THE chairman of a charity for the blind and partially sighted has urged people to have more patience and understanding with those who cannot see after a series of problems.

Carol Green, chairman of the Barnsley Blind and Partially Sighted Association, said it was becoming more difficult for blind people to do basic things like get letters posted or go shopping.

The association supports 8,000 in Barnsley but is in danger of closing because of a lack of funding. On top of this, it is facing a flytipping fine from the council because staff take home rubbish to try and keep costs down.

Carol said people don’t understand the obstacles and difficulties that blind people face.

She said: “One woman is registered blind. She’d had thyroid operation and needed a sick note putting in. I took it to the job centre for her and was told that because she was on universal credit, it would have to be done online. They wouldn’t accept it.

“I was so furious. They did accept it in the end so they can do it, they just want people to do it online.

“A 93-year-old man needed a council tax form completed but was told to do it online. When he said he couldn’t do that, someone in the job centre said they would send him on a six-week course to show him how to use a computer. But he said no. He can’t see to use a computer. He was so upset by the time he got to us.

“There are people with learning disabilities, people who are elderly - this doesn’t just affect blind people. How on earth are they going to cope?”

Carol said another problem for blind people was self service check out machines. She recently needed help using a self service machine but she said a member of staff was rude to her and wouldn’t help her to use it. Carol was forced to queue because she couldn’t see the buttons on the screen to press them herself.

She said: “I told the woman I was blind and asked if she could help me, but she pointed to a sign and said ‘what does that say?’ so I told her I didn’t know because I couldn’t see it. She said ‘it says self-service’.

“It was obvious I was blind because I had a white stick. But she wouldn’t do it for me, I had to queue. It would have taken her a minute.

“It’s becoming so frustrating. It’s the little things. People don’t have enough awareness, understanding or patience.

“They won’t bend the rules slightly to help people.

“It’s still a massive concern that our association will close. All our volunteers are trying to help the 8,000 people in Barnsley and then we get things like this.”