Future Vision Tour
As part of the Royal National Institute of Blind People's (RNIB) Future Vision tour, students from Birmingham Metropolitan College will this week enter a virtual ageing booth to see how they could look when they are older and learn how to reduce the risk of becoming blind later in life.
The UK wide tour aims to show students how their lifestyle can affect their vision and hopes to encourage them to look after their eyes by highlighting how they can prevent serious eye conditions from developing, such as not smoking.
Virtual ageing booth
The virtual ageing photo booth simulates how students might look when they reach 70 based on their current lifestyle choices. On leaving the booth, students are given a 'before' and 'after' photograph of themselves, along with eye health information explaining how to avoid risk factors linked to eye disease.
Smoking and sight loss
RNIB says there are 1.8 million people with sight loss in the UK -fifty per cent of who lost their sight unnecessarily. If detected sufficiently early sight loss can be avoided for many people. Not smoking and having regular eye tests are just two ways that people can minimise the risk of developing serious sight disease when older.
Head of Policy and Campaigns at RNIB, Steve Winyard said: "Our focus is on younger people because we want to show them, in a very tangible way, how their lifestyle choices may affect their risk of developing eye disease in later life. RNIB's Future Vision tour shows our commitment to making avoidable sight loss a thing of the past."
Many people are unaware of the link between smoking and sight loss despite it being as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. A survey conducted by RNIB showed that in the UK, 73 per cent of smokers aged 18-24 would consider stopping smoking permanently or reducing smoking to avoid blindness in later life.
The Future Vision tour comes to Birmingham Metropolitan College following discussions into effective ways of reducing smoking. The college wants to help its students to better understand the risks attached to their eye health due to smoking.
Preventing avoidable sight loss
Principal and Chief Executive of Birmingham Metropolitan College, Dr Christine Braddock CBE, stated: "The health and welfare of our students is at the forefront of all learning experiences we provide at the college, which is why we are happy to support the Future Vision campaign. This is an excellent opportunity for students and staff to discover how lifestyle factors such as smoking can affect their long-term vision as well as be made aware of some of the preventive measures against eye diseases and blindness."
Steve Winyard added: "Ultimately it's up to all of us to take the necessary steps to maximise our chances of keeping our eyes healthy into old age. Fifty per cent of all sight loss if tackled early enough is avoidable. If younger people are prepared to take their own eye health seriously, they stand a far better chance of not adding to the 1.8 million people who currently live with sight loss in the UK. Not smoking is as important as having regular eye tests."
Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust is backing the event and staff from the Stop Smoking Service will be on hand throughout the week to give students further information.
Support from local Councillor
Councillor Deirdre Alden, Chairman of Health Scrutiny on Birmingham City Council, will also be attending the launch to show her support.
Cllr Alden said: "It's all too easy to be careless about your health when you are young and fit, but this project will help to make 16-25 year olds aware that the lifestyle choices they make now can seriously affect their eye health in the future. If this event helps to prevent avoidable sight loss in just one person in the future, it will have been very worthwhile."
The booth was designed by Hartnell Creative Communication Ltd and will be visiting a further seven UK college venues.
For more media information contact Graham Sefton, RNIB Press Office 020 7391 2223. Out of hours mobile 07968 482812.
Notes to Editors.
1. The media are invited to the launch event that takes place on Monday 1 February at Birmingham Metropolitan College (Matthew Boulton Campus, 4 Jennens Road, B4 7PS). Meet at main reception 10-11am. Please contact Graham Sefton if you would like to attend (details as above).
2. Students using the booth and a spokesperson from RNIB and the college will be available for further comment, as will members of HoB tPCT's Stop Smoking Service and Councillor Deirdre Alden, Chairman of Health Scrutiny on Birmingham City Council.
3. Everyday around 100 people in the UK start to lose their sight. There are around 1.8 million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.
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