Free, lifelong support for vision-impaired ex-Service personnel

Learning to adjust to life with sight loss can be extremely difficult. Blind Veterans UK provides vital and free training, rehabilitation, equipment and emotional support for blind and vision-impaired veterans, no matter when they served, or whether they lost their sight due to accident, age-related illness or in service.

Each veteran is supported with their particular needs to enable them to discover life beyond sight loss and live independently. This could be anything from rehabilitation, specialist equipment to help them make a cup of tea, bringing veterans together at its social events or on holidays to respite weeks at one of Blind Veterans UK’s centres in Brighton and Llandudno.

Blind Veterans UK currently supports 114 veterans in Suffolk but know there are many more. The No One Alone campaign is reaching out to the estimated more than 700 vision-impaired ex-Service men and women in the county who could be eligible for support but don’t currently realise it.  A similar situation exists in Norfolk. Most of these veterans completed their service many years ago, and have since lost their sight due to conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma.

Lara King, No One Alone Campaign Manager, said: “We want to promote the lifelong support offered for those who have served our country and for those who care for them. We strongly encourage families to ask the vision-impaired person if he or she ever served in the Armed Forces, including National Service.  If so they can apply for our support.”

If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and is now battling severe sight loss, find out how Blind  Veterans UK could help by calling 0800 389 7979 or visiting www.blindveterans.org.uk