Through its See Hear Strategy, the Scottish Government is committed to supporting adults and children with sight loss to access and receive the care and support they need and to have the same access to employment, education and leisure as everyone else.
This page provides information on the certification and registration process for persons aged 16 or over who are sight impaired or severely sight impaired. A different process applies for children and young people.
Certification
If you're having problems with your sight, visit a community optometry practice (opticians) for a free NHS funded eye examination. If necessary, the optometrist will then refer you to the hospital eye service for an appointment.
At your appointment, an eye specialist (called an ophthalmologist) will examine the health of your eyes and your eyesight. If your ophthalmologist judges that you can be certified, they will complete a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) (Scotland) form to certify you as sight impaired or severely sight impaired.
The CVI (Scotland) form contains information about your eye examination and circumstances. This information may be used for epidemiological analysis and to inform the planning of local and national services for people with sight loss.
The CVI (Scotland) form and the accompanying Explanatory Notes for ophthalmologists and other hospital eye service staff are available in Audio, Braille and Large Print. The CVI Scotland form also includes a tear-out patient information leaflet.
Registration
With your consent, the CVI (Scotland) form is forwarded to your local authority or agency acting on their behalf (e.g. a local visual impairment organisation) so that they can provide an assessment in order to support you appropriately for your individual needs. You should be contacted by your local authority within 28 days of the CVI (Scotland) form being sent to them, however you can contact your local authority before then if you wish to.
With your consent, the local authority or their agent will also be able to place your name on their local register of sight impaired people.
If you have already registered and have recently moved to a different local authority area, you should contact your new local authority for advice on the registration process.
Benefits of registration
Although registration is voluntary, it's a positive step towards being supported to remain as independent as possible. It makes it easier to prove your level of reduced vision to service providers, employers, colleges or other relevant people or organisations. It also helps local authorities understand the needs of its local population which will help them plan services to support people with sight loss now and in the future.
Registration also assists you to become eligible for certain entitlements, including some benefits such as:
- National Entitlement Card (NEC): (Cards with 'Eye' symbol): If you're sight impaired or severely sight impaired you're eligible to free concessionary bus travel. (Cards with 'Eye' and '+' symbols): If you're severely sight impaired you're eligible to free concessionary bus travel as well as for one companion.
- Scottish National Blind Persons Scheme: If you have a NEC with the 'Eye' symbol, the Scottish National Blind Persons Scheme provides you with free rail (standard class only) and ferry travel throughout Scotland. This is a voluntary arrangement between local authorities, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and participating transport operators.
- Disabled Persons Railcard: If you're sight impaired or severely sight impaired and can prove that you're certified or registered, you're eligible for a Disabled Persons Railcard that provides at least one third discount on rail travel;
- TV Licence discount: If you're severely sight impaired and can prove that you're certified or registered, you're eligible for a 50% reduction in the cost of your TV Licence;
- Blue Badge: You will automatically get a Blue Badge if you're aged 16 or over and registered or certified as severely sight impaired (for children aged under 16 who are severely sight impaired, a letter confirming their eligibility is required from the local visual impairment care team).
Access to some benefits (such as Blind Person's Allowance) and sight support services is not dependent on registration and you may still be able to access assistance without being registered. However, if you're not already known to the local authority or agency acting on their behalf as someone with needs because of your visual impairment, registration acts as another route to ensure that you're identified and it also acts as a referral for a social care assessment.
Certification and registration are not the end of the pathway - they act as a gateway to support and services.