Goal:

To pursue the elimination of discrimination based on vision loss by influencing public policy and increasing public awareness.

Through our advocacy work NCBI aims to empower people with disabilities and to pursue the elimination of discrimination based on vision loss by influencing public policy and increasing public awareness.

Individual advocacy

Advocacy is a means of empowering people by supporting them to assert their views, claim their entitlements and, where necessary, representing and negotiating on their behalf. Advocacy activities range from the very basic, like giving concise information, to the more complex, such as expert representation at a tribunal.

Through our work with service users, NCBI aims to build confidence and encourage independence in order to empower people with sight loss. Our staff provide guidance in dealing with statutory and voluntary organisations, thus promoting a positive attitude to people with disabilities in the local community, leading to greater integration and cooperation between services.

Submissions to public bodies

Under the Disability Act 2005, six Government departments must produce sectoral plans, outlining how they will comply with the Disability Act. Each of these plans was reviewed during 2009, with NCBI making submissions to each in an effort to ensure that the needs of people with vision impairments were taken into account. These plans look at how mainstream services can be made accessible to people with disabilities.

NCBI also made submissions to a number of strategies under development, including the National Positive Ageing Strategy, the Garda Siochána Strategy for the Older Person and the Citizens Information Board Strategy. In addition, we put forward comments on a number of customer service charters, including the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Department of Communications and the Citizens Information Board.

Diabetic retinopathy screening

NCBI was active in lobbying the Minister for Health to progress the rolling out of a national diabetic retinopathy screening programme, which was recommended by the Department of Health and Children in 2006, with a pilot programme for the West approved in 2007. This was due to be rolled out in 2009 but budgetary constraints meant it was put on hold. The programme is now to begin in 2010.

Local and national lobbying

Other issues that we continue to lobby on at a local and national level include silent-running vehicles, cuts to public transport and the introduction of an urban design concept called shared space, which is being used as a traffic calming measure in Europe. However, this concept sees the removal of kerbs, with pedestrians, cyclists and motorists sharing the same space and using eye contact to communicate their intent, which is obviously a worrying concept for people who are blind or vision impaired.

Lobbying at European level

At European level, NCBI, along with the European Blind Union and the World Blind Union, has been lobbying for the establishment of a Treaty for Improved Access for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons. Only around 5% of books are ever published in formats accessible to blind and vision impaired people, such as large print, braille or audio. To address this problem it is vital that NCBI is able to legally share our books with voluntary organisations of blind people in other countries. Currently international barriers in copyright law prevent this from happening.