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1. Including Vision- thoughts from the low vision services sub group about ethnicity and vision impairment (with help from Prof Mark Johnson De Montfort Universityand Angela McCullagh Thomas Pocklington Trust)
Mary Bairstow
Low Vision Steering Group
July 11th 2007
2. Additional barriers “Ethnic minorities with sight loss face similar problems to their white counterparts……. what is different is that for a range of social economic and cultural reasons [ethnic minorities] face additional barriers”
3. UK Vision Strategy Eliminate avoidable blindness and improve support
4 “Chapters” in the context of BME communities
awareness, education and prevention of blindness
correction, treatment and the eyecare journey
support for independent living
empowerment and the inclusive society
4. Chapter 1 -seeing both sides “….another problem which I am still suffering of, is to understand the system and to know the opportunities that are available for disabled people like me”
“a presumption exists that individuals …live in large extended families, yet in this study a profound degree of isolation was expressed by most participants”
An exploration of the needs of Somali visually impaired people in Sheffield
Dec 2006
5. Community Awareness of services Perceptions of health, body and disease
Descriptive barriers - culture and language differences
Accessibility (where and when)
Experiences of services
Language and availability of
information
6. Culturally Appropriate? No account of cultural needs
For example- gender, meals, news and
communication
Responding to need
- taking into account local complexities
- family, community and environment
- generational differences
Workforce representation
does not equate with responsiveness
7. Chapter 2 - The eye care journey Knowledge of eye conditions
Access points and ‘bridges’
Poor satisfaction of services - suspicion
Poor understanding of ‘blind’ registration
Lack of understanding and cultural barriers to ‘rehabilitation’
8. Chapter 3 - Supporting independence 78% of people found getting around independently difficult
Many people needed readers
Many people struggled to wash dress and make hot drinks
Within the Bangladeshi Community 96% had food prepared
“Opening the Door” Seeability 1999
9. So why? Cultural barriers
Stereotyping and institutional ‘gate-keeping’
Poor access to rehabilitation and social care teams
Cultural appropriateness of service provider
10. Chapter 4 - empowerment and inclusion Low Self esteem
Need for assertiveness training
Provider - attitude and awareness
Interpreter, translation and information needs
Community awareness and support
11. So what’s the strategy Community tools
Provider tools
Models of co-ordination
12. Thank you for listening On behalf on the LV sub-group
Jamal Abdulah - Liverpool Voluntary Society for the Blind (LVSB)
Jasbir Behal - Birmingham Focus on Blindness
Ashrafia Choudury - Seeability
Younus Khan - RNIB
Swapna McNeil- Leeds Association of Blind Asians
Mr Yang - Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary