A FILM to help employers understand the problems facing visually impaired staff has been made by a Huddersfield firm.

Video and events company Smallcog Productions put together the 15-minute film for the Surrey Association for the Visually Impaired.

The DVD has been made available to all doctors' surgeries and health trusts in Surrey. It is also available to buy from cdaws@sa-vi.org.uk

The DVD has subtitles, sign language and audio description.

Smallcog, based at the Media Centre, Northumberland Street, worked with visually impaired and deaf-blind people to make the video.

All the actors in the film are visually impaired or blind.

To give the viewer some idea of the problems faced by people with impaired vision, the team used the old but ingenious technique of smearing Vaseline on the camera lens.

Smallcog partner Richard Hellawell said: "I've seen effects done digitally in the edit suite, but after long discussions with the people concerned we found it wasn't a true representation.

"As most people have some vision, we tried lots of different methods, but eventually found Vaseline provided the best representation."

Smallcog was formed only last July but has already built up a track record working with charities and local councils.