Calling people "blind" is old-fashioned and misleading, a charity has said as it looks for a new name.

Oxfordshire Association for the Blind is searching for alternatives to make it more appealing and less "scary" to parents, young people and visually impaired people.

The charity's fundraising manager Laura Howdill said that people had been shocked and upset by the charity's name because of the stigma and misunderstandings attached to the word "blind".

"There's so many different eye conditions from tunnel vision, to flashing - all kinds of things that prevent people from being able to safely get around.

"It just doesn't really encompass the range of vision problems that people have, and it's quite misleading in that very few people have no vision at all," she told the Daily Telegraph.

"We're trying to create more of a positive image of people because actually there are people who are severely sight-impaired who are doing incredible things and living really independent lives.

"We started a project to help young children and families, and we've been told at the hospital when a child gets a diagnosis, and they give them a leaflet, you can see the parents physically react in shock to see the words 'Association for the Blind'.