Surrey Sight Loss Council: Meet the members

Dave Smith

Dave Smith is the Engagement Manager for the South East. He has Retinitis Pigmentosa and Retinal Telangiectasia and was registered blind in 1997. His sight deteriorated significantly throughout his 20s and 30s, and for the past decade he has had very little useful vision, with light perception on a good day.

Dave has worked in the disability sector for more than 25 years, including roles with sight loss and pan-disability charities. He has also been a partner in a private training business, bringing a wide range of professional experience to his work supporting disabled people and advocating for greater inclusion and accessibility.

Outside of work, Dave enjoys cooking, gardening and tandem cycling. He also retains a lifelong interest in cars and transport, including Formula 1 racing, and looks forward to a future where autonomous vehicles provide greater independence for blind and partially sighted people.

Lauren Eade

Richard Claridge

Richard has Retinal Dystrophy and nystagmus and has been registered blind since birth. This gives him a lifetime of lived experience of the challenges, barriers and everyday realities faced by people with sight loss. He lives in Surrey with his wife and five children.

Richard works as a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist at Sight for Surrey, where he uses his personal and professional experience to support people with sight loss in becoming more independent. He teaches orientation and mobility, daily living skills, assistive technology and a range of practical techniques that help people navigate everyday life with confidence.

Alongside this, Richard undertakes accessibility testing for major brands and retailers, helping organisations improve the accessibility of their websites and digital services. Through this work, he advocates for accessibility to be viewed not as an afterthought, but as key part of their strategies.