More than half of these youngsters have additional disabilities like deafness, physical disabilities or learning difficulties, which complicate their needs. Four out of five people with impaired vision are over retirement age. Among the over 75's one person in five is blind or partially sighted. Many of these older people also have other disabilities or illnesses. Eye accidents at home result in 200 hospital admissions a day.
Most patients recover reasonably well, but unfortunately some lose their sight permanently.
Most of these accidents are preventable. But health and social services for people with impaired vision are patchy, and many people receive little or no help from the state. Even if they are entitled to disability benefits, blind people on average have a third less to live on than sighted people. Blind and partially sighed people are just like everyone else, except that they can't see properly. They may need help to do some or all of these things.