Creating change, with blind and partially sighted people

Two people, one of whom has a cane, walking past Belfast City Hall.

Two people walking down street outside Belfast City Hall. One person holds a long cane and is being guided by another person holding shopping bags.

Our campaigning work focuses on the key issues and barriers identified by blind and partially sighted people across Northern Ireland.

We work alongside blind and partially sighted people, engaging with key partners and stakeholders in raising awareness of sight loss, and placing related issues at the centre of public policy planning - believing that together we can bring about unprecedented societal change.

Find out what we've been working on and how you can support our work to help make a real difference.

Our current key areas of focus:

Accessible health information
Adequate accessible transport
Safe and accessible public spaces
Accessible voting
Inclusive education
Ending preventable sight loss - #EyeCareWeCare
Inclusive employment

Get involved – regional campaigning groups

There are a number of local campaigning groups, comprised of blind and partially sighted people living local to each group. The groups are wholly independent, but their work is supported by RNIB NI. Groups have campaigned over the years on a number of issues such as pavement parking, street furniture, local transport, accessible menus in restaurants, and more. One example being helping to develop appropriate access for blind and partially sighted people – and disabled people more generally – at Groomsport Beach, in County Down.

The influence of these campaigns groups can be seen in RNIB NI’s policies, including in the development of RNIB NI manifestos in advance of local and general elections.

The latest such group, called “Belfast See Change”, was formed in December 2023. After electing its chair and vice-chair and developing its working arrangements and campaigns priorities, it was formally launched by Belfast’s Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray on World Sight Day,10 October 2024.

We hope to see the development of more of these groups, with options to influence change online, and encourage more young people to join and lend their valuable voices. A campaigns victory was scored by a group of young campaigners, who came together through Angel Eyes NI, supported by RNIB NI, in influencing Derry City & Strabane District Council. We hope that this campaigns victory success inspires young people to join us and seek to change things for the better, for generations to come.

Get in touch if you would like to get involved, or simply find out more, by emailing [email protected].

We’re doing what matters most

RNIB NI has responded to the Executive Office’s Draft Programme for Government 2024-27, ‘Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most’: RNIB NI Response to Draft Programme for Government.

Our response, which has been endorsed by other vision impairment sector organisations, highlights RNIB’s two key asks from the Executive over the next three years: to address waiting lists, and to guarantee that those living with or without sight loss in Northern Ireland are entitled to the same benefits and support as anyone else living in the UK.

If you are interested in campaigning on any issue related to sight loss, please contact [email protected].

Latest news

Find out about our latest awareness raising work on our NI News page.

If you’re interested in supporting any of our campaigning work, contact us on [email protected] or get in touch with the NI Policy and Campaigns team via our Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

You can learn more about RNIB’s UK wide campaigns and access our campaigning toolkits on our Campaigns pages: Support RNIB campaigns - help people with sight loss | RNIB | RNIB.