A Single Strategy for Sensory Needs - The Highland Council

Table 5: Prevalence of Need in General/Local Population (under 16)
Type Under 5 5-15 Total
Registered Blind 28 20 48
Registered Partially Sighted 17 56 73
In Highland the
number of
children
recognised
with visual
impairment
has risen over
the last 2 years
from 40 to 120.
Deafblindness
Persons are regarded as deafblind if they have a severe degree of combined visual and
auditory impairment resulting in problems of communication, information and mobility. The
group includes people with visual and hearing needs from birth or early childhood and those
who develop dual sensory needs in adult life.
Deafblind people are a minority group with high needs. Older people form the majority of this
group. Precise figures for the incidence of deafblindess in Highland are not easy to obtain but
a total of 200 has been indicated – this is probably an underestimate. The provision of services
is challenged by small numbers scattered over a wide geographical area.
20
Around 75% of
blind and
partially sighted
people of
working age are
unemployed.
RNIB