Derry & Strabane first in Ireland to commit to accessibility for people with sight loss

As the first council on the island of Ireland to unanimously approve such a motion, the council will now partner with the RNIB and the North West Regional College and it’s Design Innovation for Assisted Living (DIAL) Centre to provide training, information, and best practice guidelines to civic institutions and local businesses.

The council will also train all public-facing staff members and elected officials in understanding sight loss to ensure that they can provide the appropriate support to those with visual impairments.

Mayor, Sinn Féin Colr. Sandra Duffy, who lives with a visual impairment, expressed her privilege in bringing the motion forward before council and raising awareness of the work that RNIB is doing within the city.

She said: “It’s really important to raise awareness of people here living with blindness or visual impairment across the city and district and some of the challenges that they might face as not everybody would be fully aware of them. People often think of sight loss and think of either you can see or you can’t see and not about the many different shades of vision in between.”

The Mayor revealed that people with sight loss often experience significant information and inclusion gaps because of visual impairments. Transport systems, pavements, and built environments are often not designed to be fully inclusive of people with visual impairments, making it challenging for them to navigate streets, public spaces, and buildings, especially if the built environment is unfamiliar or changeable.

She continued: “No one should experience sight loss without the appropriate support. Despite advancements in clinical treatments over the last decade, less attention has been paid to the patient pathway as a whole.

“Only 17% of people experiencing sight loss are offered emotional support in relation to the deteriorating vision. People with sight loss were often more than twice as likely to experience difficulties with unhappiness or depression. More than 40% of blind and partially sighted people feel moderately or completely cut off from people and things around them.

“Being told you’re losing your sight can be one of the most difficult things to come to terms with common effects such as depression, and reduced well being, with many people not able to receive essential support in relation to their sight, having to relearn how to do everyday things as a reality of losing your sight. This can include everything from re-learning how to make a cup of tea to moving safely around your local area. Most people do not receive practical support with mobility or practical tasks such as preparing food.

“In this council area there are estimated to be 4,030 people currently living with some sort of visual impairment and that’s over and above the people who just are short sighted or need glasses.”

Seconding the motion and making a small amendment, Alliance Colr. Philip McKinney, urged everyone to take up the training offered by the RNIB, saying: “It is free and really, really interesting. It gives you an insight.”

He also shared a personal story about his father-in-law who had diabetes and had to use a magnifying glass to see, saying: “I could see what could actually happen to myself because I also have diabetes. That’s why I find it really essential and important that we should train and be able to help people and invite people to our city and district, making it an open one.”

He emphasised the importance of the motion saying: “We are the first city in Northern Ireland and indeed the whole of Ireland to actually put this motion through and I think we need to lead the way and make it open for everyone.”

SDLP Colr. Angela Dobbins, who had previously worked for the RNIB, spoke passionately about the need for societal change to ensure that blind and partially sighted individuals can participate fully in all aspects of life.

“Blind and partially sighted people can live the lives they want to but it’s how others behave and what we think of it can often get in the way,” she said. “We need to change society so that the blind and partially sighted people can take part on an equal footing and face a world without barriers.”

Colr. Dobbins emphasised the importance of campaigns by organisations such as RNIB to change public perceptions and behaviour towards sight loss.

“When more of us understand the realities of sight loss and think about the part we can play in improving the world for people with sight loss, then we make this world a better place,” she said.

Sinn Féin Councillor Michaela Boyle also expressed her support for the motion, emphasising the need for practical action to make the city and district a visually aware space.

Councillor Boyle also highlighted the importance of informing the public, business communities, and civic societies on how to address the needs of individuals with sight loss and partial sight loss to help them lead independent and fulfilling lives.

“Understanding their needs is key, information is key,” she said. “For example, how you can obtain information on access to services, carers, transport, independent living, employment, education, and especially for newcomers to our area, which is very important. And for those who lose their sight suddenly, not being able to adjust to sight loss gradually and how they adjust and navigate their way around the community that they live in and indeed to get that information on how they can rehabilitate.”

Colr. Boyle commended the work of the RNIB and the Mayor for bringing forward the motion adding: “I look forward to the completion of the work and seeing the outcome of it for our city and district.”

Independent Colr. Raymond Barr spoke about a relative’s loss of sight as an adult, expressing his hope for the council’s active role in educating the community on how to engage with visually impaired individuals. He emphasised the importance of getting shops on-board to make shopping easier for those with visual impairments.

Aontú Colr Emmet Doyle stressed the significance of urban planning and council’s capital projects, emphasising the importance of considering the needs of visually impaired individuals. He encouraged council members and staff to undergo the RNIB training, stating that “it certainly is an eye opener.”

People Before Profit Colr. Maeve O’Neill, expressed her gratitude to RNIB for their efforts in supporting visually impaired individuals and raising awareness.

Drawing from her experience as a physiotherapist, she commented: “I’ve seen and worked with people who have experienced new visual impairments and the isolation that that can cause within their own homes and within their own communities. And there’s not enough support within society. I have worked with RNIB enabling people, but even people who work in health care don’t have the training to work with people who have visual impairments.”

Colr. O’Neill also spoke about the importance of training town planners in working with and designing spaces for individuals with visual impairments. She stated that, ultimately, it is society that disables people, not their abilities, and called for more people to be trained to improve the lives of those with visual impairments.

DUP Alderman Niree McMorris said: “We also acknowledge the expertise of the Royal National Institute for the Blind and appreciate the work they have done to make us a more inclusive and visually aware society for the blind and partially sighted.

“As a council, we should always be fully committed to making the city and district a visually aware space, and thus, we should support the partnership work between council, RNIB, and the North West Regional College.”

“It is crucial to raise awareness within the city and district to increase employment and social opportunities for those who are partially sighted and blind.”

Summing up, Mayor Duffy expressed her satisfaction with the unanimous support for the substantive motion, stating: “We should definitely become a visually aware city, we need to break down those barriers, and we need to have a greater understanding of people who are living with sight loss.”

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter