Registered Blind and Partially Sighted Persons, Scotland 2001
(Registered Blind 2001.pdf [317kb])
Introduction
The purpose of this Statistics Release is to present national figures on visually impaired persons registered with Local Authorities in Scotland. All figures relate to the 31st March 2001 and are provisional and, as such, may be subject to change. The final figures will be published in 'Scottish Community Care Statistics 2001'. Registration with Local Authorities for blind and partially sighted persons is not compulsory. Research studies suggest that between a quarter and a third of visually impaired people are in fact registered with Local Authorities (see background note for more details).
Main points
Information collected on visually impaired persons show that: -
- In 2001, the number of people registered as blind or partially sighted was estimated to be 38,447. This remains around the same level as 2000, with no significant change in registered blind numbers and registered partially sighted slightly increasing.
- There were 3,622 new cases registered during the period 1st April 2000 to 31st March 2001. This is down by 1.5 per cent on 2000.
- The majority, 64 per cent, of those on the register were blind, 36 per cent were partially sighted.
- 36 per cent of those on the register were male and 64 per cent were female.
- 80 per cent of those registered were over the age of 65.
- 7,731 persons (20 per cent) of those registered as visually impaired had additional disabilities. Of these, 36 per cent were deaf.
Chart 1: Registered Visually Impaired Persons by Age Group
Section 1: Blind Persons
There were 24,771 registered blind persons in 2001. The number of registered blind has levelled off after a period of gradual growth. However care should be taken in interpreting this change as improvements by Local Authorities in reporting procedures may in part explain the small drop in numbers in 2001 (see background note for more details).
The number of new cases registered during the year was 1,766. This is down 8 per cent on the previous year.
The ratio of registered blind per 1,000 population is 4.8 for 2001. It increased slightly from 4.7 in 1998 to 4.9 in 2000 (see table 1a).
Table 1a: Number of Registered Blind Persons and New Registrations during the Year 1998-2001
| Year | New Cases | Total | Registered per 1,000 Pop'n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20011 | 1,766 | 24,771 | 4.8 |
| 2000 | 1,903 | 24,839 | 4.9 |
| 1999 | 1,714 | 24,514 | 4.8 |
| 1998 | 1,796 | 24,096 | 4.7 |
Source: Registration of Blind and Partially Sighted Persons Return Form SWB
Over 80 per cent of registered blind persons are over the age of 65, with approximately 71 per cent being over 75. There are significantly more women registered blind (63 per cent) than men (37 per cent). As you can see from Table 2a, 48 per cent of all registered blind people are women aged 75 and over. This is mainly due to the greater number of women in this age group.
This is also reflected in the new registrations where just under half of the new registered cases are women aged 75 and over. Excluding the '75 and over' age group there is a much more even split between the sexes. In fact, 52 per cent are male and 48 per cent female (See Table 1b & Chart 1b).
Table 1b: Number of Registered Blind Persons and New Registrations by Age and Sex
| AGE | New Cases | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Sex | ||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | ||
| Under 5 years | 8 | 20 | 43 | 60 | 103 |
| 5-15 | 12 | 6 | 182 | 172 | 354 |
| 16-29 | 13 | 13 | 289 | 228 | 517 |
| 30-49 | 34 | 45 | 1,074 | 792 | 1,866 |
| 50-64 | 63 | 64 | 1,086 | 928 | 2,014 |
| 65-74 | 103 | 149 | 1,107 | 1,344 | 2,451 |
| 75 and over | 371 | 865 | 5,474 | 11,992 | 17,466 |
| All ages-Total | 604 | 1,162 | 9,255 | 15,516 | 24,771 |
Chart 1b: Number of Registered Blind Persons and New Registrations by Age and Sex
An estimated 5,198 (21 per cent) of all registered blind persons have additional disabilities, 38 per cent of which are deaf. Over three-quarters of those with additional disabilities were over the age of 65 (see Table 1c).
Table 1c: Number of Registered Blind Persons with Additional Handicap by Age
| Additional Handicap | AGE | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5-15 | 16-64 | 65 and over | ||
| Deaf | 3 | 6 | 295 | 1,679 | 2,765 |
| Physically Disabled | 7 | 27 | 307 | 1,163 | 1,504 |
| Learning Disabilities | 13 | 15 | 195 | 143 | 366 |
| Mental Health Problems | 0 | 6 | 184 | 501 | 691 |
| Multiple Disabilities | 15 | 42 | 147 | 450 | 654 |
| Total | 38 | 96 | 1,128 | 3,936 | 5,198 |
The ratio of registered blind per 1,000 population is 4.8 for the whole of Scotland. This varies from 1.7 in the Shetland Islands to 9.8 in the City of Glasgow. The breakdown of this ratio and over 65/under 65 by sex is shown at a local authority level in Annex A.
Section 2: Partially Sighted Persons
There were an estimated 13,676 registered partially sighted persons in 2001. This is up 3 per cent on last year. The number of registered partially sighted has steadily risen over the last 4 years.
The number of new cases registered during the year was 1,856. This is up 4 per cent on the previous year and has been increasing over the same 4-year period.
The ratio of registered partially sighted per 1,000 population is 2.7 for this year. This has been increasing slightly every year from 1998 (see Table 2a).
Table 2a: Number of Registered Blind Persons and New Registrations during the Year 1998-2001
| Year | New Cases | Total | Registered per 1,000 Pop'n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20011 | 1,856 | 13,676 | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 1,776 | 13,287 | 2.6 |
| 1999 | 1,672 | 12,536 | 2.4 |
| 1998 | 1,658 | 11,870 | 2.3 |
Source: Registration of Blind and Partially Sighted Persons Return Form SWB
Data on registered partially sighted individuals shows a similar picture to that of registered blind individuals. Approximately 78 per cent of registered partially sighted persons are over the age of 65, with approximately 66 per cent being aged 75 or over. There are significantly more women registered as partially sighted (65 per cent) than men (35 per cent). As you can see from Table 2b, 48 per cent of all registered partially sighted people are women aged 75 and over. As with the registered blind trend, this is mainly due to the greater number of women in this age group.
This is also reflected in the new registrations where 45 per cent of the new registered cases are women aged 75 and over. Excluding the '75 and over' age group there is a much more even split between the sexes, 49 per cent male and 51 per cent female (see Table 2b & Chart 2b).
Table 2b: Number of Registered Partially Sighted Persons and New Registrations by Age and Sex
| AGE | New Cases | Total | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Sex | ||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | ||
| Under 5 years | 12 | 5 | 27 | 19 | 46 |
| 5-15 | 27 | 29 | 184 | 141 | 325 |
| 16-29 | 22 | 30 | 255 | 189 | 444 |
| 30-49 | 54 | 47 | 534 | 468 | 1,002 |
| 50-64 | 72 | 73 | 587 | 577 | 1,164 |
| 65-74 | 104 | 195 | 722 | 999 | 1,721 |
| 75 and over | 354 | 832 | 2,450 | 6,524 | 8,974 |
| All ages-Total | 645 | 1,211 | 4,759 | 8,917 | 13,676 |
Chart 2b: Number of Registered Partially Sighted Persons and New Registrations by Age and Sex
An estimated 2,533 (19 per cent) of all registered partially sighted persons have additional disabilities, the majority of which are aged 65 and over (74 per cent). 41 per cent are physically disabled, 31 per cent deaf and 11 per cent have multiple disabilities (see Table 2c).
Table 2c: Number of Registered Partially Sighted Persons with Additional Handicap by Age
| Additional Handicap | AGE | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5-15 | 16-64 | 65 and over | ||
| Deaf | 1 | 10 | 132 | 653 | 796 |
| Physically Disabled | 4 | 20 | 233 | 784 | 1,041 |
| Learning Disabilities | 2 | 12 | 96 | 38 | 148 |
| Mental Health Problems | 0 | 6 | 73 | 179 | 258 |
| Multiple Disabilities | 6 | 31 | 45 | 208 | 290 |
| Total | 13 | 79 | 579 | 1,862 | 2,533 |
The ratio of registered partially sighted per 1,000 population is 2.7 for the whole of Scotland. This varies from 1.0 in Moray to 4.9 in Inverclyde. The breakdown of this ratio and over 65/under 65 by sex, is shown at a local authority level in Annex A.
Section 3: Visually Impaired Under 65-year-olds
Time series data showing the number of visually impaired people under the age of 65 over the last 4 years is shown below.
It shows an increase in both registered blind and registered partially sighted persons in this age group over the 4-year period.
Chart 3: Time Series of Registered Blind and Registered Partially Sighted Persons Under the Age of 65 1998-2001
Overall the number of registered visually impaired under 65-year-olds has increased by approximately 5 per cent on last year. The ratio per 1,000 population continues to rise gradually as it has done for the past few years (see Table 3a). Data on under 65's by local authority and sex is shown in Annex A.
Table 3a: Number of Registered Visually Impaired Under 65-year-olds
| Year | No. of Registered under 65 year olds 1 | Registered under 65's per 1,000 Pop'n of under 65's |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7,835 | 1.8 |
| 2000 | 7,496 | 1.7 |
| 1999 | 7,250 | 1.7 |
| 1998 | 7,054 | 1.6 |
Source: Registration of Blind and Partially Sighted Persons Return Form SWB
Background Information:
Data was collected on persons registered with Local Authorities as at 31 March 2001.
The information is derived from returns made to the Scottish Executive by Scottish Local Authorities. The return asks for the number of blind and partially sighted persons by age, sex and additional disabilities. It does not include persons whom may meet the criteria for being blind or partially sighted but have not registered with their Local Authority.
The Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 gives Local Authorities the power to maintain a register of people who are blind or partially sighted. However registration is voluntary and while registration provides access to a number of benefits and concessions there remain a large number of people who meet the criteria but are not registered. Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) research in 19911, undertaken at a UK level, indicated that the number of people on registers is some 23 per cent of those eligible. In 2001 they have estimated it to be under a third.
'Think dual sensory' published in 1997 by the Department of Health suggested that some 2,000 people in Scotland could have some degree of deafblindness. Our latest figures show that there are 1,983 people registered as deafblind in Scotland. This would suggest that people are more likely to register if they have multiple disabilities.
Additionally, there are known problems with previous year's data where people have not been removed from the register of blind and partially sighted persons. Local Authorities have recently improved their registers by comparing with the register of deaths and this may in part explain the decrease in the number of registered blind persons in 2001.
The Scottish Executive is carrying out a review of the registration and certification process. This may in time lead to more accurate statistics, therefore enabling providers to plan the provision of services.
Returns were received from all Local Authorities, with West Lothian and West Dunbartonshire only able to return a partially completed form. Care should therefore be taken when interpreting figures as a small amount of data has been estimated for these two Local Authorities.
1Blind and Partially Sighted Adults in Britain: The RNIB Survey, Volume 1, HMSO, 1991
Further Information
Further details and analysis of the data presented in this Statistics Release are available on request from the address given below. The Statistics Release is available in large print.
Social Work Statistics
Room 52
James Craig Walk
Edinburgh
EH1 3BA
Contact: Steven Gillespie
Tel: 0131 244 3777
e-mail: steven.gillespie@scotland.gov.uk
This statistics release was published on the 28th November 2001.
Annex A: Registered Visually Impaired by Local Authority
| Local Authority | Blind Persons | Partially Sighted Persons | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 65 Years | Over 65 Years | Total | Registered per 1,000 Pop'n | Under 65 Years | Over 65 Years | Total | Registered per 1,000 Pop'n | |||||
| Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |||||
| Aberdeen City | 81 | 61 | 140 | 322 | 604 | 2.9 | 54 | 40 | 75 | 271 | 440 | 2.1 |
| Aberdeenshire | 49 | 41 | 99 | 234 | 423 | 1.9 | 45 | 38 | 68 | 187 | 338 | 1.5 |
| Angus | 37 | 41 | 79 | 179 | 336 | 3.1 | 32 | 24 | 50 | 115 | 221 | 2.0 |
| Argyll & Bute | 43 | 56 | 124 | 252 | 475 | 5.3 | 28 | 32 | 70 | 215 | 345 | 3.9 |
| Clackmannanshire | 16 | 13 | 45 | 62 | 136 | 2.8 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 46 | 75 | 1.5 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 51 | 45 | 112 | 266 | 474 | 3.2 | 63 | 54 | 134 | 226 | 477 | 3.2 |
| Dundee City | 97 | 66 | 140 | 274 | 577 | 4.0 | 48 | 39 | 94 | 208 | 389 | 2.7 |
| East Ayrshire | 67 | 39 | 220 | 314 | 640 | 5.4 | 22 | 19 | 88 | 152 | 281 | 2.4 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 58 | 63 | 219 | 413 | 753 | 6.9 | 30 | 16 | 59 | 136 | 241 | 2.2 |
| East Lothian | 44 | 33 | 70 | 129 | 276 | 3.0 | 31 | 33 | 72 | 158 | 294 | 3.2 |
| East Renfrewshire | 34 | 37 | 148 | 289 | 508 | 5.7 | 19 | 21 | 52 | 154 | 246 | 2.8 |
| Edinburgh, City of | 219 | 176 | 392 | 893 | 1,680 | 3.7 | 173 | 149 | 323 | 782 | 1,427 | 3.2 |
| Eilean Siar | 9 | 14 | 34 | 63 | 120 | 4.4 | 2. | 5 | 14 | 36 | 57 | 2.1 |
| Falkirk | 52 | 37 | 93 | 228 | 410 | 2.8 | 28 | 26 | 54 | 114 | 222 | 1.5 |
| Fife | 137 | 114 | 217 | 529 | 997 | 2.9 | 93 | 82 | 162 | 447 | 784 | 2.2 |
| Glasgow City | 459 | 372 | 1,648 | 3,528 | 6,007 | 9.8 | 234 | 197 | 560 | 1,311 | 2,302 | 3.8 |
| Highland | 120 | 79 | 200 | 450 | 849 | 4.1 | 69 | 72 | 121 | 276 | 538 | 2.6 |
| Inverclyde | 51 | 49 | 150 | 305 | 555 | 6.7 | 37 | 28 | 111 | 230 | 406 | 4.9 |
| Midlothian | 52 | 19 | 56 | 104 | 231 | 2.8 | 26 | 22 | 63 | 100 | 211 | 2.6 |
| Moray | 43 | 27 | 78 | 215 | 363 | 4.2 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 40 | 90 | 1.0 |
| North Ayrshire | 91 | 70 | 197 | 416 | 774 | 5.5 | 40 | 46 | 84 | 154 | 324 | 2.3 |
| North Lanarkshire | 251 | 228 | 834 | 1,376 | 2,689 | 8.2 | 86 | 88 | 196 | 426 | 796 | 2.4 |
| Orkney Islands | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | 44 | 2.3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 36 | 1.8 |
| Perth & Kinross | 35 | 30 | 72 | 186 | 323 | 2.4 | 46 | 44 | 80 | 188 | 358 | 2.7 |
| Renfrewshire | 98 | 79 | 166 | 316 | 659 | 3.7 | 62 | 54 | 125 | 271 | 512 | 2.9 |
| Scottish Borders | 37 | 23 | 83 | 184 | 327 | 3.1 | 32 | 22 | 67 | 166 | 287 | 2.7 |
| Shetland Islands | 7 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 39 | 1.7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 18 | 34 | 1.5 |
| South Ayrshire | 55 | 43 | 181 | 359 | 638 | 5.6 | 27 | 14 | 66 | 200 | 3.7 | 2.7 |
| South Lanarkshire | 200 | 186 | 484 | 870 | 1,740 | 5.7 | 82 | 89 | 185 | 446 | 802 | 2.6 |
| Stirling | 40 | 31 | 77 | 132 | 280 | 3.3 | 19 | 15 | 37 | 76 | 147 | 1.8 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 65 | 41 | 92 | 188 | 386 | 4.1 | 42 | 25 | 37 | 127 | 231 | 2.5 |
| West Lothian1 | 69 | 57 | 113 | 219 | 458 | 2.9 | 76 | 66 | 94 | 222 | 458 | 2.9 |
| SCOTLAND | 2,674 | 2,180 | 6,581 | 13,336 | 24,771 | 4.8 | 1,587 | 1,394 | 3,172 | 7,523 | 13,676 | 2.7 |
Source: Registration of Blind and Partially Sighted Persons Return Form SWB
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A Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication