Community ViewVisual Impairment &

Black & Minority Ethnic People

Background

• Research – 2005 ‘Our Vision Too’ by Thomas Pocklington Trust & De Montfort University

• Few people from Black & Minority Ethnic Communities access eye care services

• Few eye health/sight loss providers know about needs of BME communities

Community View Service• July 2006 start – 3 Year project• Partnership with RNIB, Action for Blind People,

Thomas Pocklington Trust, City Council & local health trusts

• Raises awareness within BME communities of sight loss and services

• Raise competencies within sight loss services to meet needs of BME users

Project• Community based ‘Sight Loss Information Fairs’• Sight Loss training for BME organisations• Forum of BME & Sight Loss organisations• Training for Forum Members • Steering Group • Community Language Leaflets• Promotion at community events & festivals

Benefits

• Year 1 – increase in BME people using services – 2.4%

• 25 Community organisations in Forum

• 900+ people have received information

Lessons• BME organisations welcome our involvement• Go to people in the community• Language – community or plain English• Community based – schools, festivals, events, etc• Community Champions • Long term involvement• Awareness within wider family is important• Don’t judge, inform

Year 2

• Attending more events.• Use champions from the ‘Forum' for the

future events .• Involving the local opticians in the events• Promoting events on higher scale.• Targeting specific communities that have

higher incidents of eye problems

Future

• 2 further years

• Expanding current services – E.g., Cookery events

• Specific groups for BME groups

• Expand representation in Health & Social Care

• Final research findings and report to be published – including lessons learned for the whole country

Contact Details:

Jasbir K Behal

BME Project Coordinator

Birmingham Focus on Blindness

Email: jasbir@birminghamfocus.org.uk

Web site: www.birminghamfocus.org.uk