'Don't get left in the dark' will be the message that a Scottish sight loss charity will promote to the crowds celebrating Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, in Glasgow's George Square this Sunday [November 6].
The Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland has been chosen as the official charity partner of this year's festival and it will speak from the stage on the importance of getting your eyes checked regularly. It will also invite revellers to try a visual acuity tool at its stand which determines what size of text people are able to read.
Jamila Shaikh, community development worker, said: "We want people to visit our stand so we can talk about eye health and the services that RNIB Scotland can provide. We would love to chat with people with sight loss or who have a family member with a visual impairment about what they may need and how we may able to support them."
Because Glasgow's ethnic minority population is almost three times the national average, an RNIB Scotland project in the city is raising awareness among different communities about sight-threatening conditions.
"People of South Asian origin are six times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than Caucasians," said Jamila, "and retinopathy, a complication of diabetes, is the single biggest cause of sight loss among Scots of working age. Meanwhile, some forms of glaucoma are more than three times more prevalent among people of Afro-Caribbean and Chinese descent, and are often more severe.
"But many of the people most at risk of losing their sight are least likely to access eye-care services.
"Eye examinations are free in Scotland and can help to identify any problems early on, often meaning that these can be arrested or even reversed. We want people to go on seeing and enjoying the colour and spectacle of Diwali. That's why we're urging people - don't put your sight at risk. Get your eyes checked regularly."
The RNIB Scotland project's work includes one to one meetings to discuss specific needs; explaining what local services are in place to help make life easier; and coming to terms with sight loss.
The project can also explain what support people with sight loss might be entitled to, what volunteering and training opportunities exist at the charity's Gullane Street Centre in Partick, and help people to give feedback on products and services and take part in social events.