Accessing services
Public transport is of vital importance to older people with low vision, enabling them to remain independent. Rural transport schemes have been established in every county in the country but are now under threat from budget cuts. In rural areas older people are finding it increasingly difficult to access GPs, chiropody services, banking, shopping, day care services and essential ophthalmic services as rural transport schemes and public transport services are cut back.
While people with vision impairments are entitled to a free travel pass, this is of no benefit in an area where there is no public transport available, such as in the South, where Bus Eireann recently decided to cut certain routes, including route 251 (Drimoleague – Skibereen – Baltimore). One of NCBI’s service users lives on Cape Clear Island and relies on this route for access to many essential services, including the hospital at Bantry and connecting Bus Éireann routes. When this route is cut, the gentleman will be forced to either pay for an expensive taxi ride or to rely on friends and family for every journey he wishes to take.
The HSE provides transport for an older person from their home to a hospital but in many areas ophthalmic services are not located within a hospital setting and the transport service does not extend to these areas. For example, in Donegal earlier this year, one NCBI service user spent €150 on a taxi from his home to his community ophthalmologist but only received a rebate of €25 from the HSE.
While there will be a new pilot transport scheme running in the North West later this year, it will unfortunately only be open to people under the age of 65, due to restrictions in the Physical and Sensory Disability Services funding. As we have already outlined in the introduction, the vast majority of NCBI’s service users are over the age of 65.
Simple measures can be taken to ensure the accessibility of public buildings for all and disability-proofing at an early stage is often less costly than retro-fitting later on. Health centres, public libraries, hospitals, nursing homes and other community-based care settings should be easy to access and navigate for older people. Using large signage, good lighting, hand rails, tactile paving, to name but a few, can make all the difference for someone who has sight loss and to an older person.