Did you know?

• Having regular eye tests is the most important thing you can do to protect your sight

• Every day in the UK another 100 people start to lose their sight

• A visual impairment can’t be corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses

• Sitting too close to the TV and reading in dim light does not damage eyesight

• 90% of employers view people with a visual impairment as ‘impossible’ to employ

• Over half of children with visual impairments have additional disabilities

• Smokers are twice as likely to lose their sight in later life than non-smokers

• The incidence of visual impairment in the UK is expected to rise by around 35% by 2020

• Henshaws supports over 5000 visually impaired people across the North of England

• 50.4% of our service users are over the age of 65

• 15.2% of our service users are from BME backgrounds – higher than the 8% UK average

Statistics: RNIB, Department of Health, Henshaws, McLaughlan, Eyecare Trust, Thornton et al