partially sighted

[Drew Radcliffe]

Hi Trace

Gareth is right I am registered.

Couple of things you need to know before talking about that to your consultant.

I have an acuity of 6/36(3 lines down on the chart) corrected with glasses in one eye only and a significant reduction in visual field. The other eye is 1/120 (top line at 1/2 a meter).

The RNIB will confirm and explain the criteria for being registered Blind/Partially sighted. Phone their help line if you want to know.

Getting registered I found quite hard, because I can correct my vision to an unregisterable state with contact lenses. To date 4 years after diagnosis I have not had lenses that I can wear more than 30 mins and I haven't had a pair since January at all.

I found my consultant very unwilling to register me intially as he was too busy trying to cure me rather than support my immediate needs. If you meet this opposition you could suggest he registers you now if you meet the registration criteria and deregisters you when you have a suitable method of correction.

Good luck with wot ever you do and I hope you don't need to register at all it really is an end of the road kinda thing.

Drew

[cherishu2]

Thank you drew.
Without lenses i cannot read any of the chart.With either eye even at arms length it just a blur.

In my right eye i can just make 3 lines down with a lens. at 3 mtres
The left eye 4 lines down. But even when i have lenses i cant tolerate them for more than 3-4 hrs.
I have to go see what damage i have done to my left eye tomorrow so i am going to push for an op.
Ill let ya all know

[GarethB]

Drew,

Thanks for posting and sorry for effectivly dropping you in it. As you are the only partially sighted person that post I thought your input would be valuble.

Cherishu2; I too have a lens comfort issue due to inadequate tear quality and without eye drops my lens wear is 3 hours on a good day.

Now I have found some drops that really help (still have to remove lenses regular for an eye drop top up) I get a total comfortable lens wear throughout the day of upto 15 hours but I average 12.

If this has not been discussed with optom already, may be another avenue to explore.

[Drew Radcliffe]

Tis not a problem Gareth. Dropping each other in it is part of the learning curve of everyone else.

Trace - One point If you do want to register having looked into it and you do meet the requirements. Its not a negative thing to do at all as it does open doors and create oppurtunities that you don't otherwise get.

The two main areas that registering opens up is priority in accessing Social Services and the benefits system. Theres a few helpfull things you can also get at concessionary rates too.

If its just help from social services (I don't think you need to be registered) in terms of rehabilitation and re-education of living skills you can either self refer to your 'Sensory Services Team' or better still get your consultant/gp to do it.

If you want to claim certain benefits (DLA)etc I seem to rememeber you don't need to be registered for these either - you just need to be able to demonstrate that you have a need. Citizens advice beurau are the best people to talk to about that and if you can't get to see them they will come and see you if you tell them you have issues with your sight.

Good luck

Drew

[cherishu2]

Thank you for your invaluable help peeps.
I will look into all the advise you have given me.
apparently at the eye infirmary today they were suprised i hadnt been offered the op in my left eye (the one they were checking) and were quite surprised when i said "hey thats my best eye".
They did a test with a letter o on a card he was 3 feet away when i cud see what it was. With my uncorrected eye. The o was about 4 inch large. Vision in my right with correction was 3rd line down. just.
trouble is i know thats not good but dont know how bad they expect it to be before an op is done.
Thank again
love Trace
also drew what do you use to help you with pc text etc. If you dont mind me asking??
I love to read but its hard now

[Drew Radcliffe]

Hi Trace

I've Stopped using internet explorer because i can't wack the text size up enough.

I now use Firefox its a free alternative to internet explorer you can increase the text size using the cntrl key and the plus / minus key on the numpad.

http://www.mozilla.com/

I also use Supernova its a few quid but worth it if your struggeling. It will change the screan colours for you to your own preference I use black background white text. It also reads the voices are nearly tollerable but not if you use a computer as much as i do

I also use Realspeak with Supernova its an add on that they sell. It actually sounds as Human as the anouncments at railway stations. It does take a few breaths and pauses for thought in a few funny places but I love it.

Both available from

http://www.dolphincomputeraccess.com/products/index.htm
Hope that helps

Drew

[rosemary johnson]

I am registered as P/S.
The form asks for vision corrected with spectacles if appropriate.
SOmeone suggested we would all qualify under that rule, or most of us, as we need contacts not glasses.
But some? most? many? consultants would interpret that (maybe label the form) as being corrected with contacts.
Length of time you can wear the contacts for can also be taken into account (as in my case).
Field of vision can also be a factor - if you have only on eye getting any sort of vision, that should be a factor, I would think).

Bottom line is, it is yet another post code lottery, as some consltants have a stricter view and others have a more helpful view.
The staff at my local job centre (when I was trying to get specialist training for using talking computers and kept getting turned down because I wasn't then registered) reckoned some of them don't like to do it because it is a tedious hassle for them having to fill in all that form!
If the bloke you see doesn't sound helpful, please don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion.

Incidentally, when your local authority registers someone, they - the person - is "entitled" to an assessment. You don't have to put up with yet more busy body social workers coming to assess you at their convenience, and are quite entitled to tell them you're not interested; you just want the letter please. And the bus pass! - very important, the bbus pass.
Good luck.
ROsemary

[John Smith]

Actually, you don't need to be registered to get the bus pass (important as it is!).

The regulations are quite consise on that one. There is no need to be registered, just the inability to see well enough to pass the DVLA sight test... and there's not even a need to take that test if it would be an obvious fail!

[rosemary johnson]

It is always worthwhile trying to stress the point that you are struggling with your job (or course of education), and struggling with getting the special equipment/traiing/assistance you need to carry on your job effectively without being registered.

SOmething else you may come across is the view that "You don't want to be registered because they will give you a stigma, and will tend to get you categorised in a "disabled person" sort of basket-weaving poor dear sort of stereotype. THis is no longer true! - under the Disablity Discrimination Act, the criteria is based on whether somethiing is preventing you doing normal activities, not on a registration number. And if you don't declare that, you can't claim the "reasonable adjustments" and other rights, so one has to do so even without a registration number, and the opening doors than only open with a reg. number.

You certainly sound like you ought to qualify to me. Unfortunately, all too many medics see us a medically interesting conditions on legs, not people trying to go about our daily lives who want what will help us most with that.
I got registered at the stage where a new lens that looked to fit "by the book" and would be very comfortable for strolling round Epping FOrest in a daze all day, but in which I couldn't read a book or a computer screen was a) no bloody good, and b) far less useful to me than a reg number to get me access to training in using talking computer kit.
Go for it! - and good luck.
Rosemary

[cherishu2]

Hi and thanks all.
The infirmary took my right lens off me a few weeks ago and said that polishing it would solve the pain problem.
I recieved it back yesterday.
guess wat ----it only hurts as much as the left one now
Well i now have the old ones back in, ones they have forbidden me to wear cos they are no good for my eyes. But these dont hurt as much, more irritating and dry than hurt.
So do i wear lenses that dont hurt but dont let my eyes breathe. Or lenses that actually reduce me to tears literally.
Then of course i have specs that i cant see through either.
Well im going through ive got a disability form, i am gonna go to the infirmary and lay cards on table. I cannot wear the lenses.
see where we go from there. Hopefully to an op.
Let ya know
Thanks all