Give us your feedback on ideas for how support for people who are blind or partially sighted could be improved

• This project is being led by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the UK’s leading sight loss charity. You can find out more about RNIB on their website.
• The project will be hosted on Thiscovery, a secure online platform that enables the health and care system to improve and innovate through collaboration. Thiscovery is developed and run by THIS Labs, an independent organisation formed as a strategic collaboration between THIS Institute and The Health Foundation. THIS Labs administers this project for RNIB.

How do I take part?

• This is the second survey of the RNIB’s research project.
• To take part you will be asked to complete eligibility questions and an online consent form. You will be asked for your thoughts on the ideas and practical solutions you think would be helpful or not, if put into practice and which should be prioritised.

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Do I have to answer all the questions?

• You do not have to answer all of the questions, except for those essential to navigate through the survey (for example, completing eligibility and consent questions). We hope you will answer as many questions as possible, as this will provide the best possible information about your views and experience.

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How much time will it take?

• The survey is expected to take about 30 minutes, however you can take as much time filling in the survey as you require.

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Can I take a break part way through answering questions?

• Yes – you do not have to answer all the questions in one go but if you do need to take a break, please keep the browser open so you don't lose your progress.
• Once you have completed each page, please select the 'next' or 'submit' button so we receive your responses to that point

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Can I ask for help to complete the questions?

• Yes. You can ask someone to help you navigate Thiscovery or answer the questions, if you would like. This could be a family member or friend, for example.
• If you ask for help, please do answer the questions from your own point of view, rather than the views of the person helping.

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Is there a deadline for completing the questions?

• The deadline for completing questions is 8 October 2025. Please do answer all the questions you wish to by this date.

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What if I want to stop taking part?

• If you change your mind about taking part in this project you can withdraw at any time without giving a reason. However, it may not be possible to remove data that have already been submitted. To withdraw from the project please email help@thiscovery.org.

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What are the possible benefits of taking part?

• By taking part in this study, you will have an opportunity to provide feedback on a list of ideas for improving support for people who are blind or partially sighted. These insights will help the project team at RNIB to identify which ideas and solutions should be taken forward in their work.  

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Are there any disadvantages or risks of taking part?

• We don’t anticipate any risks to you taking part. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to and can stop at any time. If you find taking part in this project distressing in any way, please get in touch directly with us via help@thiscovery.org.

What happens to my answers?

• Your answers will be analysed along with the answers from all other participants and will be used to support decision-making around which ideas and practical solutions would be helpful or not, if put into practice, and which should be prioritised by RNIB in the next couple of years.
• Findings from the project may also be published in online reports or journals, and publicised on social media. Nobody will be able to identify you in any findings that are published; any quotations used in reporting will be anonymised.

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How can I learn about the findings of the project?

• You will be emailed a summary of findings when they are ready, if you have chosen to be contacted for this purpose. You can let us know at the end of the survey, should you choose to take part.

Your privacy matters to us

• Your privacy is important to RNIB and our team here at Thiscovery. We keep your information safe and secure.

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Who is collecting your information?

• RNIB has asked us to do this research. They want to know which improvements, innovations and solutions to take forward in their work over the next couple of years, to improve support for people who are blind or partially sighted.
• Thiscovery collects your survey answers for RNIB. We follow strict rules to keep your information safe.
• RNIB may have sent you information about this research. They have not shared your contact details with us.

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What information will we collect?

Your feedback on ideas and practical solutions:

• What ideas you think would be helpful or not and why
• Which ideas and practical solutions you think should be prioritised

Information about you:

• Your age group
• Your gender (this is “special category” data that gets extra protection)
• Your ethnic background (this is “special category” data that gets extra protection)
• Your sight impairment or the sight impairment of the person you support (this is “special category” data that gets extra protection)
• Your professional role if you work directly with people who are blind or partially sighted or in sight impairment support or services.

Your contact details (optional):

• Your name and email address is collected only if you want updates about the research results or to find out about future similar opportunities.

Important: We don't collect your name during the survey. But the mix of information you give us might make it possible to work out who you are.

Right to withdraw: You can stop taking part at any time and choose not to answer any questions.

MRS Code compliance: This research is conducted in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and UK data protection laws.

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Why can we use your information?

• ‍For your survey answers: We need this for the RNIB to carry out their research, as a ‘task in the public interest’. This research helps them to know which ideas and practical solutions to take forward in their work over the next couple of years. ‍
• For special category data (health and ethnicity): We need this to understand how your sight impairment, or the sight impairment of the person you support, your ethnic background, your gender and for professionals how your role might affect what people think about the ideas and which improvements should be prioritised. ‍
• For your contact details: Only if you choose to give them to us. You can change your mind at any time.

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How will we keep your information safe?

We keep things separate:

• Your contact details are kept separate from your survey answers.
• Your survey answers use a number instead of your name.
• This means we cannot link your name to your answers.

We use secure systems:

• All information is encrypted (scrambled) and stored safely.
• Only the research team can see your information.
• We follow Market Research Society Code of Conduct and UK data protection laws on security.
• We use certified deletion tools when we remove data.

Data analysis and transfer:

• Thiscovery will analyse your survey answers and create an insight report for RNIB.  
• Thiscovery will not transfer any of your survey answers or contact information to RNIB.

Important: Sending information over the internet is never 100% safe. We do our best to protect it, but we cannot promise complete security.

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How will RNIB use your answers?

Analysis by Thiscovery:

• Thiscovery will analyse your survey answers to understand which ideas and practical solutions are thought to be helpful or not, if put into practice, and which should be prioritised by RNIB.
• Thiscovery will create an insight report showing what the research found.
• The insight report will look at differences between different groups of people.
• RNIB will use the insights report to inform their future work on how support for people who are blind or partially sighted can be improved.
• Your answers will be mixed with everyone else's answers. No one will be able to tell which answers are yours.

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Who will we share your information with?

• We will not be sharing any of your survey data or contact details with RNIB. We will only share the insights report with them. You will not be identifiable from this report.
• We will not be sharing any of your survey data or contact details with any other third parties.
• If you give us your contact details, only Thiscovery will contact you about the research.

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How long will we keep your information?

Your survey answers:

• Thiscovery keeps them for 24 months after the project ends

Your contact details:

• Deleted immediately if you ask us to remove them
• Deleted when you haven't been active for 24 months

Research summaries (insight report):

• May be kept forever to help RNIB plan future work (but these won't identify you).

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Your choices and rights

You can:

• Stop taking part at any time during the survey
• Skip questions you don't want to answer
• Ask to see what information we have about you
• Ask us to correct wrong information
• Ask us to delete your contact details (we will do this immediately)
• Complain if you're not happy

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Important:

• If you don't give us your contact details, we might not be able to remove your survey answers later. This is because we won't know which answers are yours.  ‍
• Your healthcare will not be affected by taking part or not taking part in this research.

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Research results

If you give us your contact details, Thiscovery will tell you:

• What the research found out
• How RNIB are using it, or plan to use it, to help make improvements to support for people who are blind or partially sighted.

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Contact us

Questions about the survey: Email Thiscovery at help@thiscovery.org

Questions about how RNIB uses information: RNIB's Privacy Policy

Complaints: RNIB's customer complaints

Data protection problems: Information Commissioner's Office - ico.org.uk

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Your consent

By taking part in this survey, you agree that:

• Thiscovery can collect your answers for RNIB.
• Thiscovery can analyse your answers to produce an insights report for RNIB.
• RNIB can use the insights report to understand which ideas and practical solutions should be prioritised and why, to inform their future work on how support for people who are blind or partially sighted can be improved.

You can stop taking part at any time.

Thank you for helping shape ideas for improvements in support for people who are blind or partially sighted.

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