The Green Line draws attention to the daily lives of the visually impaired – Allehanda.se

Now, on Saturday 24 August, the Örnsköldsvik Association (SRF) and Specsavers in Örnsköldsvik will draw a long green line through large and small obstacles along Storgatan.

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With this green line, we want to draw visitors’ attention to what everyday life can be like for people who have lost all or part of their sight. At the same time, we want to show the possibilities of a good life that exist despite poor vision. Our theme for today is “Look bad – feel good!”

Things that are reflexive or routine for normal eyesight can easily become a problem for those who cannot trust their eyesight. Walking the streets of Örnsköldsvik can be fraught with difficulties in navigating safely. Fabriksgatan is an example of this, where potted flowers, street speakers and outdoor restaurants can be annoying obstacles for the visually impaired. Another example is the northern part of Storgatan.

Streets, sidewalks, squares and digital information can present challenges for people who cannot orient themselves in the environment with the aid of sight. Örnsköldsvik is a developing city and construction work is often underway. This places great demands on up-to-date information about where visually impaired people can safely access.

The municipality has become better at adapting the outdoor environment for the visually impaired, but awareness among civil servants, politicians and businesses could certainly be improved.

SRF is a national organization that works to enable people with visual impairments to live independent lives. Among other things, they run Synlinjen, an emergency helpline that visually impaired people across the country can turn to with questions about all the challenges in everyday life. With relatively limited resources, sightline advisors do important work to guide visually impaired people in their daily lives, such as helping to apply for a vaccination certificate, making sure that the person you are talking to is who they say they are, getting legal help in a dispute with any authority and more.

Today, just over 100,000 Swedes live with severe visual impairment, which means many residents of Örnsköldsvik as well. The need for support in everyday life is great, and Synlinjen's work makes a difference.

The “Green Line” that Örnsköldsvik residents and other visitors can see winding along Storgatan on Saturday should therefore be seen as a practical and symbolic reminder of the presence of visually impaired people in Örnsköldsvik.

Welcome to the Green Line! Ask questions, take the opportunity to see the possibilities and think about these questions. Tell a friend, relative or colleague about the existence of the Visually Impaired Association's Sight Line. The more people who know about it – the more freedom there is for people with visual impairments.

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President of SRF Örnsköldsvik

Inga Lil Lindholm

Deputy Chairman of the Board of SRF Örnsköldsvik

Isabel Gillioson

Shop owner Specsavers Örnsköldsvik

Petra Nelson Jerzen

Eyewear Partner, Specsavers Örnsköldsvik