A Northern Ireland student, who was registered partially sighted from an early age, has opened up about growing up with sight loss here.
Read more: Co Down student urges Ulster University to provide support for students amid rising costs It highlights the impact that losing her sight has on many areas of her life, from education to relationships. Most crucially, the film demonstrates how sight loss can impact mental health as well as physical health.
“It did create a sense of isolation. It was particularly through the RNIB that I was able to develop friendships by meeting other people with sight loss, outside school. It was that one place I felt I could talk to people and they understood and wouldn’t find me annoying. That really boosted my confidence, to bring back to all spheres of life.”
Research commissioned by RNIB amongst blind and partially sighted people has revealed that for those who lost their sight, or already had a visual impairment, during their teenage years – worries about being able to go out with friends and socialise was a big source of anxiety.