"The support that RNIB can give you is vital. They help you start again from scratch."
Barrington was diagnosed with glaucoma but unfortunately it was too late to save his sight. His eyesight deteriorated dramatically within six to nine months and had an overwhelming effect on his life. He was unable to drive, couldn't work, could no longer live alone, he couldn't even walk down the street alone.
'I lost the things I took for granted'
"I couldn't go to the pub on my own anymore because you have a few pints, then you have to find the loo and you have to depend on someone to lead or guide you to it. So pubs, cinemas, even restaurants became a no-go area for me."
An ophthalmologist referred Barrington to RNIB and since then we have helped him reclaim some of the independence that his sight loss took from him.
How RNIB helps Barrington
With RNIB cane training Barrington's confidence has grown. A scanner and JAWS reader have enabled him to read the letters from his Grandmother that he thought he'd never be able to read again. He has even got back on his bike after RNIB put him in touch with a local bicycle club, Life Cycle UK. In fact, Barrington now owns a tandem bicycle that he keeps in the kitchen of the new flat he recently got the keys for and that RNIB helped adapt to his needs.
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We need your help to fund our vital services for blind and partially sighted people in the UK. Right now we can only reach one in three of the people who need our help most.
Please make a donation and help us reach them all.
A third of our vital work helping people with sight loss is only possible thanks to people continuing their support through a legacy gift. Find out how you can leave a gift to RNIB in your Will.