Vision rehabilitation must be part of social care reform, RNIB says

Social care reforms “must include vital and important but lesser-known types of social care for blind and partially sighted adults,” the charity said

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Middle age man reading book with his father while sitting close to window in living room

Getty/ Dejan Marjanovic

Lucy Miller

06 October 2026

Vision rehabilitation must be considered as part of upcoming social care reforms, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has emphasised.

Mike Wordingham, RNIB’s head of policy, called vision rehabilitation “a hidden service, flying under the radar at the crossover between health and social care, and plagued by ongoing delays, underfunding and staffing gaps.”

“Properly resourced vision rehabilitation supports blind and partially sighted people to thrive by developing the skills we need to keep ourselves safe, to find or stay in work, and live independently,” Wordingham said.

His comments come after Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, announced plans to deliver a national social care system ahead of the Labour Party Conference on Sunday 27 September.

Vision rehabilitation is a form of social care support funded through local authorities, and provision is often patchy and reliant on the offering provided in an individual’s postcode area.

However, Wordingham emphasised, “when it works well, it enables blind and partially sighted people to build the skills to move around safely, adapt their workplaces, continue to support their families and enjoy their hobbies when their sight deteriorates.”

Long-standing issues with vision rehabilitation provision

An RNIB delivered a petition, asking for improvements to vision rehabilitation services and signed by 48,000 people, was delivered to the Department of Health and Social Care in March 2026.

In 2023–2024, 85% of local authorities did not complete vision rehabilitation assessments within the RNIB’s recommended 28 days, whilst 38 local authorities said assessments were not always conducted by qualified vision rehabilitation specialists, RNIB research found.

The research also noted that 20% of local authorities saw residents waiting over a year to receive an initial assessment.

Wordingham emphasised: “Further delays to reform of vision rehabilitation risks putting the lives of thousands of people with sight loss on pause by not providing us with the vital support we need to live the lives we choose.”

The social care announcement “must ensure that any reforms include vital and important but lesser-known types of social care for blind and partially sighted adults,” Wordingham said.

Every £1 spent on early vision rehabilitation intervention can save the Government up to £9.33, he said.

Wordingham added: “Properly resourcing vision rehabilitation would also help the Government meet its ambition of keeping more disabled people in work and economically active.”

Specsavers has also emphasised that eye care should be included in social care reform.

Primary care optometry “must be a key partner in health and social care pathway design,” Local Optical Committee Support Unit chief executive, Janice Foster, said in the Specsavers Access to Care 2026 Report, which was released on Sunday 27 September at the start of the Labour Party Conference.