RNIB's Eye Care We Care roadshow visits Derry

Last week the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIBNI) brought it’s #EyeCareWeCare roadshow to Foyleside Shopping Centre to raise public awareness of practicing good eye health and booking and attending regular eye tests.

There are an estimated 4,030 people living with sight loss in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area. Currently across Northern Ireland, there are 57,500 people with sight loss, with this figure expected to rise by over 25 per cent by 2032.

RNIB, alongside the NI Eyecare Network (RNIB Northern Ireland, the Department of Health, the Public Health Agency, and Optometry NI), wants to highlight that one in five people will experience sight loss in their lives, but that over 50 per cent of sight loss is avoidable.

A routine eye examination can often pick up the first signs of a condition with the potential to cause sight loss even before there are any symptoms. Early detection and intervention could save your sight or keep your condition under control.

Annmarie Houston (54) lives in Strabane and was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of 23 and has faced a gradual loss of sight throughout her life.

Annmarie says: “At the time of my diagnosis I didn’t even know I was living with tunnel vision. My field of vision was shrinking but what I could see, I could see very well.

"I was at university and was reading small print and was even still driving and living life to the fullest. I had to give up my driving license shortly after that though but it remains a source of pride to me that I never had an accident despite what I now know about my eyesight.

"That was such a blow to my independence and the most difficult part of my journey to going blind. Before my formal diagnosis, I just didn’t know there was anything wrong with my eyesight. I just thought that’s the way things were. This then meant a big change for me in using public transport exclusively.

"I remember my young daughter at the time, asking did our whole life have to revolve around public transport, the answer to that was yes. If there was only one bus that morning leaving town, we had to be on it. To be honest I found making the transition to public transport great for socialising.

"I remember thinking that driving can be so lonely in comparison. I quickly had to learn to adapt to the banter that goes with taxi and bus journeys.”

Councillor Maeve O'Neill (People Before Profit) and Councillor Rachel Ferguson (Alliance) pictured with RNIB volunteer Rory McCartney.

Annmarie worked for RNIB for 15 years working within the local community supporting blind and partially sighted people to connect with each other.

She’s particularly proud of her work with women’s and men’s self-confidence workshops and establishing a network of volunteers that still thrives today. Annmarie herself, still volunteers with RNIB, delivering sight loss awareness training on a regular basis.

She continues: “I didn’t actually go blind until 2013. That was the year of Derry City of Culture and was such a busy year with work and a year I’ll never forget.

"I’m a big believer in peer support. People who have already lived through losing their sight or who are blind, they can pass on so much to those who might have just had a diagnosis of sight loss. our eyesight is a precious sense and I would strongly encourage everyone to look after your eyes and attend regular eye tests.

"There’s nothing to worry about and even if a condition is detected, catching it early will always help and result in a better outcome. We know the risk of sight loss increases with age so all the more reason to keep your eyes healthy and book that eye test. It's sad when you meet someone who has had to stop doing something they love or is missing an important aspect of their life because of sight loss resulting from an eye condition.

"RNIB support services are here to help with finding your independents again and  to keep doing the things you love.

"I would urge anyone who’s going through sight loss and feeling alone, to connect with someone around you and tell them how you’re feeling. Someone you know will know how to help.

"We’re lucky here in the northwest that we have a strong network of volunteers. There’s so much going on and you can get involved with as much or as little as you wish.”

Ursula O'Neill, Robert Shilliday Country Director RNIB in Northern Ireland, and Annmarie Houston.

Robert Shilliday, Country Director for RNIB in Northern Ireland and Co-Chair of the NI Eyecare Network, said: “We want to ensure we are reaching as much of the population as possible with these eye health messages.

“The #EyeCareWeCare campaign also seeks to connect the 57,500 blind and partially sighted people currently living in Northern Ireland with all the available forms of services and support across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors.

“I want to thank colleagues from the NI Eyecare Network, including those from the Western Health and Social Care Trust Sensory Support team, and our wonderful volunteers for their support with this campaign today in Foyleside Shopping Centre.”