For a number of reasons recently diagnosed people are sometimes cautious of being put on the visually impaired persons’ register. Diagnosis can be a shock and quite enough to cope with on its own. This phase passes more quickly for some than for others. For most people it will pass, eventually. Some fear that registration somehow means that they are more likely to go blind. Registration has no bearing on the outcome of your medical condition. Sometimes people perceive a lack of confidentiality or fear that Big Brother might be watching them. In fact, if you are registered as a visually impaired person, your records will not be released to anyone without your personal permission.

By registering your visual impairment, you help yourself and your family and also other people who are, or who will be registered in Oxfordshire. Because so many people are not registered, Oxfordshire Social Services has an incomplete picture of the number of visually impaired people in the county. For example they have nearly 4,000 VI people on their register; while research suggests that there are at least 9,000 people eligible for registration as visually impaired. If the authorities lack the information to assess and support present needs and allocate funds for services today they will certainly be under-resourced in the future.

If you fit the criteria and if you decide to become registered you are helping yourself and your family - here are a few reasons why:

Registration may be taken into account if you claim benefit.

There are increased personal income tax allowances for people who are registered blind - if you don’t work, allowances can be transferred to a working partner.

Parking concessions (e.g. a blue badge or disc permitting parking in restricted areas) are available for use by people who are registered as blind.

Anyone who is registered blind can claim a 50% reduction in the cost of their television licence.