Election candidates urged to back sight loss rights

Scotland’s largest sight loss charity is urging candidates in the UK General Election this week to back a pledge to protect key rights for people with visual impairment in the next parliament.

Royal Blind has launched its Rights Pledge on safeguarding rights of disabled people which have been established over many years, including through European Union legislation. The charity has asked candidates to support increased investment in areas such as supported employment where the UK Government still has important responsibilities for support in Scotland.

The Royal Blind Rights Pledge calls for the next parliament to:
• Guarantee the rights of patients to access sight loss medicines
• Promote rights to work for people with sight loss
• Protect patient rights for people with sight loss by ensuring health and social care services can recruit the specialist staff they need
• Protect the human rights of people with sight loss in the UK which have been established in EU law

Mark O’Donnell

Mark O’Donnell, Chief Executive of Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded, who has written to each of Scotland’s party leaders urging them to back the pledge, said: “We have launched Royal Blind Rights Pledge because we believe issues of huge importance to the rights of people with visual impairment are at stake in this election. While some of these are related to the Brexit process, a number of others are linked to policies for which Westminster has responsibility and affect the blind and partially sighted people we work with at Royal Blind and Scottish War Blinded.

“Decisions which are made in the next UK Parliament will have a huge impact on the inclusion and welfare of people living with visual impairment. We are encouraged that many candidates from across the political spectrum have already confirmed their support for the Rights Pledge, but we hope many more will do so as we approach polling day. It is vital that people with visual impairment can have confidence the next UK Parliament will safeguard their human rights and services which are crucial for their inclusion as well as their quality of life.”