Of the five senses, most Irish people would fear losing their sight the most, a new survey has found.

According to the findings, 94% said they would fear losing their sight the most, while 75% said losing their independence would be their biggest fear if they were blind.

The survey was carried out by Sightsavers Ireland to launch its Easter campaign, which is highlighting the fact that 80% of all blindness worldwide is avoidable.

Sightsavers Ireland works through local partners in 21 countries in the developing world to prevent and cure blindness and to support those who are permanently blind and visually impaired. It also supports inclusive education programmes for children who are blind or visually impaired.

When asked what they would miss most if they lost their sight, 34% of respondents said ‘the face of a loved one’, while 33% said ‘getting around without the help of a cane, guide dog or other person’.

When asked what is the most important thing they would not be able to do if they lost their sight, 32% said they would not be able to care for their family, while 31% said they would not be able to continue with their current job or career.

At least four in 10 (43%) people indicated that they would pay more than €500,000 to have their sight restored if they were blind.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, John Fleming, CEO of Sightsavers Ireland, said the responses illustrate ‘just how precious sight is to all of us’.

“Loss of sight is a dramatically life changing experience for everyone and even more so for those living in poverty in Africa, where often people’s main focus is on survival and where blindness can lead to isolation, neglect, loss of livelihood and deepening poverty. However blindness is avoidable in 80% of cases worldwide and can be prevented or treated for very small amounts of money,” Mr Fleming explained.

As little as €20 could fund an adult cataract operation and save sight, while just five cent can protect a child against river blindness for an entire year.

“The hardship caused by unnecessary blindness is something we want people to think about and is the focus of our current advertising campaign titled Being blind is hard. Being blind in Africa is harder,” Mr Fleming said.

Over 400 people nationwide took part in the survey. For more information on Sightsavers, click on http://www.sightsavers.ie