Eye Work With You Too

The objective of this project was to broaden understanding of the experiences of individuals with vision impairment in accessing the labour market in Northern Ireland.

It intended to do this by taking a broad perspective, including looking at the experiences of young people preparing to transition from education and training into the labour market, the experiences of individuals who experienced sight loss later in life and the experiences of a variety of stakeholders who might contribute towards this.

The key research questions which we have sought to address within this report were:

• What are the barriers and enablers which impact upon the experiences of people with vision impairment accessing the labour market in Northern Ireland?
• What interventions can be successful in supporting people with vision impairment to better employment outcomes?
• What gaps in employment-related services are there for people with vision impairment in Northern Ireland, as well as for those involved in supporting them?

Summary of recommendations

Drawing upon the outcomes of the research, we outline a series of 9 recommendations.

Improving post-school transition support for young people with vision impairment

1. For mainstream schools, specialist services and careers advisors to work together to create a more joined-up, person-centred service to support young people with vision impairment to prepare and plan for their future.

Improving employment support service provision within the vision impairment sector

2. For employment support services to offer a holistic service, addressing the specific needs of the individual and their stage and current circumstance in life.

Policy and campaigns

3. For charities representing persons with vision impairment to partner with key organisations such
   as Department for Work and Pensions to promote Access to Work to young people with vision impairment and employers.
4. For charities representing persons with vision impairment lobby for improvements to the accessibility of Access to Work.
5. For vision impairment charities to lead by example and employ a greater proportion of individuals with vision impairment.
6. For vision impairment charities to identify ways in which to work with employers to improve understanding of vision impairment, such as working with mainstream media.
7. For vision impairment charities to explore new and creative ways in which to improve awareness of vision impairment across society.

Priority areas for addressing gaps in services

8. For vision impairment charities and specialist services to facilitate individuals with vision impairment to access work experience opportunities, including internships and voluntary placements.
9. For improved opportunities for individuals with vision impairment to learn from the experiences of others. This might include the creation of mentoring schemes and peer-support networks, as well as a bank of case studies of individuals with vision impairment in employment.

Read the report here.