Hundreds of vulnerable local children with disabilities missing out on crucial eye care, despite the high risk of sight problems

Lana - Children in Focus Campaign

Nearly four in ten (37%) pupils attending special schools have no history of eye tests, new research from SeeAbility, the national sight loss and disability charity reveals. The figure is made worse as children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely to have serious sight problems than other children.  

There are 480 students in special schools in the borough of Rochdale amongst 14,650 students in special schools in the North West and if these findings are replicated across the region, 5,421 children with disabilities are missing out on the eye care they need. With 100,000 children in special schools in England the figure could reach 37,000 nationwide. If eye problems are undetected children’s sight will be at risk.

The statistics are in the new report ‘An equal right to sight’ from SeeAbility, published today (Friday 18 September) as part of their Children in Focus Campaign launch. SeeAbility says it’s unacceptable that there is no national plan to meet the eye care needs of children with disabilities.

“We are calling on the government to make sight tests available in every special school in England. Children with profound disabilities may not be able to tell someone they have a sight problem, or get to a high street optician. Let’s bring much needed eye care to them instead,” says David Scott-Ralphs, SeeAbility Chief Executive.

“We want people to join our Children in Focus Campaign and sign the petition on our website. This will be handed in to the Department of Health as this is a major health inequality that the government and NHS have a responsibility to address.”

The report draws evidence from the charity’s research project with Cardiff University’s School of Optometry and Vision Science. SeeAbility’s team has been delivering specialist sight tests to pupils in a cluster of London based special schools since October 2013. The pilot scheme has since extended to seven schools.

David Scott-Ralphs continues: “The government needs to make it easier for children with disabilities to get a sight test. Making sight tests available in every special school in England would be a start in making the reforms needed and help thousands of children with disabilities.”