Optician India

By Dan Morgan-Williams, Founder of Visualise Training and Consultancy

Losing your vision is life-changing — so why are we still doing so little to support people through it?

In 2025, we live in an age of AI, virtual reality, and digital health solutions — yet the experience of being diagnosed with a visual impairment remains, for many, stuck in the past.

Too often, patients walk out of eye clinics and hospital appointments with nothing more than a diagnosis on paper. No follow-up call. No emotional support. No information about practical adjustments or where to turn for help. For many, it’s not just shocking — it’s devastating.

A diagnosis is not the end of the story. It's the beginning of a new chapter.

Sight loss can have a profound impact, not only on the individual but also on their family, partner, siblings, and friends. It touches every part of life — from navigating a kitchen, to reading a bedtime story, to keeping a job or walking down the street safely.

And yet…

• Letters from the hospital often arrive in inaccessible formats.
• Appointments rarely consider communication needs.
• Wayfinding in hospitals is complex, overwhelming, and designed for sighted people.
•  Emotional wellbeing is barely mentioned — let alone supported.

So what needs to change?

1. Holistic support at the point of diagnosis

Every ophthalmology, optometry, or optician appointment where someone receives a life-changing diagnosis should automatically include:
- A referral to an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) or equivalent
- Immediate access to emotional support and counselling
- Clear, accessible signposting to support groups, social services, benefits advice, and mobility training

2. Accessible communication — always

Letters, test results, and appointment confirmations must be sent in accessible formats — whether that’s braille, large print, audio, or email. It’s not a luxury. It’s a legal right.

3. Design with empathy

Hospital layouts, signage, check-in desks, and waiting areas should be intuitive and safe for blind and partially sighted people. This includes tactile floor indicators, audible announcements, and accessible public toilets.

4. Cultural shift in clinical practice

Eye care professionals need disability awareness training. Compassionate communication, inclusive practice, and an understanding of the emotional impact of vision loss must become standard — not optional.

“I wish someone had just said, ‘It’s okay — we’re going to help you through this.’”

This is what we hear time and time again from people who’ve lost their vision. Not being able to see is scary enough. Being left to figure it out alone is even worse.

In 2025, we have the tools, technology, and insight to do better. So let’s do better — not just for the person losing their sight, but for everyone who loves them too.

Want to make a change?

Whether you’re a professional, a policymaker, or someone personally affected by vision loss, you can be part of the solution:
- Share this blog
- Invite speakers with lived experience of sight loss to your workplace or conference
- Review your clinic or organisation’s accessibility policies
- Push for ECLOs and support services to be embedded into every eye care setting
- Listen to people with lived experience — and act on what they say

Together, we can make the world more accessible, inclusive, and equal for people who are blind or visually impaired.

I am available to speak at conferences and deliver training on visual impairment to your teams.