Women with visual impairments have not been sufficiently included in conversations about violence against women and girls, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has said.
Georgia Hussey, a 20-year-old student from Belfast, rarely goes out socialising at night because she said the easiest way to protect herself is to stay at home.
“If I’m out in the street and I can’t see my friends because it’s dark, I’m just going to panic.
“I don’t want my friends to feel a responsibility over me either.”
Laura Cummings from RNIB said the reality is that there are additional challenges for women who have sight loss.
“So if you’re a woman and you go out, and you have additional challenges, perhaps you are attacked.
“You won’t recognise your attacker, you won’t be able to describe your attacker to the police. These things are on peoples’ minds.”
Ms Hussey was registered blind at birth.
“I’m not convinced that if something were to happen, I would be able to find myself a way out safely,” she told News NI.
Many of her peers wouldn’t think twice about heading out for the evening. Life as a young blind woman means she’s concerned about her safety and feeling vulnerable.
“Not being able to tell at night in the dark who is around me is unsettling.”
She also dislikes getting a taxi and getting home often involves a planned lift from her mum.
In September, a new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls was launched at Stormont.
A few months later in December, PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned that inadequate officer numbers was affecting his service’s ability to deal with violence again women and girls.
Dawn Hopper, from Antrim, has glaucoma and is registered as severely sight impaired.
She said she can feel vulnerable on a night out.
“When I have Micky [her guide dog] with me, or the cane, it brings extra attention, there’s a perception there perhaps that I don’t see anything.
“The idea of a night out in a pub is challenging, with your drinks on a table, how do you know what drink is yours?
“So I think when you’re visually impaired you have to take control of what situation you are safe in. It shouldn’t be that way.
“I would love to get out and have a wee boogie, go to the nightclub, and I’m sure people think it’s very strange, that girl with the white cane and then she’s out dancing. So it’s always a challenge to keep pushing them [doors] open.”
Safe travel is also a concern for Dawn.
“I wouldn’t be able to tell if we were going down a different road or different route.”
Stephen Anton, from the Licensed Taxi Operators Association, told News NI the industry is actively working to help protect vulnerable people.
“Legal taxis used correctly are safe. Book a legal taxi, for two reasons. The drivers are qualified, properly insured and have been vetted with a correct licence.
“Taxi companies have to have a licence too, log every journey, which means if there is an issue, you have some recourse.”
Mr Anton said pre-booking taxis, having a conversation about journey routes or preferences with your driver and sharing a journey electronically with a friend or family via app options can reassure passengers.
He added that many vehicles also have built in sat-nav devices, which could allow audio descriptions of routes switched on to further reassure passengers of their journeys.
Taxi drivers are under a duty to carry guide, hearing or certain other assistance dogs in their vehicles, with exceptions for drivers with certain medical conditions
A driver who refuses to carry one, or makes a charge for doing so, is guilty of an offence and could be fined up to £1,000
Other issues were raised by the women which they say act as barriers to going out at night.
There were concerns about street advertising, empty bottles or litter dropped on the floor creating hazards. Or, if they sat a handbag beside them on the floor, trusting that it won’t be lifted.
There have been initiatives within the hospitality sector to become more inclusive for those with vision impairment.
Last year, Derry City and Strabane District council passed a notice of motion which would see how QR codes could be made available at local venues to allow easy access to menus, which is currently being scoped out.
