Educational outcomes of children and young people with vision impairment in the UK
In 2025, RNIB commissioned research to explore the educational outcomes of pupils with vision impairment as their only area of need.
In the academic literature and in published attainment data in the UK, analysis of attainment levels for pupils with vision impairment has historically conflated this group and those with additional areas of need – yet the presence of additional areas of need is known to be associated with lower levels of attainment.
In this research, we seek to identify the impact of having a vision impairment in isolation on educational attainment and to quantify the ‘attainment gap’ that exists for pupils with vision impairment only. The research comprised a review of worldwide literature published since 2000 and analysis of attainment data for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.