In 2022, RNIB and Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR) at the University of Birmingham researched the experiences of young people with a vision impairment (VI) in Northern Ireland making the transition into the labour market [1]. The research found:
[1] 2022, RNIB and VICTAR. Eye Work with You Too. Available from, https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/health-social-care-education-professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/reports-and-insight/eye-work-with-you-too-research-project/
The main barrier for a young person with a vision impairment can be a lack of specialist support from education services. With the right level of support, young people with vision impairment have a much greater chance of moving into employment, but at present there are significant barriers for young people to move into work. Many young people with vision impairment leave school inadequately prepared for the workplace. Young people with vision impairment aged 16 to 25 are twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) compared to other young people of the same age [1].
Sight is central to how children learn and develop – through play, language and visual prompts. While sighted children learn incidentally by watching people and things around them, learning opportunities have to be actively provided to children with little or no sight. This has to be done in a structured, scaffolded way, starting when they are babies, to ensure that their early development is not delayed further. That is why children and young people with vision impairment need specialist support. Without it, they will be unable to learn on equal terms with sighted children. Having the right support in place can remove the barriers to learning and enable them to succeed not just at school but as adults with full lives.
Key professionals that provide specialist support for children and young people with vision impairment are Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (QTVIs) and Qualified Habilitation Specialists (QHSs). QTVIs provide vital support such as helping with learning and development in the early years, teaching braille, teaching children and young people the skills they need to access information independently and advising and training mainstream teaching staff.
QHSs support children and young people develop their mobility and independent living skills including getting to, from and around school, travelling around their community, independence skills such as dressing and washing and social communication skills to enable them to take part in social and leisure activities.
We are concerned, however, that many children with vision impairment may not be getting the specialist support that they need which could significantly affect their development and later life chances. Historically there has been a range of several small scale, specialist Vision Impairment curricula and outcome frameworks in use, none with statutory status. This has led to a lack of clarity about what should be taught, when and by whom. To address this, RNIB, in partnership with the professional association for the Vision Impairment Education Workforce (VIEW), Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR) at University of Birmingham and Thomas Pocklington Trust and the wider UK vision impairment sector have developed a Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI).
The CFVI is an evidence-based and robust approach to support children and young people with vision impairment to access the national curriculum and to develop the broad range of skills needed to learn alongside their peers and live independently in adulthood. The framework clarifies and defines interventions, best practice support and the range of skills that are essential for children with VI to develop, including preparing for adulthood.
RNIB is calling on the Government to adopt the new, sector-supported Curriculum Framework by recognising and referencing the CFVI in SEND policies, guidance and documentation, including any new education legislation, for example in the new National Standards in England.
Looking at health services, RNIB is also concerned that referral pathways from health services to education and social care can be convoluted, meaning that children face delays in receiving early years support from specialists. This was an experience shared by many parents in our 2022 survey for the SEND Review Green Paper:
“For me it took over a year to access a QTVI. I eventually made the referral myself. I only knew I could do this as I work as a SENCO.”
“I felt the system supported me poorly when my child was first diagnosed. I had to fight to get an initial Ophthalmology appointment which was offered to me in 6 months’ time. It was only when I got angry that they saw me the next day and confirmed I was correct in thinking my baby couldn’t see. If I hadn’t fought, we would have spent 6 months without further support. I self-referred to a QTVI and from then on felt much better supported. They visited every 2 weeks and made me feel much less alone. I still have to fight for anything from the hospital. They sat on results from an ESG for 8 months and, when they eventually shared them with me, said they didn’t think I would want to see them. My QTVI helped me understand what the letter meant.”
“I had to research and fight for everything my daughter received. Nothing was offered, I was sent home with a blind child at birth and received no support for the first year.”
There needs to be closer working between the Departments for Health and Education. A model – the Vision Impairment Network for Children and Young People (VINCYP) model for early identification – has already been piloted in Scotland. This is a nationally managed clinical network with a clear referral pathway, and a Clinical Audit System (CAS) which aims to ensure that all newly diagnosed 0–16-year-olds with VI are recorded. This pilot should be rolled out across England.
Despite the importance of specialist support, RNIB’s most recent Freedom of Information (FOI) research also found funding for specialist VI education services is not stable and children and young people face a postcode lottery for the specialist support they need [2]. Despite more children and young people requiring and accessing specialist support, 61 per cent of local authorities in England reported a decrease or freeze in the number of specialist VI teachers in 2022 compared to 2021. On top of this, nearly half of local authority VI education team budgets have experienced real term cuts, with 42 per cent cut or frozen over 2021-2022.
As provision becomes increasingly stretched, we remain concerned that access to vital specialist support is likely to be reduced. This could impact not only a child or young person’s education and childhood, but also potentially their later life, including their ability to find employment. This was powerfully highlighted in the Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research’s (VICTAR’s) longitudinal transition study with young people with VI. The research found the search radius for employment of some young people with VI in their study was restricted as they had not been sufficiently supported to apply mobility and orientation skills to new contexts and, as a result, were not confident in travelling to unfamiliar places [3].
It is important action is taken so that children and young people with VI can access the specialist support they need now, and in the future, to thrive. This must include increased funding for VI education budgets to remove the barriers to learning children with VI face and give them they confidence to develop the specialist skills to succeed in education and beyond.
[1] Hewett and Keil, 2016. Investigation of data relating to blind and partially sighted people in the quarterly Labour Force Survey: October 2012 – September 2015. RNIB. Available from: http://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub-research-reports/employment-research/labour-force-survey-2015
[2] Bhangoo, 2022. Underfunded, under resourced and under pressure: FOI 2022 Report. Available from https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/supporting-others/left-out-of-learning/
[3] Hewett, Graeme, McLinden, Chattaway and Keil, 2021. Lost in Transition? The post-school experiences of young people with vision impairment. Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research. Available from https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-social-sciences/education/victar/lost-in-transition.pdf
RNIB welcomes this approach as there can be considerable barriers for children and young people with vision impairment to obtain an EHCP. As a result, an inquiry specifically focussed on the experiences of young people with an EHC plan would exclude those young disabled young people who have not obtained a plan.
RNIB’s annual Freedom of Information (FOI) research found the criteria for allocating levels of support and for consideration of EHCP assessment for children and young people with VI varies considerably across local authorities [1]. Some 83 per cent of responding local authorities are meeting the statutory criteria by conducting EHCP assessments based on a child’s individual needs. Our FOI research questions included an option for authorities to provide any extra information on assessment criteria. Worryingly, 22 per cent of authorities stated children and young people must meet a specific level of severity/ visual acuity, nine per cent said that children must be failing to make the expected level of progress, four per cent said they are expected to attend a special school and a further two per cent said they must have additional SEND.
The wide variation across authorities in criteria used to assess for an EHCP could lead to very different levels of support being provided to children and young people with VI who have similar needs but live in different authorities. We therefore welcome the approach not to focus the inquiry specifically on the experiences of young people with an Education, Health, and Care plan when they leave education and enter employment.
[1] Bhangoo, 2022. Underfunded, under resourced and under pressure: FOI 2022 Report. Available from https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/supporting-others/left-out-of-learning/
Careers support for young people with vision impairment in educational settings is not person-centred and is often delivered by advisors without knowledge and understanding of sight loss, and of the support needed to overcome barriers to enter the workplace. In addition careers advisors are not consistently provided in all settings and regions.
In 2022, RNIB and Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR) at the University of Birmingham researched the experiences of young people with a vision impairment (VI) in Northern Ireland making the transition into the labour market [1]. As part of the research, young people with vision impairment shared their experience of careers advice:
“Like if I said I wanted to do aromatherapy, somebody would have said, oh no, you would have been better at teaching, like teaching the blind. And that just kind of threw me a bit because it’s not what I want to do. I’m old enough to make my own decisions on what I want. No one asked.”
“A careers officer told me that I should go to Tech because university wasn’t for, and this is a quote, ‘for people like me’. I was fuming!! It’s just sort of fuelled me to go and prove them wrong!”
For post-school transition support for blind and partially sighted young people to be improved, mainstream schools, specialist services and careers advisors should work together more effectively to create a more joined-up, person-centred service to support for blind and partially sighted young people to prepare and plan for their future.
[1] 2022, RNIB and VICTAR. Eye Work with You Too. Available from, https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/health-social-care-education-professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/reports-and-insight/eye-work-with-you-too-research-project/
Vision impairment is a low incidence, high impact disability. There are estimated to be just over 34,500 children and young people aged 0-25 with vision impairment in England [1]. This makes children with vision impairment a low incidence group with most staff in schools and other education settings providing careers guidance and advice only coming across one or two throughout their career, if any. That means it is unlikely that they would build up the expertise and understanding to support these young people’s needs.
Specialist VI services, including Qualified Teachers of Vision Impairment, need to be more closely involved in the delivery of careers guidance so it is appropriate and tailored to the aspirations and needs of young people with vision impairment.
Use of the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) can also improve understanding among staff in schools and other education settings to ensure that young people with VI have fair and equitable access to education, as well as the right support to maximise independence and prepare for adulthood. The framework recognises the importance of supporting children and young people to prepare for their lives after compulsory education. The CFVI promotes specialist input to careers education, information and guidance, including supporting volunteering/work experience opportunities, searching for and applying for jobs, disclosing vision impairment, preparing for interviews and supporting work experience placements.
[1] RNIB, 2021. Sight Loss Data Tool, Available at https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/key-information-and-statistics/sight-loss-data-tool
For many blind and partially sighted young people, Access to Work (AtW) is highly valued and support through the scheme is very important for entering the job market. However, the timeliness of this support – as well as its quality – is often crucial in the world of employment.
For almost two years, people applying to Access to Work, renewing their support, requesting a change of circumstance or submitting a claim, have faced significant delays in accessing the support they need.
For many blind and partially sighted people, these lengthy delays are severely compromising their ability to secure, or maintain, employment.
The impact of the delays on young people entering their first job has been particularly profound. One individual who started their first job after university shared with RNIB:
“Having to chase AtW constantly is draining and tiring. Due to AtW support not being in place, I am having to pay for taxis to work which is causing financial hardship. I also feel guilty as I am unable to pay my support worker.”
We are pleased the Department for Work and Pensions is taking action to tackle the delays, including additional staffing. However, with 21,780 outstanding applications in September 2023, there is still much more that needs to be done to bring Access to Work waiting times down to an acceptable level [1]. The DWP must provide adequate resourcing to Access to Work so that support is put in place within four weeks of any application and claims are promptly processed.
There are additional issues with the Access to Work scheme that need to be addressed once the delays are under control to ensure young people with vision impairment can benefit from the scheme.
People with sight loss have shared with RNIB that they find some of the Access to Work processes inaccessible and it can be challenging to get reasonable adjustments agreed by advisers.
“Advisers do not seem to understand the concept of an accessible document or realise that they can provide them. I had many issues trying to obtain a document in a Word format and this could be solved by a simple bit of training.”
It is important that AtW advisors understanding of the reasonable adjustments available to blind and partially sighted people is improved.
Many blind and partially sighted people also rely on volunteering pathways into employment, with voluntary work shown to be an excellent ‘starting point’ in developing employment skills. As well as benefits of the work itself, it is often linked to meaningful practice and the development of other skills such as mobility, using IT, and confidently discussing sight loss with work colleagues. One individual with sight loss shared with RNIB:
“After completing university, I have tried a lot of volunteering but there is no access support for volunteer work and [this is] a huge barrier to getting employment.”
We recommend extending Access to Work support to formal volunteering placements as part of the tailored support provided through work and health programmes to help open up job opportunities for blind and partially sighted young people.
[1] Hansard, 2023. Access to Work Programme, Question for Department for Work and Pensions, UIN 197834. Available from, https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-09-05/197834
Blind and partially sighted people have raised concerns about Disability Confident with RNIB. Below are quotes shared by people with sight loss as part of an RNIB 2021 Health and Disability Green Paper survey:
“My employer, a Disability Confident employer, doesn't comply with accessibility regulations. This means that I routinely come across information that can't be read by a screen reader.”
“I was disappointed to find that I still had to explain [to a Disability Confident employer] how, as a blind person, I planned to do the job. The person had no knowledge of the existence of screen readers, or Access to Work and what support they could offer such as funding a support worker to help me with paperwork.”
“I was employed by a Disability Confident employer, but although my line manager was fantastic and very supportive, the rest of the organisation was not. One big problem was IT systems routinely being designed with no consideration of accessibility. Eventually, I was forced to leave because of this, yet they still claim to be Disability Confident. I have been interviewed by a couple of Disability Confident employers and my experience is mixed. One was obviously genuinely trying, willing to make reasonable adjustments, and interested in my application. Another was clearly only interviewing me because HR told them they had to, and they couldn't get me out the room quick enough. Most have been in between. I have also challenged a few Disability Confident employers for not inviting me to interview when I felt I had clearly shown on my application that I met the criteria. Most said it was an admin error.”
For Disability Confident Level 1 and 2, there are currently no checking mechanisms in place to ensure that Employers meet the standards they are saying they do. There needs to be accountability and credible performance measures to ensure that Disability Confident employers recruit disabled people and provide supportive and inclusive work environments. RNIB also recommends the government should consider providing financial incentives to businesses engaging in workforce reporting and achieving Level 3 in the Disability Confident Scheme.
A recurring challenge for blind and partially sighted people is that information such as job adverts, information on training schemes, and forms is rarely in an accessible format. The lack of materials available in large print or braille restricts the number of jobs some blind and partially sighted people can apply for.
Our research also found misconceptions about employing someone with sight loss, with half of employers thinking there may be additional health and safety risks in the workplace for the employee if they were to employ a blind or partially sighted person[1]. Our research highlighted that one-third of people with sight loss who are not in work said the biggest barrier to them getting a job was the attitude of employers[2].
Employers could seek support from expert providers such as RNIB. RNIB provides specific support for employers to help improve inclusion in the workplace. RNIB has a whole area on our website dedicated to this, and can work directly with employers to help them improve their recruitment and retention practices in relation to staff with sight loss.
Employers should also align their working practices to the RNIB Visibly Better Employer quality standard. The Visibly Better scheme examines how inclusive an employer’s practices are for both existing staff with sight loss and potential future applicants, provides recommendations for improvement, and, after implementation of suggested changes, awards the employer Visibly Better Employer status.
Under the Equality Act, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for their employees. However, our research tells us that people who are blind or partially sighted are still not receiving adequate provision. Our recent research showed that 23 per cent of employers said they were not willing to make adaptations to employ someone with a visual impairment despite legal obligations under the Act.[3]
Although the 2010 Equality Act is an excellent piece of legislation, it has been ineffective in combatting discrimination as it is practically impossible to enforce the rights that it contains.
Qualified One-way Costs Shifting (QOCS) significantly reduces the financial risk for those pursuing a claim at a County Court. At present it only applies to claims for personal injury and not discrimination claims, meaning many people choose not to pursue discrimination claims because they could become liable for thousands of pounds in costs.
At present, disabled people frequently have to take cases without the benefit of legal advice, and hope that they remain in the small claims court where the financial risk is more limited.
Extending QOCS to apply to discrimination cases could enable many more disabled people to enforce their rights under the Equality Act.
September 2023
[1] Slade, Edwards, and Crawley, 2020. Employment for blind and partially sighted people in 2019. RNIB. Available from https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/employment-research
[2] Ibid
[3] Slade, Edwards, and Crawley, 2020. Employment for blind and partially sighted people in 2019. RNIB. Available from https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/employment-research