact us
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Key statistics
 95 per cent of people in surveyed in Scotland said they would
be ‘devastated’ if they were diagnosed with a sight-threatening
condition.
 42 per cent of all cash machines are now activated to talk.
 1,700 people were supported by our Vision Support Officers.
 96 per cent of people we surveyed reported better emotional
wellbeing after contact with our Vision Support Service.
 Our Technology Support Squad volunteers helped 238 people
to make best use of new technology.
 20 million homes can listen to RNIB's Insight Radio.
 744 people helped with employment support (140 gained or
retained employment).
 Our welfare advice service help people claim over £750,000 in
benefit entitlements.
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From our Chair and Director
In the next 15 minutes someone’s life will change forever.
Someone will feel more alone than they’ve ever felt before.
Someone’s future will feel bleak, even terrifying. In the next 15
minutes, someone will be told they are losing their sight. This year
we’ve worked to ensure more eye departments in Scotland have
access to a Vision Support Officer. This is a huge job but one that
is absolutely necessary, so people get the practical and emotional
support they need to face the future without fear.
Everyone is different and will want a different level of
independence – our job is to get the right mix of skills and tools to
help someone make confident choices.
A key aim for RNIB Scotland is to ensure that those who are newly
diagnosed with sight loss will receive the vital emotional and
practical support needed to come to terms with their condition. Our
Vision Support Service works at that crucial early stage to
reassure people that they can continue to live independently. We
want to build on the services we already have in place and
introduce new ones to help people find their lives again.
No one should needlessly lose their sight. This year we’ve worked
to secure access to new treatments for people in Scotland. And,
because people from minority ethnic communities are at greater
risk of developing a number of common eye conditions, we
launched our 'You Care, Eye Care' project to improve eye-health
awareness among people of black African origin in Glasgow.
This year we transcribed even more books into audio and braille,
and we've continued our work with children and young people with
sight loss from nursery age to early adulthood. We also worked to
tackle 'hidden' sight loss among people with dementia and those
with a learning disability.
Other highlights of our year include our fourth Techshare
conference in Glasgow, producing a new DVD for parents of young
children with sight loss, the launch of our Bus Charter campaign in
Edinburgh and our campaign to ensure welfare reform doesn't
unfairly disadvantage people with sight loss.
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Every day of this year we have worked to ensure newly diagnosed
people are reached sooner, people are supported to live the
independent lives they choose, society is a more inclusive place
and no one needlessly loses their sight. Everything we’ve achieved
this year has only been possible through the generosity and
commitment of our supporters, and we thank you all.
Finally, we would like warmly thank Ken Reid for his sterling work
as our previous chair during this period.
Sandra Wilson
Chair, RNIB Scotland
John Legg
Director, RNIB Scotland
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Our work: Being there
Being told that you're losing your sight can be devastating. We're
focused on making sure more people affected by sight loss are
reached early. We want more eye clinics to have Vision Support
Officers (also known as sight loss advisers) – trained professionals
who provide patients and their families with vital emotional and
practical support at the point of diagnosis.
Willie's story
My name is Willie Turner. I’m 58 years old. I've had four strokes
now. After my first stroke, I lost my eyesight. I was devastated. I
used to wear contact lenses and I knew what having bad eyesight
was like, but not losing your eyesight.
I wasn't mentally prepared to lose my sight. I've always been
reasonably fit and healthy. I was a scratch golfer and avid Dundee
football club fan. And then one morning, I woke up and I couldn’t
see. It's an overnight devastation that you have to deal with.
Hemiaenopia, my sight loss condition, is a difficult one to get your
hear around. I can see things in the distance but not around me.
For a while I was in denial that I was effectively blind.
Having access to the Vision Support Officer in Ninewells Hospital
in Dundee was influential on my state of mind at the time. I was in
a state of shock and without their care and attention, I don't think
I’d be here today.
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Our work: Independence
We work to ensure that blind and partially sighted people can
make the most of their lives. This means they can access the
support, services, products and technologies that enable a good
quality of life, along with opportunities to develop the skills for
confident living.
Tuesday’s story
Tuesday Berry grew up with a passion for film and the creative
arts, despite being visually impaired from birth. She dreamt of
going to university to study film, but was told repeatedly at school
that it would be impossible with her sight loss.
“I was shy, and I doubted my abilities,” says Tuesday. “I didn’t
even feel able to get the bus on my own or go anywhere
unaccompanied.”
All this changed after Tuesday joined Haggeye, RNIB Scotland’s
youth forum. As part of Haggeye, Tuesday began campaigning to
make services and facilities more accessible. Her work took her to
all over the UK, and Tuesday blossomed in confidence.
“I even travel to foreign countries independently now!” says
Tuesday, who is in her third year at university studying film and
media, and has already won several film awards.
“RNIB gave me the skills and confidence to go out and get to
where I wanted to be. When I had a bit of bumpy start to university,
their Education and Family service helped me get the support I
needed,” said Tuesday.
“I’ve come a long way, and I owe a huge part of that to RNIB.”
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Our work: Inclusion
We want society to include blind and partially sighted people as
equal citizens and consumers, as barriers to using mainstream
goods and services result in isolation and exclusion. We're raising
awareness within communities and society to secure changes in
behaviour that result in improved access for blind and partially
sighted people.
Graeme's story
Graeme Colgan, 24, has significant sight loss and is also a
wheelchair user. He’s a member of our Haggeye youth forum and
has been helping us campaign to improve travel for blind and
partially sighted people.
Graeme took part in one of our ‘Swap With Me’ events in
Edinburgh, which involved bus drivers swapping places with
campaigners to get a better idea of what it’s like to catch a bus
with little or no sight. Drivers, wearing blindfolds and simulation
spectacles, were offered support and advice by blind and partially
sighted people when they tried to board the bus, get a ticket and
find a seat.
"I really enjoyed the event at the Lothian bus depot,” Graeme said.
“The bus driver I was with was very interested in me and what it’s
like to use a bus as someone with sight loss. I’m now more
confident now that a journey on Lothian buses will be a good
experience in the future!” says Graeme.
"It's really important for everyone who provides any kind of service
to make an effort to understand the needs of customers with sight
loss. It would help with a visual impairment feel more included in
society."
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Our work: Prevention
We want fewer people to lose their sight. We work to raise
awareness of eye health and campaign for improved services and
for effective treatments to be made available. We support people
to cope with sight loss by increasing their knowledge and
understanding of their eye condition.
Alana's story
Alana Miller is a BT projects manager from Glasgow has had
diabetic macular oedema for the past nine years.
The condition affects around 4,000 people in Scotland and is
caused by a build up of fluid on the macula at the back of the eye.
This can blur central vision and, if left untreated, seriously impair
vision within two years in around half of cases.
Alana's sight was prevented from deteriorating further thanks, in
part, to our work in pressing for the treatment Ozurdex to be
approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. This led to it
being made available on the NHS in Scotland.
"Before the treatment my vision changed so much that it was next
to impossible to actually get glasses. I believe I was actually the
second person in the whole of Scotland to be treated with
Ozurdex, and it has made a big difference to me," says Alana.
"It's now much easier to get glasses. It means I no longer have to
take time off work every couple of months to go into hospital, as
the Ozurdex injections are longer lasting.
"I can now even wear varifocals which I never could before. My
optician even says that, looking at the scans, he can't detect any
fluid in my eyes."
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What we set out to do... and what we achieved.
"Knowing RNIB is there is so reassuring, like a comfort blanket.
RNIB gives people the confidence to get out there and live their
lives."
Peter Seaman
Help from our Vision Support Service
Vision Support Officers ensure that people who are losing their
sight don't have to face this life-changing event alone. Vision
Support Officers can take the time to explain a patient's eye
condition to them and discuss treatment and medication. They
provide emotional support to patients and their families along with
practical help, such as putting patients in touch with key services.
In 2014/15, we operated Vision Support Services in six of
Scotland's 14 health board areas. Our new service in Forth Valley
was launched this year. We're working hard to ensure everyone
who needs support in Scotland gets it, and we plan to extend our
service further in 2015/16.
Our impact
In 2014/15, RNIB Scotland's Vision Support Officers supported
1,700 people. Ninety-six per cent of these people reported better
emotional wellbeing, especially in regard to reduced pessimism
about the future. Ninety-two per cent told us their contact with our
Vision Support Service was 'the major cause' or 'the most
significant cause' of improvements in their independence and
quality of life.
Pullout quote:
1,700 people were supported by Vision Support Officers
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Living every day with confidence
We aim to provide people with sight loss with the support they
need to improve their choices and enjoyment in daily living and to
make the most of their sight.
Our 'Looking Forward' programme aims to build confidence among
those newly diagnosed with sight loss and to help people find their
lives again. Peer facilitators can share their experience of being
blind or partially sighted and help participants discuss the
emotional impact of sight loss.
Working alongside hearing loss partners, our Joint Sensory
services were funded by the Scottish Government until 2014, and
included hidden sight loss training and community drop-in
services.
RNIB Scotland was also contracted to provide a number of
services to people with sight loss in Edinburgh and the Lothians,
including rehabilitation and mobility training.
Our impact
In 2014/15, we held 18 Looking Forward sessions for 118
participants and 20 family members and carers. We also held 68
Joint Sensory drop-in sessions that reached 152 participants with
sensory loss, as well as 45 family members and carers. We also
delivered our 'Understanding Sight Loss' and 'Vision Champion'
training to 112 professionals.
Our RNIB Edinburgh and the Lothians section delivered
rehabilitation training for 415 people, mobility training for 128
people, and low vision assessments for 61 people.
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Accessing welfare benefits
We've continued our work to ensure blind and partially sighted
people, their families and carers can maintain their independence
by receiving the benefits they're entitled to.
Three years ago we became deeply concerned that the proposed
change from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal
Independence Payment (PIP) failed to recognise that sight loss
can be a serious disability and people who can't see face
expensive and ongoing extra costs. We subsequently worked
tirelessly alongside our blind and partially sighted campaigners to
secure clear changes to the government's assessment criteria and
ensure people with sight loss would receive PIP.
Our impact
We launched our Advice Plus service in July 2014, offering benefit
and entitlements advice to blind and partially sighted people of
working age who live in Edinburgh, Forth Valley and Ayrshire. The
service was used by 139 people in 2014/15. Our expert advisers
helped people to claim a total of £311,483 in welfare benefits they
were entitled to.
Our income maximisation service, which advises on all types of
benefits enquiries and covers Edinburgh and the Lothians,
assisted 167 new clients and helped people claim £444,920 in
entitlements.
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Getting out and about confidently
Blind and partially sighted people have asked us to focus on
making public transport more accessible and street environments
safer.
We’ve been doing this by persuading bus companies to sign up to
our Bus Charter, which sets out a list of commitments to improve
travel for people with sight loss. We’ve also run ‘Swap with Me’
events – where bus drivers have the opportunity to put themselves
in the shoes of a passenger with sight loss, to improve bus driver
awareness and behaviour.
We are also looking at ways to make our street environments
safer, highlighting challenges such as the hazards caused by Aboards, inaccessible crossing and more.
Our impact
First Bus, Go Ahead and Stagecoach have signed up to our Bus
Charter, as have seven regional bus companies, all making a
public commitment to take the needs of passengers with sight loss
into account in their service delivery.
Edinburgh-based Lothian Buses became the first Scotland-only
based company to sign up to the Charter. The ‘Swap with Me’
event we held with them, with the help of blind and partially sighted
campaigners from our Haggeye youth forum, marked the launch of
RNIB's UK-wide campaign.
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Making use of technology
We know from our research that people with sight loss face
significant barriers when it comes to using technology. Some
people find that their sight loss itself is a barrier, while others lack
skills, cannot access training or are unaware of the benefits of
being online. To overcome this, we’ve focused on giving people
the skills, tools and confidence they need to make the most of
technology to improve their independence.
Our Technology Squad volunteers continued to visit blind and
partially sighted people in their own homes to help them make best
use of new technology.
We organised our fourth TechShare Europe event in Glasgow,
which explored how new technology can save sight and help
people with sight loss to live independently. Speakers from
technology giants Apple, Google and Microsoft discussed how
they can enhance the accessibility of their products.
Our impact
In 2014/15, our 94 Technology Squad volunteers helped 238
people with 390 requests.
Our TechShare conference attracted around 400 delegates from
leading tech companies and research centres. The event
promoted discussions and idea-sharing about the latest accessible
technology innovations and debate about digital access in our
increasingly connected world.
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Achieving full potential in education
There are around 2,500 children and young people in Scotland
with sight loss. We work from early years, through school and then
through the transition to further or higher education and
employment.
We provide advice, support and tools to schools and education
professionals, for example through our TELL technology loan
scheme which enables schools to test out assistive devices before
purchasing. We offer free access to downloadable resources to
help students get textbooks in an accessible format through
Load2Learn, a web-based service delivered by RNIB and Dyslexia
Action.
We directly engage with children and young people through our
RNIB Activate programme, our Haggeye youth forum and our
family social activities. We also run summer camps to encourage
young people to live independently as they approach adulthood.
Participants can go climbing, do archery and cooking, as well as
attend confidence-building workshops and training in assistive
technology and travel.
Our impact
We submitted our views on the educational attainment gap
between sighted pupils and pupils with sight loss, as part of a
government enquiry. This led to RNIB Scotland being invited to
give an oral presentation to the Scottish Parliament's Education
and Culture Committee, which prompted further questions by
MSPs within the Parliament. Our Education and Family Services
Manager has subsequently been included on a working committee
to consider strategies to close the attainment gap.
Our Activate programme of activities in 2014/15 delivered one
Promoting Independence summer camp, one West Coast Sailing
Adventure, two Family Days, one residential Family Weekend and
five After-School Clubs. A total of 172 children and young people
with sight loss took part in these activities.
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Supporting people into work
Government figures show that only 45 per cent of blind and
partially sighted people of working age are in employment. We’ve
been working to change this by continuing to provide employment
advice and support to people with sight loss. We’ve also continued
working with employers to encourage them to employ more blind
and partially sighted people.
Young people with sight loss often experience difficulty in finding a
suitable job, training course or college or university place if they
can lose the support networks they have built up at school and
home. Our Lottery-funded 'Looking to the Future' project, launched
towards the end of this period, will help them plan and prepare for
life after school and to make the choices that best suit their skills
and ambitions.
Our impact
In 2014/15, we helped a total of 744 blind or partially sighted
people with employment support.
Of these, we helped 140 people to secure or retain employment,
supported 254 through digital inclusion initiatives, and 148 through
employment training programmes. The remainder were split
between students accessing our services and customers on
various other initiatives.
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Making information accessible
We’ve maintained pressure on government services to ensure
people with sight loss are not excluded as service delivery
continues to move to digital channels. Our particular focus has
been on ensuring people can access information they receive from
health, employment and banking services. We’ve supported legal
cases against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for
not providing information in accessible formats, and we’ve
continued to press health boards to ensure all the information they
provide is available in accessible formats.
RNIB Approved, our newly-launched quality assurance mark, will
help people with sight loss across the UK to identify products that
are easy to use and encourage businesses to make their products
accessible. Products which are granted RNIB Approved status go
through a rigorous testing process by accessibility experts before
being reviewed by a panel of blind and partially sighted people.
We’ve also continued to promote the need to make cash machines
accessible.
Our impact
Our legal representation to the DWP led to a major internal review
that has resulted in the DWP proposing to establish a special unit
to deal with accessible information.
Seven major banks have made a public commitment to introduce
talking ATMs and 42 per cent of all cash machines are now
activated to talk.
New debit and saving cards launched by the Royal Bank of
Scotland (RBS) are the first products to receive the RNIB
Approved quality mark. The cards were developed in partnership
with RNIB and are the first of their kind to be completely accessible
to people with sight loss, making everyday banking easier.
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Improving eye health care and understanding of
eye conditions
We continued our drive to improve eye care services by engaging
with the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) to secure access to
new treatments.
We partnered with Carers Trust Scotland during National Eye
Health Week to `raise eye health awareness among carers, as
many of them care for people who are vulnerable to eye health
conditions or less able to communicate problems about their sight.
We emphasised that not only are eye examinations free in
Scotland, but they’re useful for picking up the first signs of other
health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Our 'You Care, Eye Care' project targeted people of Black African
origin with sight loss in Glasgow, with the aim of supporting them
to make informed choices regarding eye health. We did this by
providing eye health information in accessible formats, recruiting
and training community-based volunteers, and working in
partnership with other organisations.
Our impact
Thanks to our efforts with the SMC, we helped to secure approval
for the treatments Eylea and Ozurdex for macular oedema
secondary to central retinal vein occlusion. This is a serious
condition affecting the main vein in the eye which can cause
blindness and other painful eye conditions.
We reached over 150 carers during National Eye Health Week in
two health centres in areas of high deprivation. We also launched
our first Eye Health and Diversity training that week with 15
learners, mainly from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
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A brief look at our finances
In 2014.15 we spent £20.8 million to raise £65.8 million - a three to
one return on investment.
For every £1 we receive, we spend 81p on supporting people with
sight loss. The rest is used to raise further funds and on running
costs.
The RNIB Group of charities focused expenditure on the following
areas of work:
 Independence - £80.5 million.
 Inclusion - £8.3 million.
 Prevention - £1 million.
 Governance - £1.4 million.
 Costs to generate funds - £20.8 million.
 Being There - £6.5 million.
Total expenditure - £118.6 million.
The RNIB Group of charities' income came from the following
sources:
 Merchandising and sponsorship - £0.5 million.
 Income from charitable activities - £46.2 million.
 Other incoming resources - £2.5 million.
 Donations and legacies - £64.6 million.
 Investment income - £0.6 million.
This gave a total income of £114.5 million and a planned operating
deficit of £4.1 million.
The RNIB Group of charities' resources at 31 March 2015
consisted of the following:
 Endowment funds - £5.7 million.
 Plus pension surplus - £12.6 million.
 Unrestricted funds - £67million.
 Restricted funds - £20.3 million.
This gives total net assets of £105.7 million.
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These figures are taken from the full Trustees' report and financial
statement for the year ending 31 March 2015, as audited by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. If you would like a copy of the full
report, available in print, audio, braille and by email, please contact
our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk
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Our supporters
Amy Gilbert, 24, who has been blind since birth due to retinopathy
of prematurity, put her version of the hymn ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’
online and invited those who listened to make a donation to RNIB
Scotland.
“I’ve loved singing since I was two or three,” she said. “Music is
such a wonderful thing. It was my way of escaping when I was a
child. Whenever I felt alone, music was always my comfort.
“RNIB has helped me by providing their Talking Books and lots of
products for independent living over the years. I’d like to give back
a bit.”
In March, Edinburgh-based photographer Trudy Stade staged an
exhibition of 22 portraits of blind and partially sighted people.
‘Connecting Visions’ aimed to overturn perceptions of people with
sight loss as passive and dependent. Its subjects included Dennis
Robertson MSP and stand-up comedian Jamie McDonald.
Trudy was inspired after watching McDonald live on stage. “I
realised his talent immediately and found myself chatting away to
Jamie after the show,” she said.
“I knew someone at RNIB Scotland and put forward the concept of
portraits as something I wanted to do. I didn’t want to push aside
the difficulties or frustrations of those living with little or no sight,
but capture the essence of who they are through empowering and
positive images,” said Trudy.
All proceeds from the opening were donated to RNIB Scotland.
The event was organised by our Edinburgh Volunteer Fundraising
Group.
To all our supporters and volunteers – thank you for helping to
make every day better for people with sight loss.
We also held two Glow Runs in Scotland, in Ayr and Edinburgh,
attracting 250 participants and raising over £5,000.
Thank you.
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Thank you
Aberdeenshire Council
Clare Ballance
Big Lottery – Investing in Communities
Cirrus Logic
Cross Party Group on Visual Impairment
Da Soond o Shetlan
Eyecare Scotland
Dr Kevin Fellows
Dr Andrew Ferguson
Amy Gilbert
Glasgow City Council
Google
Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland
Heritage Lottery Fund
Dr Zac Koshy
Lothian Buses
Dr Helen Lynn
Matthew Algie
Stuart McMillan MSP
Hazel Muldoon
Dr Ken O'Neill
Ken Reid
Optometry Scotland
Royal Blind School
ScottishPower Foundation
Scottish Sensory Centre
Trudy Stade
State Street Foundation
University of Edinburgh
Dr Karen Wolffe
Roddy Wright (Hansel)
We’d also like to say thank you to our volunteers for your tireless
dedication – without your support we couldn’t have achieved what
we have.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all those who remembered RNIB in
their Will. Their generosity will enable us to continue all of our vital
work for people facing sight loss in future years.
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How you can help
Every day ten people in Scotland start to lose their sight. We need
your help to provide vital services for blind and partially sighted
people. Do something today and make a difference.
A brighter future
About a third of our work is supported by gifts in Wills so we are
hugely grateful to those people who have supported us in this way.
Every penny we are left is used wisely to provide a brighter future
and help blind and partially sighted people live their lives with
confidence. You don’t have to be wealthy to make a difference;
legacies of all sizes are vital to our work. If you’d like to know how
you can help in this way please call 0845 600 0313 or visit
rnib.org.uk/legacy
Fundraise
Without financial support from donations and legacies we simply
couldn’t provide many of the products and services that help
people find their lives again. There are many ways you can show
your support, such as getting involved in ‘Wear dots...raise lots’,
taking on a challenge or making a one-off donation. Visit
rnib.org.uk/fundraise
Volunteer
Without volunteers we couldn’t run our services. There are over
100 volunteering opportunities across the UK where you could
make a real difference in your local community. Visit
rnib.org.uk/volunteer
Campaign
Without active campaigners we’d never get changes made to
health, social care, employment and benefits. Join our campaigns
on issues that matter to blind and partially sighted people. Visit
rnib.org.uk/campaign
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Contact us
RNIB Scotland
12-14 Hillside Crescent
Edinburgh EH7 5EA.
Call: 0131 652 3140
Email: rnibscotland@rnib.org.uk
Website: rnib.org.uk/Scotland
Follow us on social media:
 facebook.com/rnibscotland
 youtube.com/rnibuk
 twitter.com/rnibscotland
RNIB Helpline
If you, or someone you know, is living with sight loss, we’re here to
help. Call 0303 123 9999 from Monday to Friday between 8.45am
and 5.30pm or email helpline@rnib.org.uk
You can order more copies of this review in print, audio and braille
as well as our range of products and publications.
© 2016 Action for Blind People
Registered charity number SC040050
RNIB registered charity number SCO39316.
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