Insight Reports
Insights into the experience of people who are blind and vision impaired, including feelings of loneliness, surviving domestic violence and abuse and access to employment.
Insight Reports
What is it like to be blind or vision impaired?
There is a lack of robust evidence, data and real-life stories of lived experience that can answer that question. The Office of National Statistics collects figures about general rates of unemployment among people with disabilities but misses the fact only one in four people who are blind or vision impaired are in work.
We’re investing in research that explores all aspects of life—from employment opportunities to the prevalence of loneliness and isolation. That way, we’re fully informed on the best ways to tackle those issues, ensuring our funds can have the greatest impact.
How we're changing lives
We fund research that identifies challenges faced by people who are blind and vision impaired. The unique insights we gather inform the projects we fund to tackle them. Bright ideas such as ensuring the natural world is accessible, boosting mental health or funding farm visits to build confidence and grow friendships for young people.
Our aim is to build 'blueprints for change' so that others can take this learning and deliver future projects. So, we measure the outcomes of the work we fund, and we publish that, too.
Core to our work means working in partnership with other organisations and sector professionals to deliver reports and projects that drive change. Our thanks go to everyone who has shared their own experiences within these reports.
Outside: Tackling loneliness and isolation
In April 2024 we released Outside, which explored experiences of loneliness for people who are blind and vision impaired.
KEY FINDING: 76% of survey respondents said they felt lonely some or all of the time (while 25% of the general population feel lonely some or all of the time).
COLLABORATION: We commissioned the report from Abertay University, where Dr Mhairi Thurston and Craig Dunlop conducted in-depth interviews with 18 blind or vision impaired people, and a survey with 162 responses.
INSIGHT: ‘The friends that you thought you had, they sort of slowly disappear’ (female, 68)
Read the full report (PDF) >
Explore the research data (Excel) >
The Unseen
In October 2022 we published the first ever research into the shocking scale and prevalence of domestic abuse among blind and partially sighted people.
KEY FINDING: 1 in 12 visually impaired people in the UK is estimated to be a victim of domestic abuse.
COLLABORATION: The report was researched and compiled by the charity SafeLives, and served to highlight the lack of relevant knowledge and experience among organisations and professionals working in both the fields of sight loss and domestic abuse. The Unseen also put forward proposals for how to tackle the challenges and break down the barriers to help.
INSIGHT: ‘People don’t think it is a big deal, ‘Well she can’t see. If she can’t see then she is going to have to put up with a bit of that.’ Anonymous participant.
Read the full report (PDF) >
Read the full report (plain text) >
See My Skills
In July 2021 we published a report to better understand what factors contribute towards more positive employment outcomes for blind and partially sighted people.
KEY FINDING: If you’re a blind adult of working age in the UK, there is only a 1 in 4 chance that you’re working. That means that over 300,000 blind and partially sighted people are currently excluded from the workplace.
COLLABORATION: We commissioned this research from the University of Birmingham’s Department of Disability Inclusion and Special Needs. The briefing outlines the research findings and makes recommendations for a united response from the public, private and charity sectors to level the employment playing field for blind and partially sighted people.
INSIGHT: ‘One of the biggest barriers from my point of view is employer perception.’ Annika
Read the full report (PDF) >
Read the full report (plain text) >
Time to Focus
In 2021 we published a report to better understand impact and cost of sight loss on a growing number of individuals and broader society.
KEY FINDING: The cost of sight loss to the UK economy is a staggering £25.2 billion a year. That’s more than the combined annual expenditure of both the Home Office and Ministry of Justice.
COLLABORATE: As a leader in the fight against sight loss, we brought together sector partners, academics and people with eye conditions, including Kaleidoscope Research, London School of Economics (LSE) and Clarivate, to find out how best to catalyse action.
INSIGHT: ‘Eye research changes lives. Over the last decades we have seen the sight and lives of millions of people improved by advances due to research.’ Professor Sir Peng Khaw, consultant ophthalmic surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL institute of ophthalmology.
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Insights
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Loneliness
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Domestic Abuse
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Employment
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Time to Focus
- Insights
- Loneliness
- Domestic Abuse
- Employment
- Time to Focus