Losing your sight changes everything. The route to the shops, making a cup of tea, reading a letter from your GP, getting to work. The ordinary things that hold a life together suddenly feel out of reach.
With the right support at the right time, people with vision impairment can rebuild confidence, stay independent, and continue doing the things that matter most to them.
That support is called vision rehabilitation, and everyone in Scotland should have access to this essential help — no matter where they live.
What is vision rehabilitation?
Vision rehabilitation is delivered by skilled specialists who teach people the practical skills, techniques and use of equipment that allow them to navigate daily life with sight loss.
The impact of vision rehabilitation in people's own words
Behind every one of our campaigns is a person. The following video shares the experience of Frank who received vision rehabilitation support, and the impact it has had on his life.
You can read more stories of how vision rehabilitation has changed lives on our Support After Sight Loss case studies page, including Mary, Ross, Frank and others who have generously shared their journeys.
What are the barriers to vision rehabilitation?
In Scotland today, access to vision rehabilitation depends largely on where you live. Waiting times can stretch from a few weeks in one area to two years in another. The specialist workforce is small, near retirement age, and unregulated, with no formal route into the profession until very recently.
People experiencing sight loss are being left without the support they need, at one of the most difficult moments of their lives.
We want to change that.
Working together as Vision Collaborative Scotland
Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans are proud to lead and be part of Vision Collaborative Scotland - a coalition of organisations working across Scotland to improve vision rehabilitation.
Through the Support After Sight Loss campaign, Vision Collaborative Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to take three practical steps.
- Improve quality standards: Everyone should have access to the same quality of vision rehabilitation, wherever they live.
- Increase training and investment: Scotland needs to train more vision rehabilitation specialists to meet growing demand.
- A stronger workforce: We need to understand how many specialists Scotland needs and create a clear route to professional recognition.
These three achievable, evidence-based changes would make a real difference for the >193,000 people in Scotland living with significant sight loss, a figure which is expected to double by 2050.
Making change happen
We're bringing people's experiences to politicians, the media and decision-makers, and working with organisations across Scotland to make sure vision rehabilitation gets the attention it deserves.
By doing so, we hope to see some real changes being made that ensure everyone’s experience of vision rehabilitation is equal.
How you can support the campaign
Whether you have personal experience of sight loss, work in the sector, or simply want to see Scotland do better for disabled people, you can help.
Share the campaign on social media using #SupportAfterSightLoss, talk to your MSP about why these changes matter, or get in touch to find out more about our work.
For more information about the campaign, you can get in touch with us using the contact form below.
You can also explore our Sight After Sight Loss campaign information and resources for the vision loss sector here.