Retina UK is offering courses to help those living with inherited sight loss develop an awareness of emotional wellbeing and practical skills to adapt to life’s ups and downs. There is also a course for professionals supporting those with sight loss, which offers CPD points.
The courses have been shaped by the lived experiences of people affected by inherited sight loss conditions, and were created in response to the findings of the charity’s 2019 Sight Loss Survey, which revealed that 92 per cent of respondents experienced emotional or psychological impacts. When the survey was repeated in 2022, it showed an increase in people experiencing anxiety (78 per cent in 2022 compared with 71 per cent in 2019). The full report on the findings are available on the Retina UK website in PDF, Word and audio formats.
Denise Rawden, Retina UK information and support manager, said: “The findings of our Sight Loss Survey and the nature of calls and emails to our Helpline show us that many in our community experience poor emotional wellbeing. Understandably, the inherited and progressive nature of the conditions can take a real toll at different times in people’s lives. We want to encourage open conversations about emotional health alongside the physical impacts of living with an inherited sight loss condition. Our Discover Wellbeing course will give people the tools they need to become more aware of their wellbeing and practical skills to maintain positive wellbeing.”
There are three main courses to choose from and all are free to access:
1. Early stages: understand your feelings of apprehension and take positive practical steps to prepare for the future
2. Living with change: understand your feelings of loss, adapt to a reduction in sight and take practical steps to live a positive life today
3. Supporting others: learn practical skills and access tools to use to look after yourself whilst learning how to support others. This is designed for family members and professionals. It includes CPD accreditation
The charity worked in partnership with Arthur Ellis, a mental health and wellbeing organisation. Founder Jon Manning said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to work with Retina UK on this project. We worked closely with many people living with inherited sight loss to develop the course and we are grateful to all those shared their experiences with us. The course will guide people through the five stages of inherited sight loss and provide psychological and practical tools to enable them, their families, friends and professionals to provide the best support possible.”
Retina UK has trained a number of volunteers to become wellbeing support team members. They have lived experience of inherited sight loss and their role is to provide encouragement and guide people through the course.
More information on the courses, and a link to register, can be found at www.RetinaUK.org.uk/wellbeing or email wellbeing@retinauk.org.uk