RNIB took their 'Fair Game' campaign stand to the annual Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative Party Conferences in 2008. We were delighted to win the prize for 'the stand that best gets its message across' at the Liberal Democrats conference.
The stand, based on a fair ground coconut shy, raised awareness of issues around Disability Living Allowance (DLA), social care, employment and accessible text books.
We encouraged delegates to 'lobby' bean bags at key decision-makers to help end the exclusion of blind and partially sighted people with these four key messages.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Blind people face some of the biggest barriers to independent mobility. However, blind people are excluded from receiving the higher rate mobility component of DLA, which assists people who have difficulties getting out and about safely and independently.
A listening Prime Minister should pay attention to:
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his own Ministers and officials, who found that the necessary changes could be made
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his own Party, which supports the change
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the general public, over 90 per cent of whom support our call for people with severe sight loss to receive the higher rate mobility component of DLA.
How to help us change the DLA situation (Word, 33.5KB)
Employment
Two out of every three people with sight loss of working age are not in work. Nine out of ten employers say that they feel it would be impossible or difficult to employ someone with sight loss.
There is a huge amount employers can do to help boost the numbers of disabled people in work, such as:
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making job vacancies accessible
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being positive about employing disabled people
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having policies to retain in work employees who become disabled.
How to help us change the employment situation (Word, 40KB)
Social care
Local authorities are adopting increasingly restrictive criteria for social care services. Low awareness of the impact of sight loss is leading to the exclusion of visually impaired people from social care.
Councillors who hold the adult social care portfolio must ensure the council implements the policies set out in 'Putting People First'. They should strike up close relationships with counterparts working in health and housing to ensure services are genuinely joined-up.
How to help us change the social care situation (Word, 31KB)
Textbooks
Blind and partially sighted children's progress is affected by a lack of textbooks, say nine out of ten teachers. For example, research found 88 per cent of maths GCSE textbooks aren't available in large print or Braille.
Gordon Brown repeats that 'every child matters' - but every day blind and partially sighted children are unable to access their textbooks, despite the best efforts of their teachers.
Gordon Brown needs to lead the way and ensure blind and partially sighted children matter to Government
How to help us change the textbooks situation (Word, 46KB)