Tackling sight loss misconceptions at heart of new charity campaign.

A new campaign from a leading sight loss charity is aiming to dispel some of the most common misconceptions that the 111,000 people who are blind or partially sighted in Wales face every day.

Fronted by an innovative short film, See the Person, Not the Sight Loss – from Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) – will look to challenge widely held misunderstandings the public have about sight loss.

The campaign will also examine common challenges and pressures of being a teenager with sight loss, including worries about socialising with friends and concerns around education and future careers.

The film at its heart of the campaign tells the story of Ava, a fictional teenage girl who is coming to terms with losing her sight. In it, we see the effects of Ava’s condition on both her physical and mental health.

With the charity’s support, we see her slowly come to terms with her condition, regaining her confidence as a theme of hope emerges.

RNIB Cymru’s Campaigns Officer, Kirsty James, 33, from Caerphilly, began to lose her eyesight as a teenager, and sees elements of her own experience in the short film:

“Watching Ava’s story was like looking at myself growing up. There were little things like how she noticed something was different when she looked at the clock at school or how she worries about going out with friends that mirror what I went through.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen an accurate portrayal of teenage sight loss and I think it’s so important to tell these sorts of stories so people going through similar things know they’re not alone and there’s support out there.”

Blind and partially sighted people in Wales face a wide array of misconceptions, from questions on how they’re able to get around or how they use their stick, to a lack of awareness of how individual eye conditions affect people differently.

People have even reported being told “you don’t look blind,” while out with their guide dog.

The campaign has been supported by many partners, most notably the support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery through the Postcode Care Trust. 

The two-minute See the Person, Not the Sight Loss film is online and in cinemas, along with the 60 second film. With a full three-and-a-half-minute film also available to view online.

To further elevate the issue of sight loss to the public, RNIB is partnering with Channel 4’s Gogglebox. During tomorrow’s (Friday) episode on 14th October, the cast will watch the campaign film, opening up the conversation about sight loss to the whole nation. The bespoke partnership was brokered by media agency, Wavemaker UK.

You can watch the full film here and the 60 second version here.

For more information visit  www.rnib.org.uk/our-campaigns/see-the-person