Life on Pause report released
RNIB logo – See differently
RNIB has released its latest report, Life on Pause, about people struggling to access vision rehabilitation services across England. The report includes fresh FoI request research on local authority data for 2023-24 which can be found here – Out of Sight – Life on Pause report | RNIB.
This marks the start of a new phase of RNIB’s Out of Sight campaign. Too many people feel their life is on pause while they wait for essential support, with unacceptable delays increasing the risk of accidents, isolation and emotional distress.
Key findings from the latest research include:
- More than four in five local authorities in England failed to meet RNIB’s recommended timeframe for assessments.
- A fifth of local authorities left people waiting over a year before support was put in place.
- 38 local authorities told us assessments are not always conducted by qualified Vision Rehabilitation Specialists. But a non-specialist may miss the unique challenges faced by a person with sight loss.
- 24 per cent of local authorities have unfilled specialist roles, with 44 vacancies across 33 authorities, straining already overstretched teams.
The report sets out a set of recommendations we’d like to see enacted, but as a first step, we’d like to see Wes Streeting commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop guidelines and quality standards for vision rehabilitation, which would help local authorities in turn to commission and provide consistent and effective vision rehabilitation services.
On 30 October 2025, RNIB held an online event for Visionary members to hear about the report and campaign, “Out of Sight with RNIB – Invitation to find out more!”
Petition
Please do sign and share our petition calling on Wes Streeting to take action here: RNIB campaigns | Out Of Sight petition.
And for an interactive map on the data for England, and other supporting information, including the new report, the campaign landing page is here: Out of Sight I Our Vision Rehabilitation campaign | RNIB.
Please look out for some short films about ‘Life on Pause’ on RNIB’s social media channels over the next few weeks.
Ends
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