Scottish Parliament elections 2021 – Time to Focus on Sight Loss 

Every hour someone in Scotland starts to lose their sight. There will be over 200,000 visually impaired people in Scotland by 2030. It’s time to focus on sight loss and ensure they have the support they need.

Sight Scotland is the leading organisation for sight loss in Scotland. We exist to level the playing field, because we believe that everyone with sight loss deserves the opportunity to lead a great life. 

With an increasing number of people in Scotland affected by visual impairment we believe it’s time to focus on sight loss. We want the next parliament to: 

· Make sight loss a public health priority by establishing a new national low vision service and investing in research. 

· Create better chances for blind and partially sighted young people by increasing the number of specialist teachers in, and other specialist resources available to schools. 

· Ensure fair work opportunities and support for visually impaired people through establishing specialist employability programmes and apprenticeships across Scotland and creating a fair benefits system. 

· Create an inclusive Scotland for blind and partially sighted people by incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons into Scots Law.

 

You can download and read the full manifesto below:

Download Sight Scotland 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections Manifesto

We also asked people to encourage their candidates to show they agreed it’s Time to Focus on sight loss and support through: 

· Early treatment and access to support 

· Fairer chances in education and employment 

· More inclusive communities and accessible communication.