In 2009 we asked politicians to take the 'Maze challenge' to deal with everyday challenges faced by people with sight loss.
At the Labour and Conservative party conferences around 700 stand visitors walked through a typical day using an ATM, crossing a busy road, shopping and even making a cup of tea. However, they did all this in a maze and without the use of their sight.
We started the journey in a consultant's office, where without appropriate support being offered when sight loss is diagnosed, people are left to find support services themselves. Visitors then continued into the maze to complete a range of everyday living tasks and experience the difficulties thousands of people a year with sight loss go through as they are left to continue their day to day life.
Shock and disappointment
Visitors included members of the cabinet and shadow cabinet, MPs from across the country, councilors, prospective parliamentary candidates for the next election and leaders from the private and public sectors. Many expressed shock and disappointment as they learnt how little support was available, pledging their interest and support in our campaign message.
MPs, Peers, and delegates took the time to think about the obstacles and barriers that face people with sight loss. We wanted to impress on them the importance of emotional and practical support as people adjust to living with sight loss after having been told by their consultant that nothing more can be done for them.
Campaign messages
For further information on the five key areas of our campaign message our fact sheets below give more detail:
Further information
To find out more about our activity at the party conferences, or the campaign messages we delivered to the stand visitors, please call the campaigns team on 020 7391 2123, or email
campaign@rnib.org.uk
RNIB's Lost and Found Campaign - highlighting the isolation and injustice faced by blind and partially sighted people.