TWO charities have called on Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf to improve accessibility for individuals who are visually impaired.
Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans warned there are instances in which new active travel routes are dangerous for visually impaired people due to cycle paths having no kerbs, floating bus stops, and staggered zebra crossings.
An estimated 180,000 people in Scotland are blind or partially sighted, with the charities saying that this number is expected to double by 2031 to almost 400,000. They added that people living with vision impairment face a ‘multitude’ of challenges on a daily basis – including loneliness, isolation, and social exclusion.
Furthermore, the organisations said that if ‘spiralling’ waiting times, the cost-of-living crisis, and ‘growing problems’ with accessibility in towns and cities are added together it is clear that more needs to be done to support people living with sight loss across Scotland.
Craig Spalding, chief executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, commented, “As a former health secretary, our new first minister knows the challenges that are facing healthcare and public health in Scotland. You just have to look at the latest ophthalmology waiting times statistics released by Public Health Scotland to realise that the Scottish Government must do better.
“On average 36% of new outpatients had to wait over 16 weeks for eye appointments, a rise of almost 10% in just three months. This number then grows to over 50% in some health boards such as Fife and Lanarkshire. People with deteriorating eye conditions just don’t have the time to wait, if ophthalmology waiting times are not improved, many face the very real prospect of permanent damage.
“The cost-of-living crisis is also hitting the vision impaired community hard. The majority of people living with sight loss already face additional expenses, such as transportation costs, technology assistance costs and support in the home. They are also forced to spend a lot more time in their home due to vision loss, which makes fuel poverty a very real threat due to soaring energy bills. This is forcing many to cut back on essentials such as food, heating and electricity, which is having a terrible impact on both their physical and mental health.
“The Scottish Government must address the growing problems of accessibility in Scotland. More streets in Scotland are being transformed to give priority to active travel, but unfortunately there are many instances where these new layouts are dangerous for visually impaired people. Issues centring around cycle paths with no kerbs, floating bus stops and staggered zebra crossings, are causing real safety concerns. Meaningful engagement with communities is key to this so that their lived experience can inform plans that meet the needs of everyone.”
