Siobhain McDonagh MP is committed to improving eye care for children with special educational needs.

Every children deserves access to good eye care. But for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), getting a sight test isn’t always straightforward.

For more than a decade, Siobhain has campaigned to improve access to eye care for children attending special schools.

In 2015, Siobhain held a debate in Parliament highlighting the barriers faced by children with learning disabilities when accessing eye care and calling for better provision in special schools.

For many children with SEND, traditional high street optician appointments can be challenging. Some children may struggle to communicate problems with their vision, meaning sight problems can go undiagnosed and affect their education, development and quality of life.

A major step forward

Following years of campaigning alongside the charity SeeAbility, Siobhain has welcomed the introduction of a national special schools eye care service.

SeeAbility has been awarded the contract to deliver the service across London, enabling more children with special educational needs and disabilities to access specialist eye care in the familiar surroundings of their schools.

In Mitcham and Morden, SeeAbility already provides sight tests, glasses and reports on children's vision at Perseid School. The new contract means the service can now be extended to more local special schools.

Schools must opt into the scheme, with parents then able to consent to their children receiving eye care.

Continuing the campaign

While the expansion represents significant progress, there is still more to do.

SeeAbility continues to campaign for better access to NHS sight tests for people with learning disabilities, including those who have left special school.

Siobhain remains committed to supporting this work and ensuring that children and adults with learning disabilities can access the eye care they need.

The expansion of the service is a welcome achievement following more than a decade of campaigning to make eye care accessible to all.