Access & Advocacy
NCBI’s advocacy work aims to give voice to and on behalf of people with sight loss. Through our focus on direct engagement with people with a lived experience of sight loss, we aim to achieve positive changes in relation to public policy, attitudes and opinion and resource allocation to improve the rights, choices and participation of people who are blind and vision impaired.
For more information on NCBI’s Advocacy Service or how you can be involved, please contact NCBI on (01) 830 7033.
Access & Advocacy
Through education and advocacy, Fighting Blindness works to empower everyone in Ireland living with vision impairment.
We work in partnership with all stakeholder groups in the areas of health, science, industry and government to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against blindness.
Join our VIP Network
The VIP (Visually Impaired Person’s) Network is a group made up of both people living with vision loss and family members of people living with vision loss. The goal of the VIP Network is to promote and facilitate meaningful engagement and involvement in research and advocacy.
People who join the Network will be contacted about different opportunities such as becoming an ambassador for Fighting Blindness, helping to raise awareness, getting involved in specific projects or campaigns, sharing experience of living with vision loss and getting involved in focus groups and advice meetings.
Members of the VIP Network will receive regular invitations to participate in various opportunities. Some of the activities to date include:
- Retina International survey
- Patient Narratives Project Focus Group
- Patient Narratives Survey
- Invitation to apply for EUPATI Patient Expert Training Course
- Fighting Blindness representative on LUAS User Accessibility Group
- Invitation to apply for IPPOSI-led Patient Education Programme
Become a member
Fighting Blindness is a member-led organisation. Membership is open to anyone interested in our work; this includes people who are affected by vision impairment or blindness and their families, supporters and fundraisers, scientists, medical professionals, and the general public. By becoming a member you strengthen our voice and our work.
An active membership helps influence change and enables us to advocate for and support people in Ireland living with sight loss.
You can sign up as a member online here or you can contact 01 6789 004 or membership@fightingblindness.ie .