The best demographic data in Australia on vision impairment comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey (ABS, 1993). This used a sample of 17,800 private households, 1,600 special dwelling units and 700 establishments and resulted in 47,000 persons being surveyed. Establishments are defined by ABS as hospitals, nursing homes, hostels and retirement villages. One person in each household was asked to state if any household member had a vision impairment which was not corrected by glasses. If so, they were asked a number of questions relating to that impairment such as education, lifestyle and community activities, print disability and help needed. Because of the small sample size in some areas, the ABS states that the data should be treated with caution.
Extrapolating from the survey data, the ABS estimated that there were 278,700 persons with vision impairment and of these, 17,000 persons had a total loss of sight. It is estimated by the ABS that 18% of the Australian population have a disability and of these, 8.8% have a vision impairment. From this, it is estimated that 1.58% of the total Australian population had a vision impairment in 1993.
This figure is supported by the Melbourne Visual Impairment Study which reported that 1.5% of its sample had a vision loss. The Study was conducted in 1994 on 3,266 people over the age of 40 years in nine randomly selected areas of Melbourne. This study was organised by the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne and aimed to "determine the distribution and determinants of eye disease in an urban population; the impact of eye disease on visual function and the activities of daily living; and the accessibility of eye health care services in the community." (Livingston, 1994, p. 139) A free sight test was given.
However, the survey conducted by the Royal Guide Dogs Associations of Australia in 1987 estimated that there were between 2.8% and 3.4% of people over the age of 15 years who could not see normally even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. This was a survey done of 4,500 households. Due to the methods used in this survey, it is considered that the resultant estimate of incidence of vision impairment may be less accurate than the ABS survey.
ABS data show that vision impairment is strongly age-related and this is supported by other population-based studies conducted in USA. (Livingston, 1994). The ABS estimated that 13.6% of the population aged 75 years and over had a vision impairment. This figure may actually be higher as the ABS used a self-reporting technique and many aged people consider that some vision loss is a natural part of the ageing process and may not have reported this loss in the survey.
Studies show that, in Australia, the population of people over 65 years of
age is expected to double by the year 2020 (Livingston, p.139) and thus the
number of people with a vision impairment can also be expected to increase
markedly. This will have important implications for the services which are
offered to this age group as accessible information provision for people
with vision impairment is also advantageous for aged people who are experiencing
gradual vision loss. In fact, the issue of access to consumer information
becomes even more complex when one considers that it is not only people who
are blind or vision impaired who may have difficulty in reading print. The
Department of Community Services and Health in its Print Disability Review
(1989) defined people with a print disability as:
While the concept of print disability is important and the statistics indicate the number of people with a print disability to be twice as high as the ABS figures for people with a vision impairment, it is not appropriate in the Project to expand the scope into print disability but rather to be aware of some of the complexities in this area.
However, it is important to note that people with a vision impairment may also have another impairment. The survey conducted in the U.K. by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) found that 35% of people with a vision impairment also had a hearing impairment. Excluding hearing impairments, 67% of people with a vision impairment also had another disability such as arthritis (25%). This was comparable to the ABS figure of 19.1% of people with a vision impairment also having arthritis or other musculoskeletal disorders.
The RNIB survey is considered the most comprehensive of its kind in recent years. The survey was conducted to coincide with a survey of disability undertaken by the U.K. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) in the late 1980's. The OPCS sent a short questionnaire to 100,000 randomly selected households. All those who responded that they had difficulty in recognising a friend across the road or reading ordinary newsprint, were visited by OPCS interviewers who administered acuity tests for near and distant vision. These tests were given in conjunction with an interview relating to health, social services and income. RNIB were then given permission to follow-up with a more detailed interview with those who met a residual vision criterion. As well, RNIB contacted a number of local authorities which were asked to identify blind or vision impaired people in their municipalities. Local government in the U.K. have registers of blind or vision impaired people and this is regarded as an avenue of ensuring access to services and entitlements. However, it seems that most entitlements (except for the blind person's tax allowance) are obtainable anyway.
The RNIB survey covered demographics, reading habits using different media such as large print, Braille and tapes, any other disabilities incurred as well as extensive questions on mobility and daily living. People with a vision impairment identified printed materials as one of the biggest challenges to daily life. 59% of people with a vision impairment needed assistance in dealing with mail, leaflets and paying bills. It is interesting to note that, in the U.K., telephoning people was considered an important way (54%) of "finding things out". This is a significant figure bearing in mind that phone ownership in the U.K. is quite low especially among people with an unregistered vision impairment who had a phone ownership rate of only 67%. This is in contrast to Australia where the estimated number of households with a phone connection is over 95%.
There is some variance between the surveys undertaken in Australia and the U.K. due to different methodology used. Although the ABS data is less detailed, the figures are reasonably consistent with the survey done by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). Only the surveys done by RNIB and the Melbourne Visual Impairment Study included sight tests. The question asked by the ABS relating to seeing normally is subjective and can be interpreted quite differently by many people.
The RNIB survey provides useful data on peoples' methods of obtaining information about services and their telephone usage. However, these figures can not be transferred easily to the Australian context. It would be very valuable to have statistical data on the needs of people who are blind or vision impaired with regards to assistance required in dealing with mail, leaflets and paying bills. Also, it would be useful to have Australian statistical data on the usage of the telephone by blind or vision impaired people.
RECOMMENDATION
That NFBCA initiate discussions by March, 1997 with the Australian Bureau
of Statistics (ABS) and other appropriate organisations towards a more detailed
demographic analysis of people who are blind or vision impaired. This should
be part of the next proposed Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers to be
conducted by the ABS.
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Chapter 4 - Consumer Information
Needs