Charities: Blind Veterans UK

MHM looks at the excellent support this charity offers veterans with sight-loss.

Do you know anyone who served in the Armed Forces, including for their National Service, and is now battling with age-related sight loss? If so, Blind Veterans UK can provide them and their family with lifelong support and services – for free. Blind Veterans UK believes that no one who has served our country should battle sight loss alone. Blind Veterans UK, formerly St Dunstan’s, is the leading organisation supporting vision-impaired ex-servicemen and -women, regardless of how they lost their sight or how long they served. Helping veterans to regain their independence and discover a life beyond sight loss, the charity’s top-quality free services include independent living and welfare support, nursing care, and vital life-skills training. They also help blind veterans to learn new hobbies and encourage them to participate in recreational activities, whatever their age.

99-year-old veteran Bob Early uses his computer after receiving IT training from Blind Veterans UK. Bob is one of many veterans who receive free support from the charity.

Bob Early from Berkshire is a 99-year-old WWII veteran, who was instrumental Blind Veterans UK: life beyond age-related sight loss in bringing Nazi war criminals to justice.Now he suffers with age-related macular degeneration and receives free support from Blind Veterans UK. ‘When I realised my sight was going, I knew it was a terrible thing. I felt very sorry for myself. But then I got in touch with Blind Veterans UK, and that really changed my life. They helped me learn all these different ways to cope with my sight loss and regain my independence. Bob commented, ‘Blind Veterans UK gave me all these useful gadgets, for free, and they taught me the skills to use them. They taught me how to use a computer at the age of 93, which I would never have imagined. They told me I was not too old to try it, and they were right! ‘When I lost my sight, although I had a very supportive family, I still did feel that I was on my own. But Blind Veterans UK made all the difference and has been just brilliant to me. I would urge others to accept the organisation’s support.’

Further information If you know someone who served in the Armed Forces, including for National Service, and who is now suffering with age-related sight loss, call 0800 389 7979 to request free support or visit www.noonealone.org.uk.