Our Engagement: Accrington Blind Society
By Steve Walmsley
In today’s ‘Our Impact’ report, I visited Accrington Blind Society and talked to 13 people about their experiences living with a disability in Lancashire. Steve had conversations with people about using pharmacies, digital exclusion, and issues accessing counselling services.
Accrington Blind Society is a social group in Accrington that meets regularly for members of the community who are visually impaired. It is an opportunity for the community to socialize with others and get advice from a local sight loss charity which also provides support services and helps with equipment.
One topic of conversation raised to me involved receiving medication from pharmacies. One member of the group told me that they were forced to move to another pharmacy to pick up medication without their knowledge, which was quite unexpected for them. She has tried without success to have her medication sent to her preferred pharmacy.
Other members of the group expressed concerns around accessing services that have predominantly moved online. This has created quite a problem for visually impaired people who find it difficult to view screens.
Other concerns were expressed regarding communication, as members of the group have become frustrated as they can only call GPs at specific times. Some were even rudely told to use a mobile app, which is hard due to their disability. I was also informed that communication over the phone is becoming stressful.
Members also told me about difficulties accessing counseling due to lack of signposting from other organisations, and long waiting times for referrals to support.
To help with this, we provided information to the group about alternative services which might be able to support them. We escorted an elderly lady to one of these services, which was only down the street from where the group were meeting!
This was a really enjoyable visit. The group were very welcoming, and were interested to hear about the work we do at Healthwatch. I am grateful to the group for letting me attend, and for talking so openly about their health concerns.
I gained a fresh perspective on access issues for the visually impaired community, and am now better informed about many of the barriers that society creates which inhibit equitable health services!
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