Campaigning with children and young people

Making All Things Equal for children and young people with vision impairment

Too often, a child with sight loss won’t have the same chances and opportunities as their sighted friends. That’s why we’re working to make a change so that they can receive the support and services they need. 

With roughly 34,000 children and young people living with vision impairment in England, and around 80 per cent of a child’s learning using vision, it's important that children and young people with vision impairment receive specialist support in order to fulfil their potential. Access to this specialist support is vital, but the situation in England is inconsistent with different experiences of support and services in different parts of the country.

Guide Dogs has produced a major report in collaboration with parents, carers, children, and young people. We’re making the case for the transformation of support and services in England. Our recommendations include: 

• Creation of a universal pathway for children and young people with a vision impairment in England.  
• Increase funding and clarify government guidance so everyone can get the right support at the right time, and nobody is left to fall behind.   
• Action to ensure that children with sight loss – and other low incidence, high needs conditions (ones that affect smaller numbers of people, but those who are affected need a high level of support) – are not forgotten by devising national and local plans on how to meet their needs and help them fulfil their potential.