Tag: impact

Researcher, Matthew sits at a desk looking at his laptop.

Matthew’s research on albinism

Matthew is a second year BA Geography student at Northumbria University, Newcastle. He also happens to have oculocutaneous albinism. He is passionate about increasing academic knowledge on the subject of albinism. His research is for a final year undergraduate dissertation project.

Albinism, like many other disabilities, has the potential to have an impact on everyday life. The purpose of Matthew’s study is to enable those with albinism to tell their individual stories and have their voices heard in academic literature.

Matthew aims to show the extent to which albinism impacts people’s everyday lives, including in comparison with other social factors, and explore the measures people take to minimise that impact.

The study takes the form of an online or telephone interview with Matthew. There will be questions about everyday life including work, leisure and socially experienced attitudes. The interview will be 100% anonymous and follows university ethical guidelines.

Participants must be 18+ and have albinism.

To find out more and express an interest in taking part, please contact Matthew by email at [email protected]

Fight for Sight logo.

Fight for Sight launches survey on impact of Covid-19 on people with eye conditions

Eye research charity Fight for Sight has launched a survey to gather broader insights into the personal impact that Covid-19 is having on people with sight loss and eye conditions.

The charity is inviting those affected by sight loss or an eye condition to participate in the survey, to help its campaign on behalf of people with sight loss and strengthen the case for urgently needed eye research funding. The survey will examine the impact that Covid-19 is having on people’s access to treatment, personal wellbeing and concerns for the future.

At the beginning of 2020 Fight for Sight carried out one of the largest surveys of people with sight loss and blindness to understand the personal impact of sight loss. With the advent of Covid-19, the charity is following up with further research to gain insight on how the pandemic has had an impact. All results will be published later in 2020. 

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, eye research was already woefully underfunded, with only one percent of national research funding invested in eye research, even though twenty percent of people in the UK will experience serious sight loss or blindness in their lifetime. The problem is also on the increase – figures show that the number of people in Europe with the leading cause of blindness, age-related macular degeneration, is projected to hit 10 million by 2050.

Chief Executive at Fight for Sight, Sherine Krause, said: “This is a challenging time for everyone, but we know from anecdotal evidence that the current pandemic and lockdown is having a particularly harsh effect on those living with eye conditions and sight loss. We know that science ultimately has the answer to so many challenges – the power of science will help us stop the pandemic in the coming months, and we are working to ensure it will also help us stop sight loss and blindness in the future. We urgently need the input of those affected so that we can understand how they have been impacted by Covid-19 and campaign on their behalf. The findings will also help us to make the case for the importance of eye research now and in the future.”

Participation in the survey involves an online questionnaire in which respondents answer questions on how Covid-19 has impacted their lives. The survey will take no more than ten minutes to complete. Participants will help Fight for Sight in its mission to transform the eye research landscape and secure vital funding for pioneering research.

To participate in the survey, you must be aged 18 or over, living in the UK, and personally have an eye condition(s).

You can take part in the survey at this link.