1. Multidisciplinary Working in Low Vision Services
Lance Clarke, Chairman NALSVI
and
Mary Bairstow, Low Vision Services Implementation Officer

4. Problems, Perceptions and the Psychology of it all !

5. European Snapshot EIRE – information process
Spain – based on membership of ONCE
Germany – elderly people
France – early intervention
Netherlands – some long waiting times
Switzerland – good agency cooperation

6. Low Vision Service Committees
Late 1990’s awareness of the need for change in LV Services
“More and better”
Consensus meeting chaired Lord Jenkin
Low vision report 1999
Report set standards suggests LV Committees
11 in 1999 now 68 March 2005

7. Major Influencing Factors (taken from AMD Alliance Campaign 2003 Country Reports and Warwick Study)
Funding
Professionalism
Bureaucracy
Information
Awareness

8. LVSC Successes Increased involvement VI people
Increased or new services
Increased influence, eg pathways
Increased networking inter agency
Increased awareness and understanding of Low Vision issues

9. Five Markers for Successful Change
Clarity of purpose
Channelling energy
Challenging the ‘reality’
Covering ‘everything’
Collaboration

10. Quotations One of the key strengths of Low Vision
Service Committees is their ability to
bring visually impaired people and
different service providers together.
Warwick Study 2004

12. Recommendation:
Set up Low Vision Service Committees…!

13. References
Low Vision Services - Recommendations for future service delivery in the UK Low Vision Services Consensus Group
The Low Vision Project National (UK) Evaluation Report – Gibson/Hundt/Stuttaford - Health at Warwick 2004
Country Reports … Low Vision Rehabilitation - Age-Related Macular Disease Alliance International Campaign Report 2003
The Cost of Sight Loss in the UK – RNIB Campaign Report 23