PROOF-v06-COU101502_Wales National Assembly Manifesto (ENG) 2016

RNIB Cymru Manifesto 2016 National Assembly Election

COU101502-ENG-v05-Wales National Assembly Manifesto 2016.indd 1 08/01/2016 12:38

Contents Page

Foreword 4

About RNIB Cymru 5

Key Statistics 6

RNIB Calls to Action for 2016 and beyond 8

Priority Two: Education 19

Priority One: Health and care services 10

Ophthalmology services 12

Support at the point of need 14

Rehabilitation 15

Priority Three: Independent Living 22

Transport 24

Tackling poverty 26

Employment 29

Accessible healthcare standards 32


Foreword

Every day in Wales five more people begin to lose their sight. Sight is the sense we fear losing most. In the next 25 years the number of people living with sight loss will double.

Sight loss affects every aspect of your life, from accessing education to finding a job and from moving around your own home to catching the bus to your local supermarket. Much of our world is set up for people who can see where they are going and even with the advent of futuristic technology, cultural understanding of what it is like to live with sight loss is not adequate.

Through the Wales Vision Strategy Implementation Group and the Welsh Government’s Eye Health Delivery Plan, we want this next term in the National Assembly to ensure that blind and partially sighted people have access to support and services to remain

independent in all aspects of their lives. We want people to receive the support they need in the eye clinic at the point of need and we want to make sure that all people in Wales look after their eyes.

More than 1 in 10 of the population has never had their eyes tested. Public transport remains a key barrier for people with sight loss, with inaccessible services and a lack of support. The hospital eye service is struggling to meet the demand and treat patients with conditions which require regular treatment.

RNIB Cymru is campaigning for the next Government to recognise the challenges that remain for people in Wales with sight loss. There are many opportunities for the next Government to lead the way in the UK in eye health and equality policy.

We hope you will support us on this journey.

Ceri Jackson Director, RNIB Cymru

4 Welsh National Assembly Manifesto 2016


About RNIB Cymru

RNIB Cymru is Wales’ largest sight loss charity. We provide assistance through education, transition and employment services; specialist advice through our welfare rights, Online Today and Visibly Better services; and emotional support through our eye clinic liaison service (ECLO) to people living with sight loss across Wales, as well as campaigning for improvements to services and raising awareness of the issues facing blind and partially sighted people.

We are passionate about eye health and improving outcomes for people with sight loss, such as ensuring that preventable blindness is eradicated; people with sight loss have the same opportunities in education and employment and can live independently.

RNIB Cymru works in partnership with public and third sector

bodies across Wales. We are funded to deliver projects and services to support blind and partially sighted people across Wales by Welsh Government, The Big Lottery and through European funding, as well as charitable grants such as Children in Need. We are also funded to campaign on behalf of blind and partially sighted people and raise awareness of the issues they face.

We are the secretariat for the Cross Party Group on Vision in the National Assembly for Wales, and we are part of the Third Sector Additional Learning Needs Alliance (TSANA). We also campaign for local authorities to adopt our street charter and create clear and accessible streets for blind and partially sighted people.

Our Director chairs the Wales Vision Strategy. We are members of and work closely with the steering groups which deliver the Eye Health Care Delivery Plan, the Welsh Ophthalmology

5


Board and the Health Board Eye Care groups. Our Director, Ceri Jackson is also Chair of Age Alliance Wales.

We campaign on behalf of blind and partially sighted people for three main outcomes: that everyone should have access to timely treatment, that blind and partially sighted people should be able to live independently and that they have equal access to opportunities. Our manifesto for the 2016 National Assembly election is framed around these three outcomes.

Key Statistics

• An estimated 110,000 people in Wales have sight loss

• The number of people with sight loss is expected to double over the next 25 years

• 1 in 9 people over the age of 60 is living with sight loss

• 1 in 5 people aged 75 or over in Wales has sight loss, this rises to 2 in 5 for people aged 85 and over [1]

Health and social care

An investment of £1 in the early intervention ECLO (eye clinic liaison officer) service brings a return of £10.57 to health and social care budgets in Wales [2].

Every year in Wales half of those over 80 will have a fall in their home [3]. Economically in Wales



falls are estimated to directly cost the NHS £67 million per year [4].

Not all of these falls are related to sight loss; however the Thomas Pocklington Trust reported in 2013 [5] that those with sight loss are almost twice as likely to fall and be injured as sighted people.

It is often the case that for people who are developing sight loss conditions, such as glaucoma or wet age-related macular degeneration, one of the eyes will make up for the impairment and the individual will not be aware that their sight has deteriorated as badly as it has, until a fall or other accident takes place.

In October 2013 we carried out a survey which found that in at least five local authority areas, people were waiting over 24 weeks for rehabilitation services [6].

Depression and poverty

Older people with sight loss are almost three times more likely to experience depression than people with good vision [7] and the British Medical Journal reports that sight loss is one of the top three causes of suicide among older people [8].

Nearly half of blind and partially sighted people feel ‘moderately’ or ‘completely’ cut off from people and things around them [9].

Education and children

Of the 110,000 people in Wales living with sight loss, this includes an estimated 1,935 children and young people aged 0-25 years.

Children with sight loss are at risk of poor outcomes across a range of social and emotional wellbeing indicators.

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Priority One: Health and care services

• Ophthalmology targets for treatment to be intelligent targets.

• Sustainable funding for adequate provision of Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Services in all Local Health Boards.

• Ensure rehabilitation services are free and available in an appropriate timescale.

RNIB Calls to Action for 2016 and beyond

RNIB Cymru calls upon the next Welsh Government to act to improve the lives of blind and partially sighted people and those at risk of sight loss and adopt these policies:



Priority Two: All blind and partially sighted children have timely and appropriate access to a Qualified Teacher for Visual Impairment (QTVI)

• The mandatory inclusion of QTVI training in the code of practice for special educational needs.

• The Welsh Government to create a sustainable training route for the mandatory qualification that takes into account the Welsh education context, language and culture.

• A requirement on local authorities and Estyn to monitor the level of QTVI provision within the inspection framework.

Priority Three: Independent Living

• Public transport information is accessible with audio announcements on buses, coaches and trains.

• Support for anyone with sight loss to access the welfare benefits they are entitled to.

• Tackling poverty through benefits uptake and employment.

• A commitment to accessible information, communication and the built environment.

• Improve infrastructure and remove barriers to digital inclusion.

9


Priority One: Health and care servicesWhat RNIB Cymru are calling for in 2016 National Assembly Elections:

• ophthalmology targets for treatment to be intelligent targets

• sustainable funding for adequate provision of Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Services in all Local Health Boards

• ensure rehabilitation services are free and available in an appropriate timescale.


Ophthalmology Services

RNIB Cymru believes that everyone in Wales has a right to timely access to high quality specialist care including cataract surgery and NICE approved treatments for degenerative eye conditions.

At present the Referral to Treatment Time target (RTT) only focuses on the initial diagnosis and first treatment. There is no target for follow up eye appointments, and therefore the risks to the patient cannot be adequately managed. This is why an RTT target which does not focus on the clinical time frame is potentially damaging as it drives attention and resources away from ensuring timely follow up appointments.

As most sight loss conditions are degenerative, but also treatable and blindness preventable, a clinically led target is required

with follow up treatments built in. We believe that targets which are intelligent and based on need within the new outcome frameworks for the NHS would help alleviate a lot of the capacity crisis, enabling more people to keep their sight for longer.

Improved outcomes in ophthalmology will lead to better health outcomes overall and achieve savings in other areas of the health service. For example, almost half of all falls experienced by blind and partially sighted people were found to be attributable to their sight loss [10].

The next Welsh Government must recognise that referral to treatment times in ophthalmology are not appropriate for the specialty. They must develop and implement a new system of monitoring and running an appointment system.



Support at the point of need

Receiving the news that you are losing your sight can be devastating. This is why timely support in the eye clinic is integral to ensuring that people are signposted to services to find out how they can live a full and happy life after that diagnosis. The Eye Clinic Liaison Officer Service (ECLO) has also been proved to save health and social care budgets £10.57 per patient.

ECLOs work in eye clinics, and offer support to people with sight loss at the point of need. They are recognised by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists as an integral part of a minimum service team within the eye clinic. The presence of an ECLO improves patient experience and supports improved long-term outcomes for patients.

Without the right support, the impact of sight loss can have a major effect on other areas of a person’s life, such as falls, isolation and on the ability to stay in work.

RNIB supported by the Big Lottery, currently funds five ECLOs in four Health Boards in Wales.

In an RNIB published study [11], carried out at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, it was found using social return on investment (SROI) methodology, that an investment of £1 in the early intervention ECLO service brings a return of £10.57 to health and social care budgets in Wales.

This service is a positive source of timely emotional and practical support, bridging the gap between Health and Social Care.



Health Boards across Wales already recognise how important this service is for patients. For this vital service to continue, sustainable funding needs to be a priority for the next Welsh Government.

Other benefits include:• increased job retention• reduced fear of falling • increased independence

at home • increased mental

wellbeing • fewer follow-up clinic

appointments.

Rehabilitation

The impact of sight loss is often not understood, both in terms of how it affects daily living and in its psychological impact. The support of specialist rehabilitation officers is crucial in maximising the independence of people with sight loss.

In April 2016 the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 will come into force. If its primary aims are to be realised by ensuring that people receive care and support which is personalised and promotes wellbeing, then blind and partially sighted people must be assessed by trained and experienced professionals. A specialist assessment will also mean that assessors will be able to support blind and partially sighted people to understand what support they require to get the outcomes that they need and to assess fairly whether or not their needs meet eligibility criteria.

Health and care services 15


It is important that the needs of blind and partially sighted people are reflected if the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act’s regulations and guidance are to be fit for the future. Sight loss impacts on every aspect of a person’s life: their physical and mental health, their ability to live independently, their ability to find or keep a job, their family and social life. Support from social services is crucial in promoting the wellbeing of blind and partially sighted people. It is therefore vital that the new Act and regulations such as charging

for certain preventative services, does not have an adverse impact on people with sight loss and are sustainable to meet the expected increase in numbers.

Rehabilitation is both a service which helps a person with sight loss to adapt to the world around them, and a preventative service. The specialist rehabilitation service allows a partially sighted person to re-learn skills they need to live an independent life.

To allow blind and partially sighted people the best chance of living independently, the next Welsh Government must ensure that rehabilitation support is not a postcode lottery, and not affected by changes to social service provision.

Health and care services 17


Priority Two: Education What RNIB Cymru are calling for in the 2016 National Assembly Elections:

All blind and partially sighted children have timely and appropriate access to a Qualified Teacher for Visual Impairment (QTVI)

• the mandatory inclusion of QTVI training in the code of practice for special educational needs.

• the Welsh Government to create a sustainable training route for the mandatory qualification that takes into account the Welsh education context, language and culture.

• a requirement on local authorities and Estyn to monitor the level of QTVI provision within the inspection framework.


80 per cent of learning is visual for children who have full sight. It is essential that the needs of students with sight loss who are in education are recognised and that there is specialist support in place. The potential impact of even a relatively moderate visual impairment is significant, and schools to universities need to consider a range of adjustments to ensure that visually impaired students have equal access to learning.

As children with sight loss learn differently it is vital that specialist teachers who understand this are available to support teachers and learners across Wales. Research undertaken by RNIB Cymru has shown that the number of teachers holding the teaching qualification for this specialty has slowly been decreasing as teachers get closer to retirement age and are not replaced.



The qualification for teaching children with sight loss has been made mandatory in England. The only university which currently provides the course in the UK is in England (Birmingham) and is

oversubscribed, which means that Welsh teachers are not given priority to access the course. It is also vital that school inspection regimes are required to monitor the provision of specialist support across Wales.

It is clear that the right support in schools is necessary to ensure that children with sight loss are not left behind and are able to develop at the same rate as their sighted peers, with equal opportunities and outcomes.

We believe that the next Welsh Government must commit to introducing the Additional Learning Needs Bill in the next Assembly and introducing it into law. It is vital that part of the next Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commits to ensuring that blind and partially sighted children are supported in their learning.

Education 21


Priority Three: Independent LivingWhat RNIB Cymru are calling for in the 2016 National Assembly Elections:

• public transport information is accessible with audio announcements on buses, coaches and trains

• support for anyone with sight loss to access the welfare benefits they are entitled to

• tackling poverty through benefits uptake and employment support services

• a commitment to accessible information, communication and the built environment

• improve infrastructure and remove barriers to digital inclusion.


Transport

Getting out and about can be a daunting challenge. All blind and partially sighted people should be able to get around independently in safe public environments, with accessible timetables, announcements and better training for staff on these services.

Accessibility on public transport is one of the most persistent topics raised by our members.

In partnership with Guide Dogs Cymru and with funding from the Welsh Government we launched a guide to making bus services more accessible for people with sight loss in January 2015 to try and address these issues.

From research carried out to inform our guide “Get on Board” [12] we found there were many issues blind and partially sighted people faced when accessing public transport. Incidents such as bus drivers being rude to partially sighted passengers who



mistakenly pulled over the wrong bus as it was too difficult to make out the number in time.

Other incidents included drivers finding audio announcements annoying and turning them off, and drivers who were unable to assist the passenger with finding the right bus stop.

Often a blind or partially sighted person will learn a route to enable them to live independently. If a bus driver refuses or forgets to help them find this stop, or turns off audio announcements, people can very easily end up in the wrong place and may no longer be able to travel independently.

In rural areas blind and partially sighted people rely on public transport that is often old, with bus stops that have almost no information. Any information that is there is often out of date or too small and weather-beaten to easily access. Rural services are essential to local people, and especially to blind and partially sighted people who cannot drive.

Funding for these services must be protected and enhanced.

In the next Assembly the Welsh Government will have control of the new rail franchise, and the provisions in the draft Wales Bill also contains powers over bus regulation for the Welsh Government.

RNIB Cymru believes the Welsh Government should take this opportunity to ensure that rail and bus services are fit for purpose. We believe the next Welsh Government must commit to holding companies which run these vital services to account. These opportunities must be used to build a more integrated and inclusive approach to public transport, with all current bus and rail rolling stock required to be upgraded and audio announcements to be phased in on all new machines.

Independent Living 25


Tackling poverty

People with a disability of any kind are around twice as likely as non-disabled people to live in a low income household [13]. Often blind and partially sighted people do not claim the full support they are entitled to, which can include benefits, advice and information. RNIB Cymru believes more support needs to be provided by the next Welsh Government, working closely in partnership with the UK Government to ensure that blind and partially sighted people receive the services they are entitled to.

The Centre for Research and Social Policy at Loughborough University has estimated that unmet costs faced by blind and partially sighted people, excluding personal assistance costs, amount to £200 per week [14]. Extra costs associated with living with sight loss include higher utility bills, equipment to live more independently, taxis etc.

Evidence from RNIB Cymru’s specialist Welfare Rights Advice Service shows that over 60 per cent of the 1,475 cases seen in 2013/14 alone were under-claiming their benefit entitlement. Disability Wales’ 2013 report showed there were significant barriers for people with sight loss claiming their full benefits entitlement as a result of not understanding what their entitlement is and not being able to access advice and support that meets their needs.



In 2013/14 RNIB Cymru’s specialist welfare rights service secured £3,463,656 in under-claimed welfare benefits and backdated payments for 896 blind and partially sighted people, an average increase of £63.45 per week per successful outcome. The new service launched in Bangor in February 2015 will help over 5,103 people over the next two years and nine months and an additional £11,992,050 of new income brought into Wales which would otherwise would not be in the Welsh economy.

People with sight loss face a complex set of barriers to accessing information, advice, guidance and support on welfare rights and other issues such as access to public services. These barriers include a difficulty in accessing the written and spoken word; a lack of accessible information; a lack of confidence to ask for assistance; and service providers lacking understanding of their needs, which commonly results in disengagement and isolation. This serves to compound the already isolated and lonely experience of blind and partially sighted people, who already find the communities they live in challenging, and often frightening, places. A report by the Independent Advice Providers Forum in Wales [15], interviewed around 600 service users across Wales. The key findings of the consultation were that there was a need for services to have the service user at its centre and to be flexible, as well as considering the impact of Welfare Reform.



The Impact of Welfare Reform

Welfare reform is creating additional difficulties and anxieties for people with sensory loss. Disability Wales’ report [16] noted that disabled people across the UK will bear the brunt of the cuts to the welfare budget, with disabled people in Wales being particularly hard hit.

Barriers include:

• lack of information in accessible formats

• mobility and access to services is extremely difficult

• even if a person is able to find out about benefits, the completion of forms and follow up documentation is often not possible

• questions are aimed at physical rather than sensory disabilities

• people often say they don’t need any help for fear of losing their independence.



Ensuring that services are accessible to blind and partially sighted people will contribute extensively to tackling poverty in Wales. The current Welsh Government has the Tackling Poverty Action Plan, Framework for Action on Independent Living and the Strategy for Older People in Wales 2013-2023. Adopting a programme such as RNIB Cymru’s specialist Welfare Rights service would help meet the aims and objectives of all three.

RNIB Cymru calls upon the next Welsh Government to commit to working with the UK Government on how advice, support and information is supplied to blind and partially sighted people to ensure that welfare benefits do not stay unclaimed.

Employment

Blind and partially sighted people are significantly less likely to be in paid employment than the general population or other disabled people [17]. Only one in three registered blind and partially sighted people of working age is in paid employment. They are nearly five times more likely than the general population to have had no paid work for five years. In a 2012 survey carried out by NatCen and RNIB, people with sight loss of working age were much more likely than those with no impairment to face great difficulty making ends meet [18].

Employers may need to make adjustments to support employees with sight loss, but often those with sight loss do not need major adjustments made in their workplace. Often any specialist equipment needed can be provided by Access to Work, a UK Government programme, but many people



with sight loss do not know that this provision is available and the process of securing and receiving this equipment can be very slow. There is very little provision through work choice or work programme to provide specialised knowledge and support to those who are over the age of 25 with sight loss.

It can be difficult for young people to make the transition between

learning and employment, or for those developing sight loss or having lived with a condition all their lives to stay in employment or have access to work. RNIB Cymru believes that blind and partially sighted people need to be supported to work. There are just over 4,000 registered blind and partially sighted people of working age in Wales, compared with just over 84,000 in the UK overall.



Employment support services

Support for disabled people to find and stay in work is typically provided via one of several schemes funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, there are many support programmes which are supporting blind and partially sighted people in Wales.

Our Future in Sight project, funded through the Bright New Futures Big Lottery stream has enabled us to develop our exemplary scheme which provides meaningful work experience, and subsequent employment opportunities for young people with sight loss and helps break down barriers with employers employing people with sight loss.

Our Transitions Service provides information and support to both young people with sight loss and their parents / carers

on the transition from school to independent adulthood, whether college, university, vocational training, volunteering or employment. We ensure that they are aware of funding streams such as Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) and Access to Work.

Our Employment Service works closely with people over the age of 25 to help them secure and stay in work, often through the Access to Work scheme. We provide support on employability skills including CV writing, completing application forms, disclosure of sight loss and interview techniques.

Without partnership with the third sector, many blind and partially sighted people would not be able to stay in or get into work. It is essential that the next Welsh Government works in partnership with the UK Government to improve the employment chances of blind and partially sighted people in Wales.



Accessible healthcare standards

In December 2013, the Health Minister, Mark Drakeford, launched the Accessible Healthcare Standards for People with Sensory Loss in Wales. Wales became the first country in the UK to lay out clearly how NHS services would be delivered accessibly to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, partially sighted or have dual sensory loss.

Professor Drakeford said, “The NHS must be accessible to all groups and these standards – once fully implemented – will help to address the barriers that people with sensory loss face in accessing health services, particularly in helping staff to identify patients with sensory loss and meeting their needs”.

However, people with sight loss in Wales are still facing major barriers within their healthcare.

They are still leaving hospital every day unsure of how much medication they are meant to take, or unsure of what advice they have been given. In the hospital setting, simple actions such as changing the colour of materials so that the contrast between food and plates, or beds and wards, toilets and floors enable anyone with sight loss to navigate their way more easily which would stop patients from going hungry, losing their way, or taking a fall.



RNIB Cymru and our third sector partners have worked closely with Health Boards, NHS Centre for Equality and Human Rights and the Welsh Government to raise awareness of these standards, but we want to see the standards fully implemented so that people with sight loss feel that the barriers are being broken down. We know that most health workers in Wales would be horrified at the thought that they provide an inferior service to a person with sensory loss. We know that they need and want to be given the tools to do their job in the safest and most appropriate way.

The next Welsh Government must monitor and review the implementation of these standards and ensure that the safety and dignity of blind and partially sighted people are respected.

Accessible built environments

It isn’t just within health that accessibility standards need to be applied.

The concept of ‘lifetime homes’ – accessible homes for all – predates devolution and has been signed up to by consecutive Welsh Governments throughout the past 15 years.

RNIB Cymru published “Housing Sight” in 2003 in partnership with the then Social Justice and Regeneration Minister Edwina Hart and the Wales and West Housing Association. The ‘lifetime homes’ standard did not incorporate design principles which supported people with sight loss and therefore the research carried out to produce the guide became the forerunner for the Visibly Better Standards.

Visibly Better Standards support and increase independence and



prevents avoidable sight loss in sheltered and extra care housing. The current Welsh Government has recognised that the population is aging and therefore changes need to be made in the housing stock. Recently it has committed to setting up an expert group to advise the new government on this issue.

According to Age UK, every year in Wales half of those over 80 will have a fall in their home. According to Shelter Cymru and the Building Research

Establishment (BRE), falls in Wales are estimated to directly cost the NHS £67 million per year.

Wales has led the way in this area and this is a chance to ensure that we are once again ahead of the curve. As sight loss in older people is often linked with the onset of dementia, within our ageing population it makes sense to ensure our built environments are future proofed.

RNIB Cymru believes that compulsory Visibly Better Standards throughout the public and private sectors will save money in the long run, as well as ensuring that people are able to live independently, and safely, in their own homes.



Digital Inclusion

Around 38 per cent of people aged over 50 are estimated to be not using the internet [19].

An RNIB and BT report [20]identified four main barriers to enabling the digital exclusion of blind and partially sighted people:

• perception that sight loss is a barrier

• lack of understanding of the internet

• knowing what to use the internet for

• not everyone wants to be online.

RNIB Cymru’s digital inclusion project Online Today is working with those who have sight and hearing loss to help them get online and build confidence in using digital services safely and with confidence.

The project builds on the great work done by the Communities 2.0 “Get Connected” funding provided by Welsh Government in this Assembly Term. Online Today is supporting the new Digital Communities Wales programme which aims to support digitally excluded people to get online with a specific brief to ensure that those with sight and hearing loss are not left behind in the digital revolution.

The Get Connected project identified additional barriers blind and partially sighted people experience getting online. These need to be addressed in order to achieve the inclusion of people with sight loss in Wales in the digital agenda [21]:

• Digital services provided in community locations across Wales do not have enough staff with the knowledge or experience to provide teaching support to people with sight loss.



• Most community based provision does not have suitable hardware and software.

• Lack of good, regular public transport system.

• Many people who experience sight loss are not confident in using the public transport system to get to a community venue.

• Broadband connectivity across Wales is not comprehensive, with some areas unable to access a mobile signal.

• Many blind and partially sighted people live in poverty and are unable to purchase

the technology which would enhance their independence. Poverty must therefore also be addressed in tackling the digital exclusion of blind and partially sighted people [22].

With so many services now delivered online, many people with sight loss are increasingly excluded and marginalised from the digital world and mainstream society. The next Welsh Government must ensure that the internet is truly for everyone, equipping the whole country with the skills, motivation and trust to go online and be capable of making the most of the internet.



References

[1] Population estimates based on: Access Economics 2009. Future Sight Loss UK: Economic Impact of Partial Sight and Blindness in the UK adult population. RNIB and Mid-2015 Population Estimates, Office for National Statistics (released 25/06/2015).

[2] Economic Impact of an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) on Health, Social Care and Welfare budgets: A Case Study, RNIB, 2013. Using social return on investment (SROI) methodology, carried out at Singleton Hospital in Swansea.

[3] Care and Repair Cymru, written evidence to Finance Committee, 2014.

[4] The cost of poor housing in Wales, Davidson, Nicol, Roys and Beaumont, Shelter Cymru and the BRE, 2011.

[5] Falls in older people with sight loss: a review of emerging research and key action points.

[6] A postcode lottery? RNIB Cymru report, 2014.

[7] Burden of illness and suicide in elderly people: case-control study, Margda Waern, E Rubenowitz, B Runeson, I Skoog, K Wilhelmson, and P Allebeck, BMJ, June 2002.

[8] Burden of illness and suicide in elderly people: case-control study, Margda Waern, E Rubenowitz, B Runeson, I Skoog, K Wilhelmson, and P Allebeck, BMJ, June 2002.

[9] Impairments in the UK, The Centre for Disability Research (CeDR) Pey, Nzegwu and Dooley, Functionality and the needs of blind and partially sighted adults in the UK: An interim report, Guide Dogs, 2006.

[10] The incidence and cost of injurious falls associated with partial sight and blindness in the


UK. Visual Impairment Research 4 (1): 1-14, Scuffham PA, Legood R, Wilson ECF and Kennedy-Martin T, 2002.

[11] Economic Impact of an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) on Health, Social Care and Welfare budgets: A Case Study, RNIB, 2013.

[12] Get on Board, RNIB Cymru, Guide Dogs Cymru and Welsh Government, January 2015.

[13] Disability Poverty in Wales, Leonard Cheshire, 2011.

[14] Disability and minimum living standards, Centre for Research and Social Policy at Loughborough University, January 2015.

[15] “What the people of Wales expect of advice and information services and how to ensure accessibility for all”, Independent Advice Providers Forum, October 2013.

[16] Cap in Hand: The Impact of Welfare Reform on Disabled People in Wales, Bevan Foundation, April 2013.

[17] Secondary analysis of understanding society and the Life Opportunities Survey, Sally McManus and Chris Lord, July 2012.

[18] Secondary analysis of understanding society and the Life Opportunities Survey, Sally McManus and Chris Lord, July 2012.

[19] Welsh Government Digital Inclusion Delivery Plan, update 2014, Welsh Government website.

[20] Tackling digital exclusion. Older blind and partially sighted people and the internet, RNIB, 2012.

[21] RNIB Cymru, “Get Connected” Final Report , 2014.

[22] Out of sight. Visual impairment and poverty in Wales, Bevan Foundation, July 2012.


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PROOF-v06-COU101502_Wales National Assembly Manifesto (ENG) 2016

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