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About WCB.
Wales Council of the Blind is the umbrella agency representing vision impairment within Wales. We work to campaign, lobby and support the improvement of services for people with sight loss. [Read more...]
Latest news.
General Election - Telephone ballot paper reading service in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan
At this year’s UK General Election taking place on Thursday 4 July all polling stations in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan will have a telephone ballot paper reading service available to support blind and partially sighted voters.
Simply ask a member of staff at the polling station, who will help you to call the office where you can speak to a member of staff who can talk you through the information on the ballot paper, including the names and details of the candidates who are standing and the position that they appear on the ballot paper. The telephone ballot paper reading service will be available in English or Welsh.
Voters in Cardiff also have the option to call 029 2087 2087 (select option 7 and press 1 for elections) when you are at your polling station and state in which constituency you are voting in to hear the information.
RNIB Cymru are very keen to hear about how you found the telephone ballot reading service. They would like to know whether you found the service useful and if it helped you to cast your vote independently and in secret, and would be would be extremely grateful if you could complete this short evaluation survey:
The survey should take no more than five minutes to complete. Your response will help RNIB Cymru work with local authorities to improve the service and campaign for a more accessible voting system in future elections.Perspectif Social: New project to tackle loneliness
Perspectif Social is a new project to tackle loneliness in people with vision impairment.
Loneliness is associated with depression, sleep disturbance, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It is identified as a global public health problem. Living with a vision impairment increases a person’s risk of loneliness and isolation. However, increased social interaction through signposting such as social prescribing is helpful in alleviating loneliness and isolation.
Wales Council of the Blind (WCB) is working with Rebecca John, National Wales General Ophthalmic Services (WGOS) Clinical Lead, in a Vision Foundation-funded project to develop a toolset for Low Vision practitioners for signposting patients to support using our Perspectif Information Portal. We shall be seeking members of a review panel for the project and also service users to interview.
If you would like to know more, contact WCB on 02920 473 954 or email owen@wcb-ccd.org.uk .
RNIB Cymru report reveals 'The Cost of Sight Loss in Wales'
A new report from RNIB Cymru reveals how cost of living increases have had a devastating effect on people with sight loss.
Based on responses to a survey and focus group meetings, 'The Cost of Sight Loss in Wales' shows how rises in unavoidable expenses such as taxis, lighting and support are causing genuine hardship to blind and partially sighted people. The report includes a list of measures that Welsh Government and Local Authorities should take to provide more targeted support.
You can find out more and read the full report here.