Employment Support
Only 1 in 4 working age people who are registered sight impaired or severely sight impaired are in employment. This is the highest unemployment rate of any disability groups and it hasn’t changed in 25 years.
Despite the introduction of the Disability Equality Act in 2010; the development of an increasing range of accessible technologies, enabling people with visual impairments to compete on a level playing field with their sighted peers; and the introduction of the Access to Work scheme; employers are still discriminating against highly eligible candidates. It would seem that employers still believe people with a visual impairment will be less able to deliver in the workplace compared to sighted people.
Works for Me project (Notts and Derbys)
My Sight Notts is currently delivering an employment project in partnership with Thomas Pocklington Trust. “Works for Me” is a new service for the charity which aims to change the statistic of people with sight loss not in employment and to help get people work ready and into employment. Click here for more info: Works for Me | My Sight Notts
Access to Work
Access to Work is a government grant scheme which supports disabled people in work. Access to Work might pay for accessible software and devices, such as digital magnifiers and large PC screens, extra transport costs, such as in work taxis where a job would normally regular travel.
The Disability Charity, Scope has some excellent information on Access to Work: Access to Work grant scheme | Disability charity Scope UK
Apply to Access to Work here:
RNIB Employment Service
Support is available for people who feel their job is threatened by their sight loss. RNIB’s Employment Service works with employer and employee to make sure the right level of support is in place and ensure employers are aware of their statutory requirements under the Disability Equality Act.
To access employment support from RNIB call: 0303 123 9999