Eye Health Award 2026

4Sight Vision Support 

4Sight Vision Support is transforming lives and improving healthcare for people living with sight loss across Sussex. By listening to the experiences of people with visual impairments and turning those insights into action, 4Sight is helping to reduce the health inequalities often faced by those with sensory disabilities.

Working in partnership with NHS Sussex, 4Sight developed and delivered a Sight Loss Awareness Programme that equips NHS staff with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills needed to provide more accessible, inclusive and compassionate care. Co-produced with people who have lived experience of sight loss, the training ensures that real voices are shaping real change.

The impact goes far beyond healthcare training. Every day, 4Sight helps people rebuild confidence, maintain independence and stay connected to their communities following sight loss. From providing practical advice and emotional support to championing accessibility and inclusion, the organisation makes a lasting difference to thousands of lives.

A vote for 4Sight is a vote for dignity, equality and opportunity. It recognises an organisation that not only supports people with sight loss but actively works to create a world where everyone can access healthcare and community life with confidence and independence.

Beacon Centre for the Blind 

Every year, thousands of healthcare students qualify with little or no experience of supporting people with sight loss. Beacon’s Future Professionals Programme is changing that.

Developed in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton, the programme places Occupational Therapy students within Beacon’s services for seven to nine weeks, where they work alongside our experienced team supporting blind and partially sighted people to live independently, stay active and remain connected to their communities. From September, the programme will also welcome Social Care students.

In its first year, 15 students completed 116 weeks of placements, bringing additional capacity, fresh ideas and more one-to-one support to almost 3,000 annual attendances across our day services. At the same time, the programme generated more than £13,000 of unrestricted income, helping Beacon reinvest in services while creating a sustainable model for the future.

The impact extends far beyond Beacon. Every student leaves with the confidence, skills and understanding to provide more accessible, person-centred care throughout their career, improving outcomes for countless people with sight loss.

It’s a simple, sustainable partnership that any sight loss charity can replicate, improving lives today while shaping a more inclusive workforce for tomorrow.

Nystagmus Network

Turning clinical jargon into family empowerment

When the Royal College of Ophthalmologists published a new clinical care pathway for nystagmus in young children it was a cause for celebration. It introduced standardisation of care and reduced health inequalities. But it didn’t really translate for parents and families. We rewrote it for them.

Our parent-friendly guide to how nystagmus is diagnosed transforms complex information into clear, reassuring, never patronising, language, covering genetic testing, clinical procedures and where to turn to for support. It was shaped at every stage by parents and carers who know exactly what families need in that overwhelming moment of diagnosis.

The impact is real and measurable. Around 600 families a year receive a new nystagmus diagnosis for their child in the UK. They can all now access the same high-quality information, regardless of where they live or which clinic they attend. We’ve ended the postcode lottery in nystagmus diagnosis.

Health care professionals can also use the guide to inform their conversations with families, improving consistency of care at the point of diagnosis.

When clinical expertise meets community insight, families are no longer passive recipients of a diagnosis but are informed, empowered participants in their child’s care.