Bath MP Don Foster, along with Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bath, Steve Bradley, have taken part in a blindfolded walk for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
Both Don and Steve were accompanied by one of the volunteers at the RNIB, in a short walk around Bath city centre while wearing spectacles that simulate two different types of blindness.
Commenting on the walk, Don said: “Today has proved a thoroughly rewarding experience. I was previously unaware of the everyday difficulties partially sighted people have to face in just getting around the city.
“This is an incredibly important issue and I would encourage people to participate in a similar event with the RNIB to gain a fuller understanding of the issue and how we can act accordingly as a society to help those in need.”
With an estimated 14,000 people living with sight loss in Bath and North East Somerset, 10% of whom are likely to have no sight at all, this event highlighted the extremity of the issues affecting individuals suffering from blindness and partial sight.
Steve added: “I never knew that walking through Bath could be so difficult! Simply knowing the difference between the pavement and the road in shared spaces becomes a very difficult challenge when your vision is even slightly impaired.”
