Our low vision service can be visited by anyone who is experiencing significant difficulty with their sight.

What happens?

An optometrist will assess your level of vision and will work with you to decide how magnification might make certain tasks easier for you. The assessment not only looks at your level of vision, but also what you want to achieve.

Many people buy magnifying glasses in the shop but these are sometimes not strong enough. Low vision aids can make a difference to many people’s quality of life and can open up new opportunities for reading, writing and other activities.

With the right magnifier, you may be able to read the post, enjoy family photographs, read the newspaper or see the number of an approaching bus.

Further information and guidance

At the low vision service appointment you should expect to meet an optometrist, a community resource worker and you may be advised to meet a technology trainer.

Your community resource worker will be based in your local area and is your key NCBI contact, providing information, support and advice on a wide range of both NCBI and government services.

Information technology trainers will assess how technology might make a difference to your quality of life and access to communication and information. The types of technology available include scanners which read text aloud, CCTVs to enlarge print on a screen and other magnifying software which can be put onto your PC.

How to access the service

Our low vision service is available in each of the health service regions and is delivered from our resource centres located around the country.
Your eye specialist or community resource worker might make a referral to the low vision service on your behalf but you can also contact us directly to make an appointment.