Helping adults with learning disabilities to recognise signs of sight loss

RNIB UK Adult Social Care Practice and Development Team develop and deliver bespoke, award winning training for health and social care professionals.  The training is related to sight loss and complex needs including learning disability, dementia, autism and stroke.  The training helps to increase awareness of ‘hidden sight loss’.

However, on this occasion, instead of training for health and social care professionals, we have designed a new training pack called ‘Healthy Eyes’ for adults with learning disabilities.  This is to help raise awareness of the importance of eye health.  It has been developed by RNIB, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow Caledonian University and The Good Life Group and funded by the Scottish Government.  This training pack will help adults with learning disabilities recognise possible signs of sight loss in family, friends and themselves, which they may not have been aware of before.  It will also explain what to do if an individual thinks their sight is getting worse or they have a problem with their eyes.  It has been developed to help increase the individual’s confidence when attending an eye examination and to be aware of what is good and bad for eye health.

The training pack can be used within a group setting for adults with learning disabilities and would require a facilitator of the group to lead the training session.  It includes video clips of scenes acted by The Good Life Group who are a group of adults with learning disabilities.  The training pack will be available on a USB.  This USB will include the training guide for the trainer and the video clips of the scenes.

RNIB UK Adult Social Care Practice and Development Team look forward to the training pack being distributed and used within group settings.  We hope this will be something new and exciting for adults with learning disabilities to learn more about sight loss and the importance of eye health.

If you facilitate a group and would like more information about the ‘Healthy Eyes’ training pack and how to receive one, please contact RNIB UK Adult Social Care Practice and Development Team by emailing UKPDT.Training@rnib.org.uk or phoning 0141 772 5588.

Blog written by RNIB UK Adult Social Care Practice and Development Team.