February marks Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Awareness Month, an important opportunity to raise awareness, understanding and vital funds for organisations such as Retina UK, which supports people living with inherited sight loss across the UK.
At Blind Ambition, we are proud to promote RP Awareness Month and to stand alongside the visually impaired community in amplifying these messages. For our founder, Seema Flower, this month is not just a campaign moment – it is deeply personal.
Seema herself has retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive inherited eye condition that affects how the retina responds to light. Over time, RP can significantly impact vision, often beginning with night blindness and loss of peripheral vision and, for many people, progressing to severe sight loss.
Lived experience at the heart of our work
Because Seema lives with RP, she understands first-hand how variable and misunderstood sight loss can be. Blind and partially sighted people are not a single group with a single experience; RP alone presents in many different forms, affecting individuals in very different ways.
“Retinitis pigmentosa is not just a diagnosis – it’s a lived experience that shapes how you move through the world. Awareness matters because understanding leads to better design, better attitudes, and ultimately better opportunities for blind and partially sighted people.”
– Seema Flower
This lived experience is central to Blind Ambition’s work. Whether we are advising employers, training organisations, or advocating for inclusive design, the goal is always the same: to ensure that systems, workplaces and services are inclusive by design, not retrofitted as an afterthought.
Why RP Awareness Month is so important
For the majority of people affected by RP, there is currently no cure. However, research has accelerated significantly in recent years, with potential therapies now reaching clinical trial stages. Awareness and fundraising are critical to sustaining this progress.
Equally important is social awareness. Many of the barriers faced by blind and partially sighted people are not caused by sight loss itself, but by environments that fail to consider accessibility – from poor contrast signage and inaccessible information, to assumptions about capability.
RP Awareness Month is a chance to:
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Learn more about inherited sight loss and its impact
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Challenge misconceptions about blindness and partial sight
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Support research that could change lives
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Promote inclusive design and inclusive employment
How you can get involved
There are many ways to support RP Awareness Month:
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Take part in or organise a fundraising activity
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Donate to support research and community services
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Share information to help improve understanding of RP
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Advocate for accessibility in your workplace or community
Every action, no matter how small, helps build a more inclusive society for visually impaired people.
At Blind Ambition, we are proud to support RP Awareness Month and the work of Retina UK. This February, we encourage everyone to take a moment to learn, share and support – because awareness really does make a difference.
