‘SeeAbility’ campaigner and local Maidstone resident Grace McGill visited her MP Helen Grant in Westminster last week, to recruit her support for a new national campaign to promote the Easy Eye Care pathway.
Together with a team from the charity headquarters, Grace presented SeeAbility’s mission to support people who have learning disabilities or autism, and who may also have sight impairments. People with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to experience sight problems but it is often an avoidable issue providing they can access eye tests and a program of eye care.
Helen said “With SeeAbility’s Easy Eye Care pathway, sight impairment can not only be arrested, but the effect on self-confidence and self-esteem can lead to greater independence. It gives an opportunity to live ambitious lives, achieving things many never thought possible. It is a wonderful programme, and it has my full support. In this, the 225th Anniversary of the charity – formerly known as The Royal School for the Blind - I look forward to visiting people supported by Maidstone’s SeeAbility team again”
Grace McGill, SeeAbility’s London eye care champion said “It was lovely to visit parliament and meet with Helen to talk about the work I do with my colleagues to make access to eye care easier. As a person with a learning disability, I told Helen about my experiences with sight problems and getting the right eye care, and how Easy Eye Care pathways and our work in special schools is helping children and adults with learning disabilities get eye tests and glasses, often for the first time in their lives. I helped get the Easy Eye Care service set up in South East London and now am working to get this service in every area. We really appreciate Helen’s support for this work”.
