Empowering people with sight loss in the workplace
12 June 2024
Only one in four registered blind or partially sighted people of working age are in paid employment. This statistic has not improved in 40 years and it's evident that there's a significant gap in opportunities and support for blind and partially sighted people to find meaningful employment.
Making strides to address this challenge is the Thomas Pocklington Trust, a national charity which supports blind and partially sighted people with a focus on education, employment and engagement. Through its Get Set Progress internship programme, Thomas Pocklington Trust aims to improve their employment prospects and ensure that organisations have access to this diverse talent pool.
Get Set Progress: empowering people with sight loss in the workplace
Get Set Progress is a paid nine-month internship programme aimed at people who are at the start of the career or looking to return to work. The programme provides hands-on career development opportunities with all interns receiving dedicated mentorship, specialised training, personalised support and guidance for future career planning. Get Set Progress aims to empower participants to navigate the workplace, building confidence and promoting a positive experience for all.
While Thomas Pocklington Trust initially ran the programme internally, in 2023 they placed 25 interns across different organisations in the sight loss sector. Now they are looking to expand across further sectors. “We want to support more employers to diversify their workforce with fresh talent. We want to influence and encourage other organisations to get involved in our programme and to be exposed to people with sight loss”, Josh Feehan, Head of Internships.
What should employers know about working with blind and partially sighted people?
The initiative aims to change employers’ attitudes to working with blind and partially sighted people by increasing awareness about vision challenges and providing support throughout the programme.
We asked some interns on the Get Set Progress programme what they would like employers to know about working with them.
“By ensuring that your organisation is welcoming, willing to learn and eager to make access arrangements, you can widen your reach to talented employees and create a diverse working environment where colleagues can learn from one another. I believe that blind and partially sighted people should be supported by employers to enable them to reach their full potential in their careers.”
“The GSP really shows employers the untapped talent that visually impaired people have. Employing someone with a visual impairment would allow employers to gain an insight into the diversity of candidates and the potential knowledge and skills they could bring to a role. ”
“I feel as though employers should show willingness to employ someone who is blind or partially sighted to better understand the talents they can bring to the table and discover what positive contributions they could make to an organisation.”
What has been the impact of the programme?
Get Set Progress is making a clear impact: an impressive 85% of interns who completed the programme transitioned into permanent employment within six months. This success is not merely about securing jobs; it's about instilling confidence and breaking down barriers for both employees and employers.
As Josh puts it: “people with sight loss need an opportunity and a positive experience. Meaningful work gives everyone purpose.”
Check out the Thomas Pocklington Trust website for information about the Get Set Progress Internship programme and how your business can get involved.