Susan has Myopia and has lost sight completely in one of her eyes. She was registered as ‘partially sighted’ by the John Radcliffe Hospital in 2020, who then referred Susan to our charity.

“I lost confidence in doing things on my own,” said Susan. Since her diagnosis she has been on a path of slowly trying to regain her confidence.

Susan’s first interaction with MyVision Oxfordshire was when she came along to our Wantage Information Day last August. She met Devante, our Community Engagement Worker, who talked to her about MyVision’s services, and our social groups in particular.

Susan then joined our new Didcot Green Walks Social Group, a group that we formed after a report by Natural England showed that people with visual impairments and other disabilities did not access or were unable to access green and blue spaces for recreational purposes. The objective of the group was to find out about what obstacles were in the way of people accessing green spaces and how we can overcome them.

“Being part of the Green Walks group has been very beneficial,” said Susan. “I have gained confidence, and I now feel more comfortable leaving the house on my own.”

Susan described that before being involved in our group she did not feel as independent and was very hesitant to leave the house on her own, relying more and more on her husband. The group helped Susan to get more practice navigating outside, and socialising with other visually impaired people helped her feel more confident.

“One of the most beneficial things for me has been talking with other people. Even though we all have sight loss, everyone has had very different experiences, and it has been very beneficial to hear different people’s perspectives.”

“Sighted people try to understand visual impairment, but they don’t know exactly what it’s like. In the MyVision group everyone has sight loss and therefore everyone understands what you are going through.”

Susan explained that she also found the Green Walks very helpful as they have given her a chance to go for walks outside in a quiet area, free of traffic, and the city bustle; she finds the green areas very enjoyable to walk around in and since joining the group she feels that she has got a lot more exercise.

Susan described MyVision as “a really helpful charity that helps people with visual impairment in a variety of ways.”

 She then said, “In addition to joining the Walking Group, I have now also received counselling, and technology support and it amazes me that so many people in the charity also have sight loss, which allows them to understand what I’m going through on a personal level.”

We have Green Walks Social Groups that meet regularly in Didcot and Abingdon, and we are hoping to launch groups in Banbury and Witney in the near future.

If you are interested in joining, or would like to know more, please contact us at info@MyVision.org.uk or 01865 725595.