DLA Mobility rules for the blind are changing?

Indie_Kid

From what I've read, the criteria is more than being registered blind. I'm sure it's something like lp, (light perception) nlp (no light perception) or able to read the top letter of the chart (3/60) without a full field.

jetta_wales

ojbodge wrote: »

Hi Jetta,
thanks for this info - more importantly thanks for letting me know about your condition! Our 2.5 year old daughter has also been diagnosed with Achromatopsia (although her consultant called it Rod Monochromatism - it took me ages to work out these were the same thing!). We've yet to meet anyone else with the same condition, so I hope you don't mind me contacting you. We were advised to apply for DLA a while ago but it was declined as apparantly she needs no extra care than any other child her age! We didn't appeal as we were right in the middle of moving house at the time, but reading this makes me think that perhaps we shold take another look. She's not yet registered as partially sighted - I'm trying to get this done, but help from hospitals/ consultants etc as to wether her sight is poor enough is not overly forthcoming right now!
If you don't mind me picking you brains about the whole Achromatopsia thing then send me a message and I'll be in touch - if not I'll leave you in peace!
thanks

hi sorry I didn't spot your post sooner but I will pm you with my e-mail address, you're more than welcome to pick my brains as much as you wish if it might in any way help you to help your daughter then I'd be happy to help in any way I can.

studiorex

Just for information I have something called dominant optic atrophy. It is an extreme case and I have very low vision, inability to focus on moving objects and a heightened photo-sensitivity.

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21492 indicates that the higher mobility rate will be 'accessible' to certain categories of registered blind individuals. That doesn't mean it is automatic, and I am guessing that people will have to reapply under these new rules.

Still - any glimmer of hope is better than none.

jetta_wales

studiorex wrote: »

Just for information I have something called dominant optic atrophy. It is an extreme case and I have very low vision, inability to focus on moving objects and a heightened photo-sensitivity.

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21492 indicates that the higher mobility rate will be 'accessible' to certain categories of registered blind individuals. That doesn't mean it is automatic, and I am guessing that people will have to reapply under these new rules.

Still - any glimmer of hope is better than none.

indeed it is.

The 22,000 figure sounds low compared with the total 152,000 people registered blind but since 64% of them are over 75 (can't get an over 65 figure) then that only leaves 55,000 then if you minus the 65-75's that I haven't been able to acount for and the under 3's too then the figures don't look half as bad after all and certainly look as though it will be well worth us trying for it concidering the huge difference it could make to our independance and enjoyment of life especialy in the comonky treaterous outdoors lol.

Just to clarify I've taken the under 3's and over 65's as being unable to recieve DLA so that's what I'm basing the figures not being so minimal after all on. If I've got this wrong someone feel free to correct me.

Indie_Kid

jetta_wales wrote: »

Just to clarify I've taken the under 3's and over 65's as being unable to recieve DLA so that's what I'm basing the figures not being so minimal after all on. If I've got this wrong someone feel free to correct me.

Over 65s can continue to receive DLA if they were receiving it before they turned 65. Under 3s can't get mobility.

jetta_wales

sh1305 wrote: »

Over 65s can continue to receive DLA if they were receiving it before they turned 65. Under 3s can't get mobility.

Would this mean then they can only get the levels they had before they were over 65 and not be able to re-apply for higher rates after this point?

kyssyn

The criteria for high mobility is supposed to be any of these:

People with no light perception
People with only light perception
People who can only see hand movement in front of their face
People who have 3/60 visual acuity (can see only the top line of an eye test chart from 3 metres away) and who also have a highly restricted field of vision.

http://www.rnib.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/yourmoney/dla/Pages/who_is_eligible.aspx

jetta_wales

kyssyn wrote: »

The criteria for high mobility is supposed to be any of these:

People with no light perception
People with only light perception
People who can only see hand movement in front of their face
People who have 3/60 visual acuity (can see only the top line of an eye test chart from 3 metres away) and who also have a highly restricted field of vision.

http://www.rnib.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/yourmoney/dla/Pages/who_is_eligible.aspx

Thanks for the link, any further information on this is always much apreciated.

kyssyn

jetta_wales wrote: »

Thanks for the link, any further information on this is always much apreciated.

You're welcome, I followed the campaign closely so I'm quite interested to see what the final result will be I have retinitis pigmentosa so I'm thinking I'd only qualify under the 'hand movement' one as I have a restricted field of vision.

jetta_wales

kyssyn wrote: »

You're welcome, I followed the campaign closely so I'm quite interested to see what the final result will be I have retinitis pigmentosa so I'm thinking I'd only qualify under the 'hand movement' one as I have a restricted field of vision.

I certainly can't read the letters on the chart when I'm outdoors, with very dark glasses I can see the top one but that's all. It's complicated when your level of vision can change so much but it's outdoors that mobility is relevant to so if they wanted to assess me again then I'd have to insist it was outside as my Mum had to do with me when I was younger as the doctors didn't didn't think I had a problem. Then she took me and the doctor outside and I turned my face into my pram clenched my eyes shut and cried. Then they believed her.

I'm still going to try for HRM in the mean time too just because I'm struggling so much at the moment and the suns out every day at the moment so every day I sit in doors and keep the curtains shut.

As for a restricted field of vision I only really use one eye as the other is useless so I don't know if that counts as restricting my field since I only see things to my left?

It's still the pain that's the biggest problem though but there's no tick box for that is there? Hardly anybody gets that so there's no catagory assigned to put it in.

I'm going to see a specialist localy (I used to be treated in London) and ask if by trying to struggle in light too much I can worsen my sight as the sensitivity is certainly worse than it was when I was younger and if you could be worsening your condition then that is another factor for eligibility to HRM.

I'm stuborn and struggling and sick of being indoors so I'll keep trying.