If you notice a futuristic looking craft with two giant eyes in your town, you'd be forgiven for thinking visitors from outer space had arrived! Fear not, it's only our new Eye Pod making its way across the country to encourage people to make eye health a priority.
Throughout 2013 we'll be taking our new Eye Pod to towns and cities around the country, urging local decision makers and residents to make eye health a priority in your local area.
A growing problem
In the UK it is estimated that almost two million people are affected by sight loss. The number at risk of the four main causes of blindness - cataract, glaucoma, wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy - is set to increase by 25 per cent in the decade leading up to 2020. By 2050, it's predicted that the number of people with sight loss will double to nearly four million.
Sight loss has a significant impact on a person's quality of life. However, half of all cases are avoidable through early diagnosis and access to treatment. RNIB is campaigning to end all avoidable sight loss by 2020.
We're calling on local councils to make eye health a priority when planning services. We take our Eye Pod to towns and cities around the country and use it as a prompt to open discussions about our campaigns with councillors, public health professionals and residents.
How does the Eye Pod work?
The futuristic Eye Pod is a small trailer unit with two cameras on the outside, mounted inside two eye balls on its roof. Each camera works like a periscope that is linked to screens inside. Here people can use the handles to direct the view and see the area around the outside of the pod through a simulation of each of the four most common eye conditions, from its early to later stages, over a 60-second period. It's a great way of highlighting the difficulties that a blind or partially sighted person might face in accessing the local area.
Another main message of the Eye Pod is the importance of regular eye tests, which increase the chance of diagnosing eye conditions at an early stage, leading to the best possible outcomes in treatment.
"Although it looks like something from outer space, the pod has a serious message we hope will encourage people to make their eye health a priority."
Clara Eaglen, RNIB Eye Health Policy and Campaigns Manager.
"We encourage members of the public to come in and learn about the four most common eye conditions and the work we do campaigning for better access to treatments and services for blind and partially sighted people."
Matthew Winyard, RNIB Campaigns Assistant responsible for planning events for the Eye Pod.
Tour schedule
Find out more about the Eye Pod Tour, including information about the events being planned for 2013, or phone our Campaigns hotline on 020 7391 2123 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).