Coronavirus: One in five blind people have rationed food during pandemic
The Royal National Institute of Blind People is urging the government to give blind and partially sighted people more support.
Saturday 23 May 2020 16:41, UK
One in five people who are blind or partially sighted have rationed food during the coronavirus outbreak, new research shows.
Figures from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) suggest three quarters of people with sight loss are concerned about getting access to food while two thirds feel less independent now compared to before lockdown.
It comes after charities urged the government to include blind and deaf on the list of vulnerable people so they can receive the support they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blind and partially sighted people have told Sky News they feel "abandoned" during the crisis and are urging the government to give more support.
Elizabeth Manuel, a former district judge from Portsmouth, was forced to ration a week's worth of food over several weeks after she was unable to get a supermarket slot online.
Ms Manuel, who is partially sighted after suffering a brain haemorrhage when she was 46, was placed on the vulnerable persons list and told to self-isolate for 12 weeks due to varying health conditions not related to her vision.
The 54-year-old then started showing symptoms of COVID-19 on 29 March. Two days later she was taken to hospital.
She told Sky News: "To get by, I ended up halving all my portions. It's been scary and hard. I really don't think either the government or the supermarkets can hold their heads up about this because it's a basic necessity. If it wasn't for a few angels that have been out there helping others, more people would be at a complete loss about what to do."
She added: "The government and supermarkets need to have an ear to what charities, like the RNIB, are saying. They understand the issues far better. For other people, two months on, they are still not being helped. The church in my local area, which runs a food bank, is helping up to 200 people per week."
Jurgen Donaldson, from south west London, said he had ended up relying on local businesses to deliver him food when he ran out of groceries.
The 36-year-old, who is blind, said it felt like a "massive kick in the gut" when he discovered disabled people had not been included on the government's vulnerable list.
"When it became apparent that I wasn't able to get a supermarket delivery and there was no government support, I just felt completely abandoned. There was nothing," he said.
"I understand why blind people haven't been put on the shielding list because it was meant to be for those who would be critically ill if they got the virus, but it just completely ignored what vulnerable means."
Ms Manuel has since managed to secure a supermarket slot while Mr Donaldson continues to purchase his groceries from local businesses who deliver to him.
The RNIB has created a list of action points they feel need addressing to improve the lives of blind and partially sighted people during the pandemic.
They include: providing specific guidance for blind and partially sighted people on social distancing so they are able to go out confidently, provide clear guidance for businesses and employers on how to make social distancing measures accessible, communicate to the public why people with hidden disabilities find it more difficult to social distance, and ensure all updates about coronavirus are easily available in formats that blind and partially sighted people can read.
David Clarke, director of services for the RNIB, said: "We have received hundreds of calls to our helpline during lockdown from blind and partially sighted people about challenges accessing supermarkets, and we are concerned this is just the tip of the iceberg.
"As shops and services begin to open up, visual cues simply don't work for blind and partially sighted people, so it's essential businesses know how to enforce social distancing accessibly."
Shadow minister for disabled people Vicky Foxcroft told Sky News she has written to Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson and urged the cabinet to reconsider the list.
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She said: "Disabled people have felt, right through this crisis, that they haven't been listened to and that they're second class citizens. The government needs to be working with them. It shouldn't be an afterthought in terms of speaking to disabled people about concerns that they've got.
"They're the most vulnerable right now and living with a lot of fear. The fact that they're storing food because they're concerned about access in the future is a testament to that."
A UK government spokesperson said that "those who do not have friends, family or neighbours who can shop on their behalf, they can call directly on the NHS Volunteer Responders programme to ask for help with shopping for food".
"It is vital that public health information reaches everyone across the country, which is why we have reissued guidance to every government department reminding them that all their communications must be fully accessible, to ensure they reach everyone in appropriate, inclusive formats."