Campaigning with children and young people

With the right support, at the right time, children and young people with a vision impairment can thrive, both at school and in later life. But too often, children and families are unable to access vital support. That’s why we’re campaigning to change this, and ensure every child gets the support they need from day one.

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

There are approximately 34,000 children and young people with a vision impairment in England. Specialist support is provided by Habilitation Specialists and Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with a Vision Impairment (QTVI) who support their learning, build their confidence, and help them to access the school environment and curriculum.

However, new research from Guide Dogs carried out in 2025 has found that families are missing out on this vital support. More than two thirds (69%) of children in England are not receiving vital habilitation support, and nearly half (45%) have never received support from a QTVI.

• 95% of those who received habilitation support said it has increased their child’s confidence
• 71% of parents say waiting times to access support are too long
• 59% of parents have tried to access at least one type of support but didn’t end up receiving it

Without support, children with a vision impairment are at risk of having to constantly catch-up in their learning and development.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms

The Government is bringing forward new proposals to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. Guide Dogs is calling for a focus on vision impairment within these reforms, and to ensure they enable every family to access specialist support when they need it, wherever they live.

Our recommendations include:

• Increased high-needs funding for local authorities to enable them to provide consistent and adequate specialist support, prior to and during school.
• The creation of a workforce strategy which addresses recruitment, training and retention issues so every child can access specialist support when they need it, wherever they live.
• Better and more consistent implementation of vision impairment support in mainstream education settings, with clear accountability measures.

Eye care support pathway for children and young people in England

Read more about what support children, young people and their parents can expect on their journey from initially noticing a possible eye condition, through to living well with vision impairment.