Vision Foundation invests in project to support visually impaired domestic abuse victims

Vision Foundation has invested £200,000 in projects to support visually impaired people experiencing domestic abuse, according to Optometry Today.

As a result of Vison Foundation’s “The Unseen report”, they have released details of the domestic abuse awareness and prevention projects. This includes work with Refuge and the Royal National Association of Blind People (RNIB).

In the same article, it stated that The Unseen report revealed that while one in 12 visually impaired people in the UK is a victim of domestic abuse, fewer than one in five domestic abuse professionals have had specialist training to support visually impaired victims or survivors.

The funding from the charity includes training for frontline community centre staff and volunteers to spot the sings of abuse early, and a new audio drama that they “hope will raise awareness about how domestic violence uniquely affects the visually impaired community”.

Also, Child to Parent Abuse (CPA) is also a theme of Vision Foundation’s investment as the charity Parental Education Growth Support will use the funding it has received to research the best platforms by which to raise awareness of CPA.

Optometry Today also stated that The Crown Prosecution Service has commissioned the charity to recommend changes that would allow court proceedings to be shared in accessible formats, allowing easier access to justice for visually impaired people who have taken their abusers to court.

Keith Valentine, CEO of the newly merged Vision Foundation and Fight for Sight, said:

“The Unseen report revealed that we are a long way from providing blind and partially sighted victims of domestic abuse with the support and safety they desperately need.”

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