Partially sighted failed by benefits system

The Royal National Institute for the Blind-commissioned survey, carried out by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, has found blind and partially sighted people are burdened by many extra costs in their day-to-day living compared with the able-bodied. With the launch of the report The Cost of Blindness the RNIB has launched an awareness campaign regarding the disability living allowance (DLA), which it said paid out an average &\#163;14.05 a week for most blind and partially sighted people. 'We know about three quarters of blind and partially sighted people are living on or below the poverty line and are having to decide which essentials they can afford,' said Steve Winyard, RNIB head of public policy. 'DLA goes only a small way to meet the extra costs that blind people face every week.' The RNIB has stated that a mobile phone is a vital aid to help partially sighted people maintain their independence outside their homes. According to the RNIB, for partially sighted/blind people the mobile phone is now 'a more important mobility aid than a long cane or a dog'. The research highlighted a raft of costs faced by partially sighted people including: - Household tasks involving specialist equipment - Transport, with costly but essential journeys by cab - Communication, with expensive telephone bills - Home help, which is expensive. The report, available from the RNIB for &\#163;5 (telephone: 0845 702 3153), stresses that many extra costs result from 'living in a society that fails to take proper account of the needs of visually impaired...people'.