BRAVO VICTOR

ALT We are pleased to announce the completion of the Bind to the Facts 2024 project, delivered by our Senior Scientist Dr Claire Castle, in collaboration with Professor David Baker at UCL on behalf of Baluji Music Foundation, and funded by Vision Foundation. The project offers vital findings relating to the experiences of music professionals with V.I. working in the UK, and those of providers, employers, and venues, helping us to better understand where issues of access and inclusion remain, and how these might be addressed in the future. The report can be found at Blind to the Facts 2023 | BalujiMusicFdn (balujimusicfoundation.org)

ALT Despite the existence of legislation to protect people with disabilities from discrimination, people with visual impairment in the UK continue to report negative attitudes and behaviours. Experiencing discrimination can have a negative impact on identity, health and well-being. Although people with visual impairment have identified negative public attitudes as the biggest barrier to their participation in everyday life, relatively little research has explored the UK public’s attitudes and perceptions of people with visual impairment. Our team of experts at BRAVO VICTOR worked closely with collaborators from the RNIB.

ALT Visual impairment (V.I.) has been associated with a negative impact on activities of daily living (ADL) and navigation outside the home. Adults from minority ethnic communities are projected to make up an increasing proportion of the V.I. population in the UK and yet the evidence relating to their experiences of living with V.I. is limited.

ALT As part of our series on visual impairment and minority ethnic communities, we can now announce the publication of our third article, which explores social functioning in our sample. Previous publications explored eye health and support service use, and mental and emotional well-being, prejudice and discrimination. We found that, although participants from minority ethnic communities (MEC) were significantly more likely than White participants to rate opportunities to take part in more social activities as important, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in their perceived ability to take part in a range of activities.

ALT It is a well-known fact that hearing and sight loss known as dual sensory impairment (DSI) is particularly prevalent in the older population. Military-associated DSI, however, has not been as extensively explored. DSI is a disability that affects a significant proportion of the population, and veterans are at particular risk, regardless of age.

ALT Following publication of our study which explored mental and emotional well-being as well as experiences prejudice and discrimination, we are excited to announce the publication of the next article in our series on minority ethnic communities (MEC) and visual impairment (V.I.). This second piece of research explores awareness and use of various eye health and support services.

ALT While attitudes have improved, our research shows that LGBT people with disabilities in countries, such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, have poorer educational, healthcare outcomes and experiences than those without disabilities. This includes higher unemployment, lower household income and poorer physical and mental health. It further highlights the need for more in-depth research to explore the life experiences of LGBT people with disabilities, such as sight loss.

ALT Glaucoma is a leading cause of visual impairment in the UK, requiring ongoing monitoring by eye care professionals, typically within the hospital eye services. Risk stratification can help to ease the burden on clinical services by identifying patients at different levels of risk of experiencing vision loss.

ALT BRAVO VICTOR is part of the US-UK Joint Ocular Trauma Task Group (JOTTG) which is Governmentally endorsed. The purpose of JOTTG is to advance interoperability between the allied military medical services to provide the best possible care for service members, veterans and their caregivers affected by eye trauma and/or loss of vision. This is achieved by identifying current care and future joint best practices in diagnosis, battlefield/emergency care, research, mitigation, and rehabilitation services with application in both military as well as civilian settings.

ALT For those celebrating #Thanksgiving today in the United States and around the world, we send you our heartfelt best wishes. Happy Thanksgiving!

ALT This weekend we join the nation in marking Armistice Day #ArmisticeDay and remembering the bravery and selflessness of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice – We Will Remember Them

ALT In our latest research we closely examine the evidence behind sleep and eye health, revealing just how important a good night of sleep is for our eyes. The eye is not simply for seeing, but also, because of a special population of cells within the retina, helps calibrate our sense of time.

ALT In this series of articles, we provide a snapshot of status and functioning across a range of life domains using data from the V I Lives survey, a UK telephone survey commissioned by the RNIB, TPT and Guide Dogs. In addition to comparing the experiences of 77 adults from minority ethnic and 77 from white communities who have been matched based on their age, gender and location, we also compare the experiences of 46 adults from Asian and 22 from black communities.

ALT This week, BRAVO VICTOR sees another intern graduate through the Thomas Pocklington Trust’s Get Set Progress Scheme. In her own words, Yanan Yu outlines her time at BRAVO VICTOR. My internship under TPT Get Set Progress Scheme with BRAVO VICTOR has been an incredibly valuable and transformative journey. Over the past nine months, I have had the opportunity to work in an inclusive and innovative environment that has not only expanded my skillset but also deepened my understanding of disability studies. First and foremost, BRAVO VICTOR has provided me with hands-on experience that has been instrumental in honing my research and writing skills. I have had the chance to work on two projects, from preparing research proposals to writing reports, which has allowed me to apply the theoretical knowledge I gained in university. This practical experience has significantly improved my technical abilities and has also boosted my confidence in tackling complex tasks.

ALT Judith needs little introduction to most people in our sector. We are excited to have her as Trustee. Find out why! https://www.bravovictor.org/judithpotts

ALT Our very own Nikki Heinze was interviewed by RNIB Radio - if you missed it, you can listen again using this link. https://audioboom.com/posts/8362958-research-charity-bravo-victor