Opening doors to employment for blind and partially sighted young people

Few facts about employment for blind and partially sighted young people

Only 1 in 4 registered blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment in the UK
6 out 10 people in employment have never come across a blind person
Every day, four more children will be diagnosed with sight loss
In London alone there are around 40,000 unemployed blind and partially sighted people of working age, equivalent of 400 double decker buses of wasted potential

Young People in a room with computers listening to a man standing in front of a screen

Encouraging inclusive employment

The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) supports blind and partially sighted children, young people and their families across England and Wales and it is encouraging employers to provide more opportunities for young people who are vison impaired.

On Thursday 2^nd March RSBC is hosting a free employment seminar, at its Life Without Limits Centre in London, by London Bridge, to highlight how the publicly funded Access to Work scheme operates and the technology available to support vision impaired people in the workplace.

Sue Sharp, CEO of RSBC said,

“Inclusion has a critical role in any organisation’s strategy and forms an important pillar in assessing companies’ ESG performance. Yet only 25% of those with sight loss are currently working. Blind and partially sighted young people have aspirations and ambitions like anyone else. Together with those in the business community we can help them to realise their potential and lead a fulfilling life.”

The 2 hour lunchtime event organised by RSBC features guest speakers Callum Russell from Crystal Eyes Consultancy and Amie Fox from Scope Eyecare, both of whom have personal experience of sight loss and are forging successful careers in their chosen fields.

Shalni Sood, Director of Philanthropy at RSBC said,

“This is an open invitation to employers across the UK to join our seminar and learn more about how they can make their businesses more inclusive and diverse.”

The Access to Work Seminar is a FREE EVENT on Thursday 2^nd March, 12-2pm at the Life Without Limits Centre, Life Without Limits Centre, 10 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6EN

Want to book your space and know more about the Access to Work scheme?

Join the Access to Work Learning Lunch by booking your space using our online booking form or contact us for more information at philanthropy@rsbc.org.uk.

The RSBC seminar is being supported by Scope Eyecare, teamitg Waymap and Heather Suttie from Violet Media.

Download the Access to Work Seminar flyer.

Nathan’s taking on three running challenges to fundraise for RSBC – the Tatton 10k, the Manchester Half Marathon, and the Chester Marathon. Nathan and his wife, Jessica, have a son, Alfie, who was born with albinism. It’s a genetic condition which causes a lack of pigment and, like many people with albinism, Alfie has difficulties […]

No categories April 30, 2025

A marathon to remember!

The London Marathon 2025 saw 56,000 runners take to the streets of London to challenge themselves and raise money for a huge range of good causes. And amongst the thousands who took part were 68 athletes who were supporting RSBC.

A light-skinned women with light brown hair wearing red glasses. She is standing in front of a low brick wall with fields in the background whilst smiling with her thumbs up. Hannah is wearing an RSBC orange running vest, black top and black shorts with a waist water holder.

No categories April 22, 2025

Running for Sharn and Maya

With the London Marathon fast approaching, we spoke to runner Hannah to find out why she wanted to raise funds for RSBC.

Nick, a light-skinned man who's a London Marathon fundraiser for RSBC taking a selfie. He's smiling at the camera wearing a long-sleeved blue top, a black sleeveless running jacket over the top and a black cap.

No categories April 14, 2025

Nick’s path to the London Marathon

This April, Nick will be running the London Marathon for RSBC. We sat down with him to find out why he wanted to run for us, and learn a little bit more about his journey so far.

A light-skinned mother and father, Abbie and Lewis, holding their young boy, Albie. They are all smiling brightly. Abbie is wearing a black and white dress, Lewis, a white shirt with black spots on it and Albie a blue shirt with cream dungarees.

No categories April 9, 2025

Running for Albie

Albie was born with severe sight impairment, having been diagnosed when he was 4 months old. His mum and dad, Abbie and Lewis, are both running the 2025 London Marathon to raise funds for RSBC – the first time that two parents of a child supported by the charity have run together at this famous […]

Julie, a light skinned woman with long brown hair sits at a desk with her hands folded in front of her. There are wooden shelves in the background. She is smiling broadly and wearing a metallic bronze coloured top.

No categories March 28, 2025

Mother’s Day: our CEO shares her story

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating! In recognition of this special day, we sat down with our CEO, Julie, to hear about her relationship with her daughter, Saime, who is registered blind.

Camille, a young person with black rimmed glasses and long dark hair, wears a black jacket and white shirt and smiles broadly at the camera.

No categories March 20, 2025

What our young poets have to say this World Poetry Day

We were delighted to host two workshop sessions with renowned poet Dave Steele recently, and they certainly fired up the imaginations of the young people who attended! We’re pleased to be able to showcase the incredible talent that came out of the workshops in the beautiful poems written by those attending below.

Two women sitting at a computer in an office, one is helping the other with work. There is a man sitting at his computer to their right.

No categories March 10, 2025

RSBC’s 5 key reforms to support young people into work

The government has just announced plans for a major shakeup of the welfare system, with £6bn of proposed cuts. Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are a lifeline for many people in our community. We understand the system needs reform, and that tough times can call for tough measures. But cutting back on PIP without making it […]

A member of Dorton College's team with three students. Two are standing to the team members left and one is on the right. They are all linking arms with big smiles on their faces. They are standing in front of the RSBC Dorton College sign, which also has purple bunting and a sign that says: Careers Day above the bunting.

No categories March 7, 2025

Dorton College careers day: giving our students the confidence to shine

Too often, young people living with a vision impairment aren’t given the career opportunities they deserve. That’s why RSBC’s Dorton College hosted a careers day recently, inviting external speakers to inspire our students and help provide them with the tools they need to enter the world of work.

A photograph of the Royal Society for Blind Children Dorton College sign. The sign is on a wall to the right of where the camera is pointing. The camera is pointing down the Dorton College hallway.

No categories March 5, 2025

Gary O’Donoghue’s win at the RTS Television Journalism Awards

Each year, the Royal Television Society hosts the Television Journalism Awards, celebrating the most prestigious change-makers in the British journalism space.