Assisting the Blind and Visually Impaired: Guidelines for Eye Health Workers and Other Helpers

• Main Author: Sue Stevens
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH), London 2003-01-01
• Series: Community Eye Health Journal
• Online Access: http://www.cehjournal.org/0953-6833/16/jceh_16_45_007.html

As eye health workers, we give much attention to learning and teaching the importance of health education and the prevention and treatment of eye disease. Despite our gained knowledge, sadly, our efforts are not always successful and we are presented with the responsibility and challenge of caring for people who have to cope with visual impairment, perhaps for the rest of their lives. We have to understand their difficulties, recognise their abilities and learn how to cooperate and communicate with them in a social as well as hospital environment. It is often within the eye hospital itself that the lack in education of health workers and their understanding of the assistance needs of blind and visually impaired patients is all too evident.