ECL helps father regain independence after sight loss
A Basildon father living with sight loss as a result of Glaucoma has regained his independence thanks to ECL’s Sensory support service. Now he is sharing his story in support of National Eye Health Week 2026.
National Eye Health Week takes place from 21 September to 27 September. The UK-wide campaign is organised by Vision Matters annually to raise awareness of the importance of having regular eye tests to prevent avoidable sight loss and detecting health conditions that can cause sight loss.
While Glaucoma is not preventable, you can prevent the vision loss and blindness it causes through early detection and treatment. Regular eye tests are vital in its detection because it rarely shows early symptoms.
Prior to his sight loss, Femi Hassan, aged 56, had always lived an active and independent life. When his sight deteriorated due to glaucoma, everyday tasks became increasingly difficult. After speaking to his GP, he was referred to ECL’s Sensory Service in summer 2025 - a decision he describes as life changing.
ECL Sensory Rehabilitation Worker, Lorraine Bavister, visited Femi at home to complete a full assessment. Her goal was to understand the challenges he faced and to identify the support that would help him live safely and independently.
Femi shared with Lorraine that his sight loss was making him feel isolated and frustrated and that it was getting him down. While he previously had long cane training in Dagenham, after moving to Basildon his vision had declined further and he felt that he couldn’t go out independently anymore, relying on his wife and children for support.
Lorraine recommended a range of practical adjustments that would make life easier both inside the home and in the garden, including:
- Guide rails inside the home and garden
- Task lighting to improve visibility
- Bump on tactile markers
- Home alert technology for added safety
Lorraine also provided guidance on the wider support available to Femi and his family. She arranged a social care assessment so that he could receive assistance with transport and organised access to a sighted guide. This meant he was able to return to activities that were important to him and reconnect with the community, such as shopping trips to ASDA, going to the gym, and attending medical appointments. For Femi, this support was key to rebuilding his confidence.
Over the following year, Femi received a wide range of support that he describes as transformative. Lorraine introduced useful equipment such as a liquid level indicator to make preparing drinks safer, as well as offering simple safety tips around the home. She also demonstrated how digital tools like Alexa could support everyday tasks, from setting reminders to checking the weather.
Femi was referred by Lorraine to receive some additional long cane training from ECL Sensory Rehabilitation Support Worker, Tara Klave.
Tara worked with him on getting out and about independently. Walking the route from his home to the local shops and train station. By the end of their time together Femi was able to complete both routes independently, and his confidence soared.
ECL also encouraged Femi to access counselling and RNIB support groups to help him overcome his feelings of isolation and low mood.
Reflecting on these changes, Femi said: “From day one of ECL being involved, things started to happen and change for me. I used to feel frustrated by my sight loss, but now thanks to ECL I don’t. Losing your sight can make you feel like you aren’t seen and like you are losing your independence. ECL showed me the help available and gave me my independence back.”
He said: “Life can be so much easier when you have the right information. I didn’t realise there was so much support available to me until I met Lorraine and Tara. They have been like a breath of fresh air to me and my family. In fact, the whole team have all been so helpful. I know I can always call if I need anything. I have used three different sensory services since my glaucoma diagnosis and ECL’s is by far the best.”
I used to feel frustrated by my sight loss, but now thanks to ECL I don’t. I didn’t know there was so much support available.
Femi Hassan
Femi went on to say: “Little things made a huge difference for me, for example, Tara showed me how to use landmarks to help me get around, which has helped me be able to move around on my own. She’s made it possible for me to go the train station, to the shops and cross the road by my house on my own, all major aspects of my daily life that I can do unaided again.
On ECL’s recommendation, I have joined a RNIB befriending group. The way I talk about the Essex Sensory Team at ECL makes the other members say they want to move to Essex, so that they can enjoy the support and assistance I have received!”
Femi’s life has been so impacted by ECL’s support that it has inspired him to want to be a lived experience ambassador for the service.
He says: “ECL’s support has really improved my life and helped me to be a better person, even in the face of fear and all the emotions that come with losing your sight. So much so that I now want to help people understand what it’s like to live with sight loss by being a lived experience ambassador.”
Femi’s experience shows how the right support at the right time can make a powerful difference for people living with sight loss.
How to prevent glaucoma vision loss:
- Get regular eye tests: Visit an optometrist every two years, or annually if you are over 40 with a family history.
- Know your family history: Tell your optician if relatives have glaucoma, as it increases your risk.
- Exercise safely: Moderate, regular exercise can help lower eye pressure.
- Wear eye protection: Serious eye injuries can lead to secondary glaucoma.
Find out more about protecting your eye health.
Common risk factors
- Age: Risk increases significantly after age 40, and especially after age 60.
- Ethnicity: People of African, Caribbean, or Asian descent have a much higher risk.
- Medical conditions: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and sickle cell anaemia increase susceptibility.
- Prescriptions: Long-term use of corticosteroid medications (like eye drops or pills) can raise eye pressure.
To contact ECL Sensory Service email SensoryServices@essexcares.org
or call 0333 013 3262
I have used three different sensory services since my glaucoma diagnosis and ECL’s is by far the best.
Femi Hassan