Challenges Faced by Blind People in London: Tower Hamlets NHS Services

This report investigates the challenges faced by blind people in London when accessing healthcare services, with a specific focus on the NHS in the borough of Tower Hamlets. The research addresses the aims and objectives by exploring the barriers and challenges encountered by blind individuals, identifying their basic needs, and comparing the services provided in Tower Hamlets with other boroughs. The literature review covers the causes of blindness, the challenges faced by blind people, and the services available to them. Key findings include the environmental, social, and technological barriers that impede their daily lives, such as difficulties with navigation, participation in activities, and access to information. The report also examines the requirements of visually impaired individuals, including the need for information, training, and assistive devices. It concludes with recommendations for improving services and addressing the gaps in meeting the needs of blind people, emphasizing the importance of government and organizational support. The report aims to contribute to the formulation of policies and strategies to enhance the quality of life for blind individuals in London.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE RESEARCH

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Aims and objectives.....................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
Overview......................................................................................................................................2
Challenges and Barriers faced by blind people............................................................................3
Requirements of slight loss individuals.......................................................................................4
Services provided to blind people in borough Tower Hamlets....................................................5
Approaches used by blind people in order to avail services provided by service providers.......6
Actions taken by government towards blind people....................................................................7
KEY FINDINGS..............................................................................................................................8
DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................9
Recommendation...........................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

Topic: Challenges faced by blind people in London when they get services from the service
provider: A case study is based on NHS in perspective of Tower hamlets, 24-45yrs.
INTRODUCTION
Blindness is defined as condition or state of being unable to see anything because of
disease, congenital situation or injury. In simple words, blindness is one of the most difficult and
serious condition and state of being sightless totally in both eyes. It impacts person daily
activities and make some barriers for doing such things at daily routine. Individual with
blindness is not been able to see things around them which make his/her depressed and affect its
mental ability. More than 300 million to 400 million people is visually lessened due to different
causes, of this unit approximately 50 million individual are totally bind and unable to see light in
either eye. Macular degeneration, infections of cornea, diabetes, glaucoma and infection in retina
are the common causes of blindness. Blind people cannot perceive colour and see things in
centring, they face many challenges to maintain independence. Physical movement is one of the
biggest issue for blind people that affect on its whole life. Individual with blindness will not been
able to travel and walk for doing some work in crowded street is possessed at the biggest
challenge. Work life, personal relationships, family life and self confidence is impacted due to
blindness. Blind people faced many different types of problems when they get health services
such as receiving things. Person is cannot be capable to see in which way they get services
through health care providers in Tower Hamlets.
Aims and objectives
Aim:
The aim of this research is to determine challenges faced by blind person in London
when they get services from health service provider.
Objectives:
 To identify barriers and challenges face by blind person.
 To determine basic needs and causes of blind person or people in London.
 To compare Tower Hamlets services with other two boroughs person face same problems
of blindness between the age of 24 to 45?
 To identify the best approaches for blind people.
Research questions
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 What types of challenges is faced by blind person?
 What is the main needs and causes of blind people in London?
 How Tower hamlets borough be contrast or compare with other two boroughs?
 What are the best approaches for blind people?
Rational for research-
The main reason behind choosing this topic as for whole research project is to identify
blindness impact on person daily life routine. Researcher chose this topic to evaluate number of
blind person or people in London and also determine who many people are living in Tower
hamlets company between age group of 24 to 45. It is more essential for NHS, as they want to
formulate policies in context of blind people, this research helps them a lot. Researcher selects
this topic to know more about blind people and challenges that they face. Furthermore, this
investigation is significant for whole group of members of Tower Hamlets to decrease cases of
blind people in nation.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Author/
Citation
Date of PublicationArticle/
Research title
Type of
Study
Data
collection
method
Key findings
Blindness and
vision loss
2018 Blindness and
vision loss
Qualitative
Study
Secondary data
collection
method
Needs of
blind people
Overcoming
barriers to
participation
2014 Overcoming
barriers to
participation
Qualitative
Study
Primary data
collection
method
To overcome
barriers of
participation
of blind
people
Tower Hamlets 2018 Eye Health
Factsheet
Qualitative
Study
Primary data
collection
method
Maintain
quality and
prevention
methods for
blind people
Overview
According to Bourne and et.al., (2016), blindness is one such health care problem that is
faced by people of any age group. Many people live with permanent life long sight loss. It is
quite difficult for someone who is told that they won't be able to see for their whole life or will
be able to see partially as they will be having less vision. There are various reasons or causes due
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to which this complete or partial blindness, For example: If someone gets a head injury whether
it is a normal bump of sever brain injury it can lead to blindness, Another cause of blindness is
Glaucoma where optic nerve gets damaged and cause blindness, Sometimes brain stroke also
becomes a cause of permanent blindness etc. There are many other causes due to which
blindness is caused this blindness can be permanent, partial or even moderate.
According to a statistics conducted by NHS on blindness and vision loss (2018), In UK
more than 2 million people are suffering from blindness and are living with sight loss and only
360,000 people are registered as partially or completely blind. It becomes quite difficult for blind
people to accept their condition and as a result mix feelings are seen within them such as anger,
denial, shock etc. This statistics also shows that there are various type of services available for
blind people and some eye specialist whose specialization is to treat blind people. Many social
care organizations also provide service to blind people so that they accept their condition and all
the services required to blind people can be accessed by them.
Challenges and Barriers faced by blind people
As per the view of Rugoho and Maphosa, (2017), Blind people face lots of issues,
barriers in their daily lives. There are various kinds of barriers such as environmental barriers,
social barriers, technological barriers. Environmental challenges such as they sometimes face
difficulties in time navigation, physical movements are also one of the major difficulties that is
faced by blind people. Social challenges such as they cannot easily participate in activities easily
as they might face difficulty in functioning as well. Technological barriers such as they might
face difficulty in accessing social media, shopping, internet access etc. According to the survey
conducted by British blind sport on Overcoming barriers to participation within blind people,
(2019), most of the blind people are of age 24 to 25 years. There are various other barriers that
are faced by such visually impaired people that they need to face in their daily lives. Such type
of people face difficulties in participating in any kind of sport and in practising for such sports in
fact they are sometimes not even supported by others for participation as well. Most of the times
such people are not even allowed to participate in any kind of activity or sports. They also face
difficulty in participating in any kind of social groups as they are treated differently and by
default people think that such type of people cannot do anything due to their blindness. Due to
lack of knowledge and sometimes due to lack of financial support such kind of people face
difficulty in living their lives independently without any physical support.
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Further elaborated by McLinden and et.al., (2016), such type of vision impaired people's
mental well being and quality overcoming barriers to participation lives is also affected. Their
ability to live independently, ability to socialize, their mobility is affected. Due to lower working
opportunities they face lots of difficulties especially financial problem. Due to such problems
their health is also affected like they face some serious conditions like diabetes, heart conditions
etc. According to a statistics conducted by JSNA on Tower Hamlets (2018), In Tower Hamlets
there are approximately 3980 people living sight loss out of which 460 are completely blind,
2620 are mildly blind and 910 are moderate sight loss. However only 1075 were reported blind
or partially blind with local authority. These people face difficulties not only related to health,
job, participation in activities but they also face difficulties in detection of achieving standard of
living with all the social norms of the society.
Requirements of slight loss individuals
As per the view of van Erp and et.al., (2016), people with visual disabilities should
receive all kinds of assistance as per their requirements. One of the most basic requirements of
such individuals is need for information and training. Various health and social care system
should provide a service to people with vision disability where they can easily exchange
information i.e. all the necessary and required information should be shared to them and their
difficulties and information need should be provided to them. They should also be provided with
all kinds of assisting devices, technologies or they should also be provided information regarding
help line or existing organization who can provide service to them whenever required so that
they can understand where they can get assistance when they require it. Information provided to
them should not only be focused on assistance but all kind of monetary information and
assistance should also be provided to them. They should be taught with different ideas and way
they can solve their monetary issues and if they require any kind of assistance with regards to
such problems then it should also be addressed and a solution should be provided to them so that
they can get a vision through which they can get an idea of how they can face and resolve those
issues. There are various kinds of technological devices and special equipments that provide
assistance to blind people such as: visual to audio recorders: these recorders records and play
every thing that is viewed or displayed so that visually disabled people can understand or get a
knowledge of such thing. Reading machines: these machines helps in reading all the texts that
are printed on a piece of paper so that blind people can specifically understand what is written on
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a paper. Voice Navigator: these helps blind people to understand and get an idea of the directions
and current situation of the place.
As illustrated by Huo and et.al., (2015), other needs of blind people are like assistance in
doing house choices as they face difficulty in doing it, they also require transportation services
from going one place to another as they cannot drive, cannot use public transport without any
assistance. Due to all such requirements and needs, many times they face financial issues their
health care service that is required by them is impacted. All of these challenges makes it difficult
for blind people to adjust and accept their situation and circumstances and not only this it also
becomes difficult for health and social care organizations to improve all the services provided to
blind people so that such requirements of blind people can be improved. For this government
organizations as well as other organizations should update their services, identify all the gaps in
fulfilling the requirements of the people in such a way so that blind people can be helped and
assisted in a better way and all of their needs and requirements can be fulfilled.
Services provided to blind people in borough Tower Hamlets
According to Andrews, Clement and Aldred, (2018), there are various kind of services
that can be provided to blind patients so their quality of livers can be improved in a better way.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets provide various kinds of specialist social care services to
both partially and permanently blind people. All kids of assessments are provided to visually
disabled people so that their needs can be fulfilled. Special kind of training such as skills
training, mobility training etc. is provided to them so that they can improve their standard of
living. Different special service rehabilitation and work are also referred and provided to blind
people so that all special services can be provided to them. A information centre is set where all
kind of information ,advocacy is provided to people with no or partial sight. If required they can
be referred to sensory impairment team as well. Such kind of teams provide support to children
or families that are diagnosed with deaf, blind, blind-deaf disabilities. These services or teams
helps such people or families with all kind of support that is a bit difficult to be provided them.
They are also provided with financial loans so that they can be provided with all kind of
technical support such as talking watches, talking clocks, walking sticks, etc.
Further explained by Degen, Buckingham and Marande, (2016), Such type of health and
social care services like loan equipments, mobility training, computer skills, community advices,
local social care authority, rehabilitation, low vision services, learning Braille and all the other
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kinds of everyday living skill improvements. London borough Tower Hamlets believes that by
providing all kinds of needs of fully or partially blind people should be done by heart. Not only
this special medical practitioners are also provided to them. Specialist who are expert in treating
blind or partially blind people are referred these kind of patients so that if there is any kind of
possibility that their blindness can be cured then or at least can be reduced so that their situation
or living conditions can be improved and they can become a bit less dependent on other. They
are also provided with several other medical facilities including operation facility if required and
necessary and other than this all kind of related medical information that is needed to be known
by them are also explained or exchanged with them. All such kind of services not only help
visually disabled people to improve their way of living, quality of lives but it also helps them to
build a carrier so that they can become financially stable such that they can afford all kinds of
services that are desired by them. This will also motivate them to actively participate in all kinds
of activities and in decision making process as well as can also share their opinion with others.
Approaches used by blind people in order to avail services provided by service providers
In the view of Acton, Morgan and Clohessy, (2017), There are various approaches or
ways through which blind or partially blind people can avail all kinds of services that are
provided to them by service providers. Such approaches uses various kinds of methods which
makes it easy for blind people to avail it. Such kind of people should be taught how to use and
understand Braille, so that they can read and understand what is written. This technique also
helps them to make them write as well whatever they want to. Nowadays Braille computers and
type writers are also available which makes them understand and write whatever they want to
write. This Braille type writers or computers will also help them to expand their knowledge with
others. Further explained by Challis, (2018), Various kinds of home care services approach can
also help them to avail various kinds of services required by them. These kinds of home care
assistive services can help them to avail all kinds of services or assistive technologies that is
required by blind people. Provision, installation of various kinds of assistive devices helps in
making their lives much easier. By making these services easily available to the visual disabled
people. Another way those blind people can avail and easily use those services is by providing
them all kinds of training such that their skills, senses, knowledge is improved. This improved
knowledge helps them to understand how they can avail those services so they can use correct
approach or method through which they can improve their life quality.
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According to Meucci and et.al., (2018), social workers group should actively participate
in activities which helps them to reach blind people and help them in such a way that all kinds of
barriers faced by them can either be reduced or removed. They should arrange awareness camps
where blind people will be approached and explained all the benefits they can avail from
government, move forward in their carrier to become financially independent. In these awareness
camps blind people should be provided with guidance of how they should focus on all the issues,
challenges and barriers that they face and ways that can resolve them. All of these assistance will
make them independent so that they can avail such services, take required and necessary
decisions and will also teach them the way they should approach their health and social care
service providers.
Actions taken by government towards blind people
As per the view of Uyarra, Shapira and Harding, (2016), there are wide range of support
that is made available to blind people to make their lives easy. Government has provided with a
help line number for blind people where they can register any kind of complain and they will be
attended within 24 hours. On this help line number then can ask for any kind of social and health
care service they want to avail as well as ask for advises regarding to their situation and problem.
Government has appointed health and disability advisor in each and every health and social care
organizations that are under government. Those advisors provide all kinds of advices to blind
people whatever is required by them. These advisors also provide job advises to employees as
well by providing then help to find job or by helping them to gain new skills which can help
them to build their carriers. Government has also improved their reading services that help the
blind people to read whatever they would like to read and learn .they even provide reading
services that help blind people to learn music and read all kind of musical notes as well.
Further explained by Pezzullo, and et.al., (2018), Government of UK has also passed
many laws which help blind people to gain equality within the society. Acts such as Equality Act
2010 protect disabled people from any kind of unfair treatment so that they can take a move
towards equal society. Disability discrimination Act protect all the people with disability from
discrimination. Special arrangements are made for blind people so that they can vote
independently and secretly. UK government has also created different kinds of work programs
which helps blind people to search and find a way so that they can work and stay.
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Uyarra, Shapira and Harding, (2016), also explained Another service that is provided for
the blind people is offered to all the parents who's children are suffering from visual disability.
This service help those parents to diagnose their children level of blindness and all the
information, training and support that is required by them in a better way such that those parents
can support their children in a better way. Those parents are provided with complete support and
information that is required by them. In fact they are provide to guide to parents of blind children
which consist of all kind of required information that is required by them. Another unique
service provided by the government to blind people is a play and recreation guide where games,
music services are designed and created in such a way that even blind people and children can
play games, learn and play musical instruments.
KEY FINDINGS
Key findings of this research that have been identified from the above study are: There
are various causes due to which blindness is caused like head bumping, major head injury etc.
these injuries can sometimes cause temporary or permanent blindness. This blindness can either
be partial or complete. It has also be found that out of thousands of blind people only 50 percent
of them are registered as complete or partial blind people by the government. There are various
kinds of barriers or challenges that are faced by such blind people whether it is social,
technological or environmental barriers. Due to such challenges and barriers blind people face
difficulties in living their lives without any issues. Those issues create problems for blind people
in living their lives as per desired standards and as a results their needs are not fulfilled. These
barriers make it difficult for visually impaired people to achieve their desired goals, move further
in their carriers, follow their dreams, participate in any kind of social activity or play any kind of
sports. Not only this such kind of people also face financial problems due to lower working
chances or opportunities.
Based on this various requirements of blind people were identified such as one of the
most basic required identified was exchange of information. Such people need to be trained and
provided with various kind of important information through which they can understand all kinds
of benefits or services that they can avail in order to improve their lives. They need various kind
of assistive devices that can help them in their lives such as reading machines which reads out all
kind of information printed on a paper and translate it in voice form so that blind people can
understand it. They also need training which will help them to update, improve as well as learn
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new skills which will help them to boost their carrier and move forward in order to improve
their financial condition. Other than this there are various other requirements of blind people. For
this there are various kinds of services and facilities that are provided with government or any
health and social care organization. Government has made various kinds of Acts which help
blind people to to live equally within the society. Government also provide training to such
people so that they can read, write as well as learn without anyone's help. A 24 hours help line
has also been established by the government that helps them in any kind of situation or problem.
DISCUSSION
The sight loss can make people dependent and inactive, thus it is very essential that
effective rehabilitation support services must be provided to them so that they can improve the
quality of their life. The rehabilitation service must be personalised and be in knowledge of the
blind people so that they can approach for these services. It has been observed that blind people
in the age group 24-25 years are unable to access these services due to financial issues or lack of
knowledge. Many individuals also hesitate to receive such services due to fear or trauma of
sudden occurrence of sight issues.
Hence, it is required that within different health and social care systems there must be
easy referrals and information exchange so that support services can be easily accessed.
Monetary challenges are also the critical aspects which needs to be addressed for the service
provisions for the blind people. The blind people are also required to face housing challenges.
The mobility issues and the need of physical assistance can encourage the use and
implementation of home care support services or the technological assistance (Szpiro, Zhao and
Azenkot, 2016). Thus housing choices, transportation services and financial circumstances can
influence the health care services needed by blind people. The approach of information access is
also an important element to be considered for the blind people.
Thus, for overcoming these challenges the information must be provided in different
formats such as Braille, deafblind manual and audiotapes. For the partially blind people larger
prints, pictures or electronic files can be preferred by the service providers. It will help people
facing visionary challenges and issues. The mobility issues can lower the social contact and
interaction. However, this concern is prime among older people and young generation in the age
group 24-26 are less affected by this. This population group may face challenges in the
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employment and equal growth opportunities. The mobility challenges, technological and support
assistance can be a great difficulty for the blind people as compare to the sighted people.
Visually impaired individuals often find it hard to get information and thus they
contribute minimum role in community decision making. It is the violation of the fundamental
rights of such people. Thus, it must be assured that information must be shared effectively with
blind people at both community level or work place. It will motivate blind people to actively take
part in the decision making process and to share their opinions.
From the above literature review it has been also analysed that along with the information
and travel barriers blind people also suffers from perception and equipment barriers. Due to
financial aspects or the lack of service availability many people are not able to access the
necessary equipments of assistance (Szpiro and et.al., 2016). Further the social perceptions
related to blindness can also discourage the individuals and their mental health can be
influenced. Thus, there is need to overcome such perception barriers. Various service providers
such as restaurants or the public events does not have necessary facilities for the visually
impaired people thus it must be assured that service providers must provide necessary facilities
as well for the welfare of blind people.
Recommendation
Blind people are facing many difficulties and challenges in whole life, they will not be
able to read, see and work. Tower hamlets required to serve their best services for blind people,
they must provide all the relevant resource to them that helps blind person for surviving in life.
They should give better services such as operate and give appropriate treatment for living life
normally. Different health and social care providers must offer training blinding people that
helps to share information to other without seeing any things. For example, Tower Hamlets
boroughs required to provide the latest technology for people who is blind, with the helps to
technologies they can easily understand things such as sensor sick with sound system.
Organizations within London provide equal opportunities to blind people, they must arrange
resources and make some changes in their business structure that make individual comfortable
with blindness. Society or communities around people who have blindness should motivate them
and encourage working better, they must do or plan some activities that helps to give normal
feeling to blind people and feel as part of society. Service provider of Tower Hamlets give
respect to wishes of person who is blind and must try to make them independent.
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