When an ophthalmologist broke the news to me that nothing could be done to save my sight, I was 25 and a serving officer in the Royal Navy. At that moment, with my dreams for the future ripped away from me, the world looked very bleak.
I was incredibly fortunate to be connected with Blind Veterans UK only a few months later. This national charity provides rehabilitation, training, practical advice and support to ex-service men and women suffering significant sight loss. With the help of Blind Veterans UK and the assistive technologies they introduced me to, I learned to adapt to my rapidly deteriorating vision. Eventually, I was able to rebuild my own life and get to the point where I now also work for the charity as a commercial manager.
That is why I was so honoured to be invited, along with a sighted guide, to represent Blind Veterans UK at the annual Optician Awards ceremony at London’s Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel at the end of last year. We were there to hear about the tremendous work of the eye care sector and to thank all the members for their charitable support. Since 2014, the Optician Awards has raised nearly £20,000 for blind veterans.
This funding is invaluable for our work and has such a positive impact on our veterans’ lives. We support those whose vision cannot currently be restored, and advances in adaptive optical technology allow our blind veterans to make the best use of what little vision they have and help them to live as full a life as possible.
By way of brief illustration, let me highlight three examples where this support has really changed lives. Firstly, this technology – coupled with our rehabilitation expertise – has enabled many of our working-age veterans to carve out new careers in a range of professions. Screen-reader technology, CCTV magnifiers and the increased sophistication of mainstream speech-recognition tools, have enabled our veterans to become lawyers, IT consultants and entrepreneurs, among other vocations. Most of these veterans initially believed they could never work again, but have gone on to defy expectations thanks to this assistance.
Assistive technology can be life-changing for people with significant sight loss
Secondly, outside of work, this combination of technology and support has allowed veterans to fulfil their sporting ambitions. Whether it is a totally blind 72-year-old hurtling down a ski slope, or a war-blinded veteran taking part in the Invictus Games, these opportunities rekindle their lust for life. Indeed, in recent years, blind veterans have set a range of Guinness world records for their endeavours.
Finally, and I can use myself as the example here, this technology positively impacts home and family. When my daughter was born, I was overjoyed but felt a degree of sadness that I would always struggle to read her a bedtime story. However, I was given a set of Orcam text-to-speech glasses that enabled me to begin reading to my daughter. This high-tech product photographs a page of text before dictating it into my ear via Bluetooth. Although I cannot see my daughter’s smile, I can sense her happiness and it has made me feel like a normal dad.
The eye care sector and Blind Veterans UK fundamentally have the same objective; to maximise the eye health of those we work with, be they blind veterans or customers. That is why we are so grateful for the generous donations we have received from the Optician Awards.
We believe we could work together even more effectively in the future to boost eye care. If you treat someone who is losing their sight, please be aware that if they have served in the armed forces, even for a very short period (including National Service), they are eligible for support from Blind Veterans UK.
We know that many people who served long ago do not necessarily consider themselves to be veterans or have the misperception that Blind Veterans UK only supports people who lost their sight in service. We support blind veterans no matter when they served or how they lost their sight, with the vast majority having served decades ago and lost their sight due to conditions such as age-related macular degeneration.
- Please put anyone you come across who you think might be entitled to our support in touch with us on 0300 111 2233 or direct them to www.blindveterans.org.uk.
- If you or your company have any suggestions on ways to help our veterans, then please contact me at alan.lock@blindveterans.org.uk.
On behalf of all the veterans of Blind Veterans UK, thank you for all your support.
- Alan Lock is senior commercial manager at Blind Veterans UK.