Survey of the Needs and Lifestyles of Visually Impaired Adults

Key facts

Survey coverage: Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Total number of interviews: 1,260??
Response Rate: 70%

Why was the survey carried out?

This survey has been commissioned by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) to provide a picture of the needs and lifestyles of the visually impaired in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland data collection is sub-contracted to the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. This survey updates the information collected in a similar survey in 1986.

The full and detailed interview covered a wide variety of topics including:

• causes of visual impairment;
• daily living skills;
• communication (use of Braille, tapes, computers);
• mobility;
• shopping;
• use and awareness of Social Services; and
• Interviewers also administered a sight test (using a light box with standard charts) and a practical reading / contrast test.

How was the survey done?

The GB sample of visually impaired adults was drawn from a number of sources:

• three surveys which included questions to identify respondents with sight problems: the Disability follow-up survey to the 1996 Family Resources Survey (FRS), the 1997-98 Labour Force Survey (LFS), the ONS Omnibus surveys for April, June and July 1998
• Local Authority registers of blind or partially sighted and
• a 'boost' of ethnic minority respondents from a focused enumeration within 50 quotas found at the 1991 Census to contain an ethnic minority population density of 40 % or higher.

The Northern Ireland sample was drawn from the Central Survey Unit's Omnibus surveys for February, September, October and November 1998. Questions were added to the Omnibus to identify respondents with sight problems.

The fieldwork for the FRS and LFS follow-up samples took place in February and March 1998 and for the Omnibus follow-up sample in November 1998. The fieldwork for the Local Authority sample took place during summer 1999. The Ethnic Minority focused enumeration boost took place over two fieldwork periods, in March and April 1998 and July 1998. The Northern Ireland fieldwork took place between October 1998 and January 1999.

Where can the results be found?

Tables and an edited datafile have been delivered to RNIB. RNIB will subsequently produce a report.

For more information about SSD or the surveys we carry out contact:
SSD Project Support Branch Tel: +44 (0)20 7533 5500 or e-mail: ssdpsb@ons.gov.uk

This page last revised: Monday, 29 October 2001