English: Thank you; you can open your eyes now. The sounds you've just heard are sounds that blind and partially sighted people hear on a daily basis. Without sight, as you can imagine, these noises can be very disconcerting. I recently undertook a blindfolded walk with Monmouth Visually Impaired Club, and my experiences were nothing short of profound. The walk from the Monnow bridge to the top of town is normally straightforward, but, with a blindfold, everything was different. After a short space of time, I was disorientated and completely dependent on the people around me for support. The traffic noise was bewildering, and retailers' A-boards compounded the dangerous complexity of this new obstacle course, as did the plethora of mismatched pavement and road surfaces. In short, it was one hell of an eye-opener, if that's the right expression. Of course, I was able to remove my blindfold once we'd reached the relative safety of the Punch House tavern at the end of my journey, but it left me thinking, 'What about my new friends who don't have this luxury?' The reason for this debate is that this week is National Eye Health Week. Lots of events are taking place across the country to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and having an eye test. I believe the Minister for Social Services and Public Health had her own eyes tested recently, but still one in 10 people do not get their eyes tested on a regular basis. Many people do not realise that their long-term sight can be affected, and that 50 per cent of sight loss is avoidable with early detection and treatment. Everyone should have their eyes tested every two years. If you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, you should have a test every year. Losing your sight impacts on every area of your life. It is the sense that the majority of people are most afraid of losing. I'm now going to speak a little about the different things that blind and partially sighted people experience in their day-to-day lives, and how policymakers can make this better for those living with sight loss. If you're unable to drive, your only choice is to use public transport, something that can be difficult for many reasons, not least because information at bus stops is often not provided in the most accessible formats. In 2015, the Royal National Institute of Blind People Cymru and Guide Dogs research for 'Get on board' found there were many issues blind and partially sighted people faced when accessing public transport: incidents such as rudeness to partially sighted passengers who mistakenly pulled over the wrong bus, because it was too difficult to make out the number in time. Often, a blind or partially sighted person will learn a route to enable them to live independently. If they're not helped to find their stop, or if audio announcements are turned off, people can very easily end up in the wrong place and may no longer be able to travel independently at all. In rural areas, information at bus stops is often out of date or too small or weather-beaten. Rural bus services are integral to blind and partially sighted people who cannot drive. Funding for these services must be protected. New developments are not always sympathetic to the needs of people with sight loss. A building with lovely glass ceilings may be in vogue at the time, but this can cause problems for people with sight impairment as the light can cause difficulties for the eyes understanding the route to take through the building. This is a very scary and also unsafe situation for someone with a visual impairment. The redevelopment of Aberystwyth bus station a couple of years ago meant you had to cross the path of a potentially oncoming bus to enter the station, with no helpful tactile paving, and it was incredibly unsafe. This has now, thankfully, been rectified, but there must be more understanding at the outset of the principles of safe design in the upcoming planning and policy developments. Many people associate going blind with old age, but the reality is that many people are born with sight impairment. Of the 106,000 people in Wales living with sight loss, there are an estimated 1,935 children and young people aged between 0 and 25 years. Children with a visual impairment are at risk of poor outcomes, as 80 per cent of learning is visual for children who have full sight, which is why children born with any sight impairment need understanding of the additional support and adjustments needed to ensure that they have the same access to education as their sighted peers. As children with a visual impairment learn differently, it's vital that specialist teachers who understand this are able to support teachers and learners. Research undertaken by RNIB Cymru has shown that the number of teachers holding the teaching qualification for this speciality has been decreasing as teachers get closer to retirement age and are not replaced. The qualification for teaching children with a visual impairment has been made mandatory in England. The only university that currently provides the course in the UK is in England and is oversubscribed, so Welsh teachers are not given priority to access that course. It's also vital that school inspection regimes monitor the provision of specialist support across Wales. We're about to enter an important time in the development of additional learning needs policy in Wales, and this is the time when we can really make a difference to visually impaired learners. The additional learning needs Bill must ensure mandatory specialist learning training for staff teaching blind and partially sighted young people. If I can turn to health, as most sight loss conditions are degenerative but also treatable, and in some cases blindness is preventable, it's important that ophthalmic patients are reviewed within the NHS within a clinically-led timeframe that doesn't just focus on the first appointment but that the patient's full treatment is monitored, with follow-up treatments built in. At present, the referral-to-treatment time target only focuses on the initial diagnosis and first treatment. There's no target for follow-up eye appointments and therefore the risk to the patient cannot be adequately managed. This is why an RTT target that does not focus on the clinical time frame is potentially damaging, as it drives attention and resources away from ensuring timely follow-up appointments. The fact is, improved outcomes in ophthalmology will lead to better health outcomes overall and achieve savings. For example, almost half of all falls experienced by blind and partially sighted people were found to be attributable to their sight loss. Blind and partially sighted people also need timely access to rehabilitation services. If the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014's primary aims are to be realised, then blind and partially sighted people must be assessed by trained and experienced professionals. A specialist assessment will also mean that blind and partially sighted people will know what support they need. Charities in the sight loss sector are increasingly concerned about the provision of rehabilitation for visually impaired people. They believe the commissioning process should guarantee qualified rehabilitation officers are employed in local authorities. The minimum coverage recommended is at least one rehabilitation officer per 70,000 of the population. Now, I'm not saying that that's not being achieved, but, currently, local authorities, whilst being asked to do more with less increasingly, are attempting to provide the minimum service for their population and not carrying out sufficient equality impact assessments to ensure that the more complex needs of someone who is losing their sight are met. Eye clinic liaison officers are also in each health board across Wales, offering support to people with sight loss at the point of need. They're recognised by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists as an integral part of a minimum service team within the eye clinic. Without the right support, the impact of sight loss can have a major effect on other areas of a person's life, such as falls, isolation, and on the ability to stay in work. In an RNIB published study carried out at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, it was found, using social-return-on-investment methodology, that an investment of £1 in the early intervention service brings a return of £10.57 to health and social care budgets in Wales, so there are real savings to be made. Finally, England has only just launched standards for accessible information for people with sensory loss in the NHS. This is over two years behind Wales, so we've really made progress here. However, with people with sight loss in Wales still facing major barriers to their healthcare, more needs to be done. They're still leaving hospital every day unsure of how much medication they are meant to take, or unsure of what advice they have been given. In the hospital setting, simple actions such as a change in the colour of materials so that there's a greater contrast between food and plates, or beds and wards, toilets and floors - the list goes on - would stop patients from going hungry, losing their way or taking a fall; simple changes, but changes that can have a real effect. The standard in England contains penalties for services that do not ensure that people with sensory loss receive information in the format they need. Is it time that we in Wales think about applying this sort of regulation to our standards? Perhaps the Welsh Government's annual report on the public sector equality duty should focus more on these types of duties. So, in closing, Deputy Presiding Officer, I would ask you all to think about the issues affecting people with sight loss in Wales during this National Eye Health Week. Attend one of the events if you can, and let's all of us do our bit to raise awareness of this issue and to try and improve the standard of living of visually impaired people living in Wales today and tomorrow.
Welsh: Diolch; gallwch agor eich llygaid yn awr. Y synau a glywsoch yw'r synau y mae pobl ddall a rhannol ddall yn eu clywed yn ddyddiol. Heb y gallu i weld, fel y gallwch ddychmygu, gall y synau hyn beri anesmwythdod mawr. Yn ddiweddar, euthum ar daith gerdded gyda mwgwd dros fy llygaid gyda chlwb i bobl sydd â nam ar eu golwg yn Nhrefynwy, a chefais brofiadau hynod o ddwys. Mae'r daith gerdded o bont Mynwy i ben uchaf y dref fel arfer yn syml, ond gyda mwgwd, roedd popeth yn wahanol. Ar ôl cyfnod byr o amser, roeddwn yn ddryslyd ac yn gwbl ddibynnol ar y bobl o fy nghwmpas am gefnogaeth. Roedd sŵn y traffig yn ddryslyd, ac roedd A-fyrddau manwerthwyr yn gwaethygu cymhlethdod peryglus y cwrs rhwystrau newydd hwn, fel y gwnâi'r llu o arwynebau gwahanol ar balmentydd a ffyrdd. Yn fyr, roedd yn gythraul o agoriad llygad, os mai dyna'r ymadrodd cywir. Wrth gwrs, roeddwn yn gallu tynnu fy mwgwd ar ôl i ni gyrraedd diogelwch cymharol tafarn Punch House ar ddiwedd fy nhaith, ond gwnaeth i mi feddwl, 'Beth am fy ffrindiau newydd nad ydynt yn gallu gwneud hynny?' Y rheswm dros y ddadl hon yw mai'r wythnos hon yw Wythnos Genedlaethol Iechyd Llygaid. Mae llawer o ddigwyddiadau'n cael eu cynnal ar draws y wlad i godi ymwybyddiaeth o bwysigrwydd iechyd y llygaid a chael prawf llygaid. Rwy'n credu bod y Gweinidog Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol ac Iechyd y Cyhoedd wedi cael prawf llygaid ei hun yn ddiweddar, ond nid yw un o bob 10 o bobl yn cael prawf llygaid rheolaidd o hyd. Mae yna lawer o bobl nad ydynt yn sylweddoli y gallai eu golwg ddioddef yn y tymor hir, a bod modd osgoi 50 y cant o achosion o golli golwg drwy ganfod a thrin yn gynnar. Dylai pawb gael prawf llygaid bob dwy flynedd. Os oes gennych ddiabetes neu hanes teuluol o glawcoma, dylech gael prawf bob blwyddyn. Mae colli eich golwg yn effeithio ar bob rhan o'ch bywyd. Dyma'r synnwyr y mae'r rhan fwyaf o bobl fwyaf o ofn ei golli. Rwy'n mynd i siarad ychydig yn awr am y gwahanol bethau y mae pobl ddall a phobl rhannol ddall yn eu profi yn eu bywydau o ddydd i ddydd, a sut y gall llunwyr polisi wneud hyn yn well i bobl sydd wedi colli eu golwg. Os nad ydych yn gallu gyrru, eich unig ddewis yw defnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, rhywbeth a all fod yn anodd am sawl rheswm, nid yn lleiaf am nad yw gwybodaeth mewn safleoedd bws yn cael ei darparu yn y fformatau mwyaf hygyrch yn aml. Yn 2015, canfu Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol y Deillion Cymru ac ymchwil Guide Dogs Cymru ar gyfer 'Dewch gyda ni' fod llawer o broblemau'n wynebu pobl ddall a rhannol ddall wrth iddynt ddefnyddio trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus: digwyddiadau fel anghwrteisi i deithwyr rhannol ddall am godi llaw i stopio'r bws anghywir am ei bod yn rhy anodd gweld y rhif mewn pryd. Yn aml, bydd person dall neu rannol ddall yn dysgu llwybr taith i'w galluogi i fyw'n annibynnol. Os na chânt gymorth i ddod o hyd i'w stop, neu os caiff cyhoeddiadau sain eu diffodd, gall pobl yn hawdd iawn gyrraedd y lle anghywir ac efallai na fyddant yn gallu teithio'n annibynnol o gwbl mwyach. Mewn ardaloedd gwledig, mae gwybodaeth mewn safleoedd bws yn aml yn hen neu'n rhy fach neu wedi'i threulio gan y tywydd. Mae gwasanaethau bws gwledig yn hollbwysig i bobl ddall a rhannol ddall nad ydynt yn gallu gyrru. Rhaid diogelu cyllid ar gyfer y gwasanaethau hyn. Nid yw datblygiadau newydd bob amser yn ystyried anghenion pobl sydd wedi colli'u golwg. Gall adeilad gyda nenfydau gwydr hyfryd fod yn ffasiynol ar y pryd, ond gall achosi problemau i bobl â nam ar eu golwg gan y gall y goleuni achosi anawsterau i'r llygaid o ran deall y llwybr drwy'r adeilad. Mae hon yn sefyllfa frawychus iawn a pheryglus hefyd i rywun â nam ar y golwg. Roedd ailddatblygu gorsaf fysiau Aberystwyth flwyddyn neu ddwy yn ôl yn golygu bod yn rhaid i chi groesi llwybr bws a allai fod yn dod tuag atoch er mwyn mynd i mewn i'r orsaf, heb balmant botymog defnyddiol, ac roedd yn hynod o beryglus. Mae hyn bellach wedi'i gywiro, diolch byth, ond rhaid cael mwy o ddealltwriaeth ar y cychwyn o egwyddorion dylunio diogel mewn datblygiadau cynllunio a pholisi sydd i ddod. Mae llawer o bobl yn cysylltu mynd yn ddall â henaint, ond y gwir amdani yw bod llawer o bobl yn cael eu geni â nam ar eu golwg. O'r 106,000 o bobl yng Nghymru sy'n byw â nam ar eu golwg, amcangyfrifir bod 1,935 o blant a phobl ifanc rhwng 0 a 25 oed yn eu plith. Mae plant sydd â nam ar y golwg mewn perygl o gael canlyniadau gwael, gan fod 80 y cant o ddysgu yn weledol i blant sy'n gweld yn iawn, a dyna pam y mae angen deall pa gymorth ac addasiadau ychwanegol sydd eu hangen ar blant a aned gydag unrhyw nam ar eu golwg er mwyn sicrhau bod addysg yr un mor hygyrch iddynt ag i'w cyfoedion sy'n gallu gweld. Gan fod plant sydd â nam ar y golwg yn dysgu'n wahanol, mae'n hanfodol fod athrawon arbenigol sy'n deall hyn yn gallu cefnogi athrawon a dysgwyr. Mae ymchwil a wnaed gan RNIB Cymru wedi dangos bod nifer yr athrawon sydd â'r cymhwyster addysgu ar gyfer yr arbenigedd hwn wedi bod yn lleihau wrth i athrawon gyrraedd yn agosach at oed ymddeol heb fod athrawon cymwys yn dod yn eu lle. Mae'r cymhwyster ar gyfer addysgu plant â nam ar eu golwg wedi cael ei wneud yn orfodol yn Lloegr. Mae'r unig brifysgol sy'n darparu'r cwrs ar hyn o bryd yn y DU yn Lloegr ac nid oes digon o lefydd ar gael, felly ni roddir blaenoriaeth i dderbyn athrawon o Gymru ar y cwrs hwnnw. Mae hefyd yn hanfodol fod cyfundrefnau arolygu ysgolion yn monitro darpariaeth cymorth arbenigol ledled Cymru. Rydym ar drothwy cyfnod pwysig yn natblygiad polisi anghenion dysgu ychwanegol yng Nghymru, a dyma'r adeg pan allwn wneud gwahaniaeth go iawn i ddysgwyr â nam ar eu golwg. Rhaid i'r Bil anghenion dysgu ychwanegol sicrhau hyfforddiant dysgu arbenigol gorfodol ar gyfer staff sy'n addysgu pobl ifanc ddall a rhannol ddall. Os caf droi at iechyd, gan fod y rhan fwyaf o gyflyrau colli golwg yn rhai dirywiol ond hefyd yn rhai y gellir eu trin, a chan fod modd atal unigolyn rhag mynd yn ddall mewn rhai achosion, mae'n bwysig fod cleifion offthalmig yn cael eu hadolygu o fewn y GIG yn ôl amserlen dan arweiniad clinigol nad yw ond yn canolbwyntio'n unig ar yr apwyntiad cyntaf ond bod triniaeth lawn y claf yn cael ei monitro, gyda thriniaethau dilynol wedi'u cynnwys yn rhan o hynny. Ar hyn o bryd, nid yw'r targed amser rhwng atgyfeirio a thriniaeth ond yn canolbwyntio ar y diagnosis cychwynnol a'r driniaeth gyntaf. Nid oes targed ar gyfer apwyntiadau llygaid dilynol ac felly ni ellir rheoli'r risg i'r claf mewn modd digonol. Dyma pam y gallai targed rhwng atgyfeirio a thriniaeth nad yw'n canolbwyntio ar y ffrâm amser glinigol fod yn niweidiol, gan ei fod yn tynnu sylw ac adnoddau oddi ar sicrhau apwyntiadau dilynol amserol. Y ffaith amdani yw bod canlyniadau gwell mewn offthalmoleg yn mynd i arwain at ganlyniadau iechyd gwell yn gyffredinol a sicrhau arbedion. Er enghraifft, canfuwyd y gellid priodoli bron i hanner yr holl gwympiadau a brofir gan bobl ddall a rhannol ddall i'r ffaith eu bod wedi colli eu golwg. Mae pobl ddall a rhannol ddall angen mynediad amserol hefyd at wasanaethau adsefydlu. Os yw prif nodau Deddf Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol a Llesiant (Cymru) 2014 yn mynd i gael eu gwireddu, yna mae'n rhaid i bobl ddall a rhannol ddall gael eu hasesu gan weithwyr proffesiynol hyfforddedig a phrofiadol. Bydd asesiad arbenigol hefyd yn golygu y bydd pobl ddall a rhannol ddall yn gwybod pa gymorth sydd ei angen arnynt. Mae elusennau yn y sector colli golwg yn pryderu fwyfwy am y ddarpariaeth adsefydlu ar gyfer pobl â nam ar eu golwg. Maent yn credu y dylai'r broses gomisiynu warantu bod swyddogion adsefydlu cymwys yn cael eu cyflogi mewn awdurdodau lleol. Y ddarpariaeth ofynnol a argymhellir yw o leiaf un swyddog adsefydlu fesul 70,000 o'r boblogaeth. Nawr, nid wyf yn dweud nad yw hynny'n cael ei gyflawni, ond ar hyn o bryd, mae awdurdodau lleol, y gofynnir iddynt yn fwyfwy aml i wneud mwy gyda llai, yn ceisio darparu'r gwasanaeth gofynnol ar gyfer eu poblogaeth ac nid ydynt yn cynnal digon o asesiadau o'r effaith ar gydraddoldeb i sicrhau bod anghenion mwy cymhleth rhywun sy'n colli eu golwg yn cael eu diwallu. Ceir swyddogion cyswllt clinigau llygaid ym mhob bwrdd iechyd ledled Cymru hefyd, i gynnig cymorth i bobl sydd wedi colli'u golwg lle y mae ei angen. Cânt eu cydnabod gan Goleg Brenhinol yr Offthalmolegwyr fel rhan ganolog o'r tîm gwasanaeth gofynnol yn y clinig llygaid. Heb y cymorth cywir, gall colli golwg effeithio'n fawr ar rannau eraill o fywyd unigolyn, megis cwympiadau, arwahanrwydd, a'r gallu i ddal ati i weithio. Mewn astudiaeth a gyhoeddwyd gan yr RNIB ac a gynhaliwyd yn Ysbyty Singleton, Abertawe, drwy ddefnyddio methodoleg elw cymdeithasol ar fuddsoddiad, canfuwyd bod buddsoddiad o £1 yn y gwasanaeth ymyrraeth gynnar yn sicrhau elw o £10.57 i gyllidebau iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, felly mae yna arbedion go iawn i'w gwneud. Yn olaf, mae Lloegr newydd lansio safonau ar gyfer gwybodaeth hygyrch i bobl â nam ar y synhwyrau yn y GIG. Daw hyn fwy na dwy flynedd ar ôl i Gymru wneud hynny, felly rydym wedi gwneud cynnydd gwirioneddol yma. Fodd bynnag, gyda phobl sydd wedi colli eu golwg yng Nghymru yn dal i wynebu rhwystrau mawr i'w gofal iechyd, mae angen gwneud mwy. Maent yn dal i adael yr ysbyty bob dydd yn ansicr faint o feddyginiaeth y maent i fod i'w chymryd, neu'n ansicr ynglŷn â'r cyngor a roddwyd iddynt. Yn yr ysbyty, byddai camau gweithredu syml fel newid yn lliw defnyddiau fel bod mwy o gyferbyniad rhwng bwyd a phlatiau, neu welyau a wardiau, toiledau a lloriau - mae'r rhestr yn parhau - yn atal cleifion rhag mynd yn llwglyd, colli eu ffordd neu gwympo; newidiadau syml, ond newidiadau a all gael effaith go iawn. Mae'r safon yn Lloegr yn cynnwys cosbi gwasanaethau nad ydynt yn sicrhau bod pobl â nam ar y synhwyrau yn cael gwybodaeth yn y fformat sydd ei angen arnynt. A yw'n bryd i ni yng Nghymru ystyried cynnwys rheoliad o'r fath yn ein safonau? Efallai y dylai adroddiad blynyddol Llywodraeth Cymru ar ddyletswydd cydraddoldeb y sector cyhoeddus ganolbwyntio mwy ar y mathau hyn o ddyletswyddau. Felly, wrth gloi, Ddirprwy Lywydd, byddwn yn gofyn i bawb ohonoch feddwl am y materion sy'n effeithio ar bobl sydd wedi colli eu golwg yng Nghymru yn ystod Wythnos Genedlaethol Iechyd Llygaid. Mynychwch un o'r digwyddiadau os gallwch, a gadewch i bob un ohonom wneud ein rhan i godi ymwybyddiaeth o'r mater hwn a cheisio gwella safon byw pobl â nam ar eu golwg sy'n byw yng Nghymru heddiw ac yfory.