Key facts

There are an estimated 37,000 blind and partially sighted children and young people in England and Wales. Every day, four more children will be diagnosed with sight loss.

These children and young people face particular challenges. We do not list the facts below to be insensitive, but we feel it is important we understand the social and economic difficulties too many blind and partially sighted young people and their families face.

RSBC can offer help by providing children, young people, and families with a combination of support, learning and development opportunities to help them build the confidence, resilience, and skills they will need to shape their own futures.

The stats

Mental health and social impact

“Nearly four out of 10 blind and partially sighted children don’t have friends close to where they live and go to school.” (1)(2)

“Around a quarter of all blind and partially sighted children are unhappy with their life because of their sight loss and half of all parents are worried about their ability to learn at school.” (4)(5)

“Blind and partially sighted children are more likely to be bullied” (5)(6)

“Nearly two thirds of parents feel that their blind and partially sighted children are more likely to be bullied at school and in the local community.” (5)(6)

 

Impact on future life chances

“More than 8 out of 10 parents feel that their child’s life chances are limited by their eye condition and over half of blind and partially sighted children feel the same.” (7)(8)

“Only 1 in 4 registered blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment.”(9)

Economic circumstances

“50% of seven-year olds with sight loss live in households with a weekly income of less than £300.” (10)

 

References

[1] 37% of blind and partially sighted children and young people (aged 11-22 years) disagree with the statement ‘I have good friends in my local neighbourhood’. (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p69)

[2] 27% of parents said that forming friendships had been impacted by their son or daughter’s eye condition, making this very difficult or impossible (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p93)

[3 ]One in every four parents felt that their child was unhappy because of their eye condition and often worry about the condition. (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p116)

[4] One in every two parents felt that their child had problems concentrating at school because of their condition (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p116)

[5] 62% of parents agree that blind and partially sighted children are more likely to be bullied than other children (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p127)

[6] Sight impairment at 11 Report 2014, Nat Cen, RNIB, RSLB*.Children with sight impairment are more likely to have been bullied, and bullied a lot. 63% of vision impaired children say they have been bullied.

[7] 83% of parents agree with the statement: I am concerned that my child’s career prospects may be limited by his or her eye condition (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p126)

[8] One in every two parents felt that their child was seldom or never confident about their future (Survey of Young People Parents Educators and Mobility Specialists, Nzegwu and Dooley 2008 p116)

[9] Slade et al (2019), Employment and Sight Loss

[10] Sight impairment at 7 Report 2012, Nat Cen, RNIB, RSLB*

*RLSB was the former name of RSBC