BLIND and partially-sighted children are losing out both at school and at play through a lack of support, according to new research.

Surveys carried out for the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) reveal that young people are denied equal access to the National Curriculum, and face difficulties in using leisure facilities.

The research, conducted among people aged five to 25, included young people in North Yorkshire, South Tyneside and Newcastle.

It found that blind and partially-sighted children in mainstream schools often had to use books they could not read, instead of large print, tapes or Braille.

The RNIB estimates that there are 2,000 blind and partially-sighted children under 16 in the North-East and another 400 in Yorkshire.

One in five said they could not use handouts or worksheets, and almost one in three said that they could not read test papers.

The report also said that opportunities to take part in leisure activities were limited, with almost half of primary and secondary school-age children saying they had problems at after-school clubs through sight difficulties.

A quarter of secondary pupils said that they never went out of the house alone and almost one in five of 16 to 25-year-olds never walked anywhere new on their own.

RNIB school project leader Carroll Pattison said: "To equip blind and partially-sighted people to play an equal role in society, blind and partially-sighted children must first be fully included in all educational activities.

"Too many still have to wait for specialist equipment, course materials they can read, or are simply left out of activities.