A person is eligible for a concessionary bus pass if they are blind (severely sight impaired) or partially sighted (sight impaired).

You will be eligible if:

• You are registered with Herefordshire Council, or entitled to be registered with Herefordshire Council, as blind, or severely sight impaired
• You are registered, or entitled to be registered , as partially sighted or sight impaired

You will not be eligible if:

• You are not entitled to be registered by Herefordshire Council

Proving that you are eligible

You can do this by providing one of the following:

• Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) completed by an ophthalmologist
• Form BD8 (issued from 1990 but replaced more recently by the CVI)
• Evidence of registration with Herefordshire Council as being severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted). In Herefordshire the register is managed by the Advice and Referral Team (ART), telephone 01432 260101
• For veterans, the Reasons for Decision letter under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCAS)

In general terms a person can be registered as blind, or severely sight impaired, if they cannot see (with glasses, if worn) the top letter of the eye test chart (used by doctors and opticians) at a distance of 3 metres or less.

Some people, who can read the top letter of an eye test chart at 3 metres, but not at 6 metres, may still be eligible for registration as blind if their field of vision is also severely restricted.

A person can be registered as partially sighted, or sight impaired, if they have a full field of vision but can only read the top letter of the eye test chart at a distance of 6 metres or less (with glasses, if worn). However, if they can read the next three lines down at the same distance, but the field of vision is either moderately or severely restricted, they may still qualify for registration.