Blind Resident’s Story

A BLIND Leigh resident has regained his independence thanks to an Essex Sensory support service.

 Lee lost his sight as a result of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (ruptured blood vessels in the eye caused by type 1 diabetes) in 2019.

 Now, a lived experience volunteer for ECL’s Sensory Support Service, Lee is keen to share his story to help raise awareness of the importance of making eye health a priority.

 According to Vision Matters, 2 million people in the UK are living with life altering sight loss, half of which is avoidable by having regular eye tests.

 In support of National Eye Health Week (23-29 September) Lee is urging other people living with diabetes to be extra vigilant with their eye health. High blood sugar levels can damage the retina and cause diabetic retinopathy, which if left untreated causes blindness.

 Lee said: “For a long time after my diagnosis I was in a sort of limbo, and I began to accept that this was it and that I might not be able to do certain things anymore. This is when I was referred to ECL’s Sensory Service for an assessment.”

 ECL provided Lee with practical training on how to use assistive technology, navigate using a cane, and even cook a simple meal in his kitchen by using appliances safely. He was given a signature card, stuck ‘bump ons’ around his home, and got his first liquid level indicator.

 Lee said: “Having access to the ECL Sensory Service helped me to start thinking about moving forward – it was an important step and made me feel so much more positive about the future. I regained a level of independence I’d not had for a while, and I will always be grateful to ECL.”

 In addition to practical in-home support, Lee was given help getting out and about in the form of long cane training and a dedicated sighted guide who still joins him once a week.

 Lee said: “Having a sighted guide means I can leave the house to exercise safely, visit new places, and travel to medical appointments. Knowing there’s someone by my side means I can relax when I’m out, and the technology I’ve been introduced to allows me to do more of the things I love at home, like playing tabletop role-playing games online with friends.”

 With ECL’s support, Lee has gone from struggling to come to terms with his sight loss to refusing to allow it to hold him back. He is now one of ECL’s Lived Experience Volunteers, sharing his story and talking to groups about what it’s like to live with a visual impairment.

 He says: “Being able to pass on the things I’ve learnt and raise awareness of the issues people with sight loss face is really rewarding. Not only that but highlighting the services that exist to help them means that others like me who may be feeling a little lost will hopefully receive the support they need, too.”

 National Eye Health Week is organised by Vision Matters annually to raise awareness of the importance of having regular eye tests. Eye tests not only spot early signs of loss of vision, but they can also detect other health conditions too. People living with diabetes should get a dilated eye exam at least once a year as early detection and management can help prevent or delay sight loss.

 For more information about ECL’s Sensory Impairment Service visit www.ecl.org/services/sensory-service, email [email protected] or call 0333 013 3262.

 For more information about National Eye Health Week visit: visionmatters.org.uk

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