February Newsletter 285

New discovery has important implications for treating common eye disease

Scientists have made an important discovery with implications for those living with a common, debilitating eye disease (age-related macular degeneration, AMD) that can cause blindness.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200220141727.htm


Access to healthcare information low among sight-loss patients

Blind and partially-sighted people are struggling to receive healthcare information in accessible formats, according to new research by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland. The charity has called for Scotland’s 14 health boards to ensure policies are implemented to increase access and introduce training for healthcare staff on communicating with sight loss patients.

https://www.opticianonline.net/news/access-to-healthcare-information-low-among-sight-loss-patients

http://thirdforcenews.org.uk/tfn-news/sight-loss-patients-failed-by-nhs


What it’s like living with low or no vision

RNIB educates MPs about making services accessible

More than 100 MPs have attended a training session hosted by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) that aimed to help them learn how to make their services more accessible for people with sight loss.

https://www.aop.org.uk/ot/industry/charity/2020/02/17/rnib-educates-mps-about-making-services-accessible

World Book Night audio book offer

World Book Night is run by The Reading Agency, a national charity that tackles life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading. Following a successful pilot offer in 2019, there will be an expanded audiobook offer of four titles. These titles will be distributed to individuals who will sign up online February – April and successful applicants will be chosen at random and sent an exclusive download code on 23 April. Further details on how to sign up here:

https://worldbooknight.org/news/listen-to-world-book-night-2020