RSBC Unseen Podcast – Does working work? (Season 2, Episode 20)

02:02

Yeah, of course. So I’m Carla, and I work at RSBC, within the employment service, so I’m the employment support worker here. And I help young people like yourselves find jobs, but also support them into getting into, you know, higher education, as well. I think it’s really about believing in knowing exactly what it is that you want to do. I think also, yeah, just having the confidence to step into what it is that you desire to do. And knowing that there’s always people here to support you to do that. I also think that I understand that there are like, different challenges that, you know, young people have that, that I’ve worked with have experienced and you know, that could be to do with them being VI and not knowing how to maybe disclose that information or feel that they may get pre judged about that. Or maybe just not getting the right support that they need. When going into roles just because some employers might be they might just not have the knowledge of how to support a young person that has that is VI. So I suppose just the experiences that I’ve had is just kind of helping young people to navigate their way into work, and almost kind of like holding their hand to some extent, and helping them build that independence so that they can thrive in what it is that they’re desiring to do. I don’t know if I answered the question directly, but, I’ve open up in a tangent, but yeah.

03:45

Nothing that’s perfect and I completely agree, because I know when when I was waiting to start my apprentice, I mean, it was very much where are they going to place me what am I going to be doing and there was some sort of some some problems around that and then saying, we’re not suitable for this or that. But I think it’s very important that you know, what you need. I mean, when I started, my manager, and the people that I was working with, had no idea whatsoever what I need to help me, they really didn’t have a clue. So I think you need to be confident in yourself really, and be confident with what you know, because you know yourself better than anyone else. And I think it’s always important to just be open and honest. Because if you’re going to start a job, you know what you need and you know, you know your visual impairment more than anyone else. So it’s very important to just be open and honest about it and, and just tell them exactly what you need. And realistically, they should get that for you and there’s always access to work and different things as well.

04:35

I wanted to ask was let’s just kind of think of it on both sides. So the advantages and when I say disadvantages or what you think might see as a disadvantage from disclosing them being VI when looking for work or when you know, speaking to an employer, what would you say?

04:58

I’d say always consider it as a competition like guys, personally how I see it and not, a lot of you might not like me saying this, but to be honest, like, from my experience and stuff, it is a truth. And it’s not just in the creative industry, like, you’re always going to be like, there’s always gonna be people who want the same kind of spot as you do. And I think the most important thing is to be able to stand out, you know, make sure you pick up on all your qualities to kind of showcase them if that makes any sense, like, if that makes any sense. I don’t remember the question.

05:30

Yeah, I mean, for me as well. It was always important for my apprentice, when I first ever applied, there was some online tests, just to clear my visual impairment, which was sort of ticking a box, by way extra time, I don’t think I would have probably passed some tests. If I didn’t get that extra time. I mean, I’m completely capable of doing it. But reading what was on the screen would just take me a little bit longer, and things like that. So for me, I always would, but I know there’s a lot of people out there that do think it will cause some problems. And there are stories where employers don’t like it. I guess it all goes back to us about being confident because if you’re going to disclose it, realistically, there’s actually statistics that show that people with disabilities are actually hard workers. And you know, we do try more. And we do we do put our head down a bit more to try and do things, because we might find it slightly harder, but we’re still going to do it. So I would always say about saying it. But I also know there’s a lot I mean, it did still cause me problems, so and the other hand, I could also say, well, I mean, it’s when is the right point to say it as some people might wait until, you know, if it’s a long into long application process or things, whether you do it right at the start halfway through just before you start, but you’ve always got to say at some point, because they need to get things in place to you to be able to do the wrong.

06:38

It might be useful, though, to actually tick the box before because there’s many, many employers now that do the guaranteed interview scheme. And obviously, if you’re gonna go down that route, then you’re going to have to declare it before your interview. But you don’t think you necessarily have to watch your disability is this more of a sort of you declare you’ve got a disability, and you’ve got on the guaranteed interview scheme. And obviously, I would always recommend doing that. I mean, I’ve used it before. Because if you’ve got a disability, you only have to meet minimum scores to be able to get through to interview stage. So it sort of depends on the job you’re applying for. I think maybe that’s sort of the thing to be looking at is what the job is and how you’re applying because if you got the chance to do the guaranteed interview scheme, I would always say just go for it.

07:21

What’s your thoughts on guaranteed interviews, then? Do you feel like it’s kind of like, do you think that is a great benefit? Or do you feel I call it’s kind of just like a cable? You’re giving me one for him? Because maybe you have to to avoid any form of discrimination? Like, what’s your thoughts on that?

07:40

I sort of think both, because part of me does think I’ve always thought you know, I’m equal, I should just, I should have to go through the same process as everyone else. But it’s like you said, if they knew you had a disability, and there wasn’t a guaranteed interview scheme, is there going to be discrimination there? So is there for the right reasons, but at the same time, it’s still a bit, I mean, if I didn’t have a disability, and then loads of people are getting interviews, just because they’ve got a disability, I still don’t really necessarily think that’s the best way of it. But I guess it’s there to stop discrimination, which and there is a lot of it, you hear loads of stories, where you, you know, your employer doesn’t want you so if they’re for the right reasons, but it’s just getting the balance, right? If you know what I mean.

08:22

To an extent so like before, so I have quite like a wide range of stuff that I wanted to do. Like, it kind of ranges from working in the entertainment industry to like going into law and into policing and things like that. And I’m not sure if I’d count it as discrimination, but I’m not sure. But like, I know, to join the police force, you have to have a certain level of sight to join. And I’ve heard stories from other VI people will try to kind of get into the same job that I have within the police that apparently, apparently, someone turned around to them and said, Oh, well, we don’t have the kind of open he just said, like, we don’t have the kind of facilities here for you to do that job, basically, like, I’m not sure how true that is. But like, I know, when I’ve looked into it, they have said, Oh, you need to have a certain level of sight, and things like that, which I kind of understand. But at the same time, like, I’m sure there would be a way around it if they invested into like, you know, lifting like into it, but…

09:25

You can still do whatever you want. You just got to find other ways. I mean, I read a story the other day about a blind doctor, and you would not think that is possible, but it is like some someone has done it. But I might not have necessarily had discrimination getting into work. I mean, when I started the apprentice, like I said it was very sort of, you know, they put me in one place and it’d be Oh, you’re not suitable for this and whatever. But so that was quite annoying. So it probably took me longer to start the apprentice and other people because it was almost like they just sort of forgotten I had declared a visual impairment. And then when it comes to start in, it was like, Oh, I just remember and you’re not going to be suitable for that role. But even sort of in the workplace, once I’ve started, I think there is, there’s always going to be discrimination in the workplace, if you’ve got a disability, I noticed, there shouldn’t be, and I wish there wasn’t. But I think there always is that, you know, things will come out in my work with like, they want sort of people to apply for sort of additional roles to their normal daily job. I mean, it’s not like an extra job, you don’t get any sort of extra money, it’s sort of just additional things to help you move up and give you the experiences. And there’s a lot of them that would sort of come out and people would sort of sort of brushed me off and sort of automatically assume that I can’t do it, when actually I’ve I’ve gotten for loads of them and been completely faithful at delivering training. And I wanted to sort of help deliver some training. And people just assume well, how are you going to do that? Well, actually, I’ve done it loads of times now. And I’m, I can do it just as much as well as anyone else. So there’s the I think there’s always discrimination in the workplace, or even sort of things, like people come up to talk to me, they see the size of my screen, and how it looks like they’re just scared to come and approach me. It’s like, they just stink, or they’ll go, Oh, she’s concentrating, we can’t talk to her, like, I like a chat while I’m working just like anyone else. So there’s always sort of little bits of discrimination, you’re always gonna find that is hard. Because when I’m sitting there, and people do so will pass me or don’t speak to me as much as other people. But then I will now go out of my way. And I’ve done like talks in my office to sort of tell the whole department about my visual impairment and sort of, you know, Do this, don’t do this and make them understand a bit more sensible. doesn’t happen as much. But walking around my office, when I’m seeing other floors, or I had an event with sort of different departments where they don’t know me, there is always going to be levels of discrimination. I think I know it’s wrong, and there shouldn’t be, but I think there always will be, unfortunately, but it’s about how you handle it.

11:45

Sometimes. Like, I think some people just don’t understand like, I don’t think sometimes I don’t think they realize that they’re discriminating in a sense sometimes. Like, would you agree? Or do you kind of

12:00

Oh, yeah, don’t don’t like Yeah, I mean, I remember sort of when I first started, where there was this woman, I went to use the printer. And there was actually nothing on the print last day wasn’t working. But this woman sort of said to someone else, Oh, can you tell Charlotte the printer isn’t working? And I sort of looked her at my yesterday work? Because I heard her say that. So why didn’t she just say it in the first place rather than tell her and bear in mind, there’s nothing even on the printer to say it wasn’t working. So anyone would have made that mistake, it was actually nothing to do with my visual impairment. And that was literally because she didn’t understand it was just because she she didn’t know how to handle the situation, when realistically, she should have had to just like if it was anyone else, they went up to the printer to use it.

12:40

So do you feel like let’s say within the work place, because Charlotte, I think that’s quite a good example, like, do you feel like people kind of almost, I don’t want to say baby, but maybe like, treat you maybe? Do baby you over protect you and really give you that independence kind of thing? Do you feel like you experienced that.

13:06

I have done in the past. But I think the way I sort of handled it and know the people around me now it doesn’t really happen anymore. It does this whole thing about you know, you go out and someone talks to the person you’re with rather than you and different things like that, is that sort of thing, or like talking slower or differently? I think people do, we will definitely do baby or things like even because I work quite far away. We’re not that far. But if I long journey, there’s been situations like the Christmas party where someone was going to ask me if I was going to come and someone else said, Oh, no, it’s too far for her, when actually I’m quite ready to go. So it doesn’t always happen.

13:41

So then, I’ve got another question. So some young people that I work with, you know, traveling can be an issue for them. And that can be also a hindrance of, you know, what they apply for, you know, if it’s too close to home, there might not be as much opportunities if they, as if you know, if they could reach out and stuff like that. And I know there’s things like access to work, where you can get support for travel and things like that. But what would your advice be for? Oh, do you want to explain what that is? So people know.

14:19

So it’s basically like, I think you are not too sure. But I think you get like two thirds of your journey. It’s like a taxi service. And it basically drops you they kind of assist you and it drops you to the door like from the door of your, like pickup location to get the door of your destination and you get like to that offer journey and they assist you like to where you need to go and so it was kind of like yeah, it’s kind of like, I guess kind of like Uber assist in a sense in terms of they’re supposed to assist you but like you get two thirds off your journey as well. I mean, lashes I’m not sure too much about it. I was looking into it, but I haven’t actually got around to.

14:59

This yard got one and is not the best to be using for work because you’re not always guaranteed a taxi, you can be waiting. Or you can be waiting an hour to one. And it’s only up to a certain mileage. So if I wanted to use that to get to work, it wouldn’t work because you can only do it up to a certain distance. So it’d be like too far. But I would say as always, if you’re gonna go into actually not confident with traveling, you’ve got to remember as well, if you’re applying further away from home, it’s going to be the same place every day, well, okay, it’s not actually to every job. But if it’s a job, or it’s the same pace every day, just do the journey loads of times with someone and like, when I first started work, I wasn’t confident, but you got to remember that the more you do it, the more confident you’ll get and it’s going to end up just being your daily routine. Because it’s still a good idea, but I just don’t think I don’t, I don’t know if it’d be the best for sort of necessarily work on back. So because I mean, a good thing to sort of touch on talking about employment is people that aren’t confident or maybe think like I did, I used to think I couldn’t work, but it’s just not gonna happen, we got to remember is that volunteering is always a very, very good thing and boosts confidence, it could get you learning how to do different things, and building up your skills to get you more confident with employment or even learning what you need yourself. Volunteering could be a good way into start sort of adapt into employment.

16:17

Yeah, that’s, that’s definitely something especially those that haven’t had the experience, and they might just be fresh out of secondary school, it’s definitely always a good place to start to volunteer to build up that confidence as Yeah.

16:34

To be honest, is going to be really bad, I haven’t actually used that to work. i It depends on the employment for me, and people in my work, have used access to work. But my work were actually very good. I mean, the day I started, I had a 30 inch screen, and more high contrast keyboard, I had the software I needed, like I haven’t necessarily needed to go and use it. There’s a lot of people that have, and I have looked into it. But there hasn’t been a sort of time I’ve necessarily actually needed to do it. Because I’ve got everything I need. I know it’s really good. And you just apply and someone will come and assess you. And then well if you need assess in or if you just need a bit of equipment that you can’t afford, or your workplace can’t afford that obviously fund it. So it’s a definitely a good thing to bear in mind. And I’m sure in the future, there’ll be times I come across where I do need you to access to work. But yeah, I just I just haven’t. But I know it’s obviously a very, very good thing there for anyone that may need equipment or different things for work. It’s not just equipment. I mean, I know they can help with travel. And also so they do so many different things for people that can help. It’s definitely worth bearing in mind if you’re thinking about employment or unemployment. But for me, I just haven’t necessarily needed to use them.

17:47

Well, if Access to Work could provide me with like a, you know, superfast memory to learn scripts and things I’d be more than grateful to get it.

17:55

You know, what’s great about being VI and working? What’s great, what’s, you know, what’s the great experiences that you’ve had? Like have that has, you know, what, what good experiences have you had? Because I know we’ve spoken about, you know, the negative side of things. But yeah, like, what great support Have you had, or what great experiences have you had?

18:19

I think you always get like a bigger sense of achievement. Like when I say people assume sort of, I can’t do things as well as them, like I’ve gotten higher than others. And I think you always get sort of a bigger sense of achievement than maybe others. Because for you, it’s probably more of a challenge. And then when you do do this, or like delivering training, I had to obviously adapt that for myself with sort of no help from others, because it’s only me that knew how to do it. So that you always get a bigger sense of achievement. But I’ve also had very, very supportive managers who have pushed me to go further and have sort of, I mean, one of my managers knew quite a lot about socialism, the disability champion at work. And she knew a lot about sort of, you know, the equipment I could get and ordering it and different things like that. So she was my first manager, which obviously was on my first day, I was pretty set up ready to go. There already, I mean, it’s not all negative. There’s definitely a lot of people out there that are brilliant and can really help and listen, I mean, I think the best the best thing for any employer that’s going to have someone with a disability or VI, is just to listen and actually take on board what they’re saying, Never assume, because you’re just gonna get it wrong.

19:26

Okay, and then off the back of that I want to ask what you think makes a good employer?

19:34

Someone who asks questions rather than assuming. Like so, instead of like, obviously, I know like, I’m gonna find it overwhelming as I said and stuff but I think there’s a certain way of being able to handle the like, for example, like, whenever I work like loads of different people, because I don’t obviously have the same project like, you know, different kinds of filming things, different projects over so it’s always interesting to See how different people handle the fact that I, you know, have a disability. And most of the time has been brilliant. Like, they will ask me questions rather than, like, kind of assuming. So they will be like, you know, what can we do to make this more accessible for you? You know, what can we kind of know, do you read? Well, do you like, what do you kind of use? How will you like, they ask questions, rather than be like, oh, like, Oh, you’re not gonna do this or like, you know, whatever it like. And I think that’s really important, because it gives me a chance to kind of explain to them like, and it gives them a chance to kind of understand it a bit more as well. So rather than just like shutting me out completely, you know, they ask questions and stuff, but they’re genuinely seem to be interested in, you know, how I deal with it. And we adapt that to the situation. And like, it works. I remember the first acting project I did, I wasn’t familiar with the set. And, you know, so he, so he, the director was like, okay, so what do you what can we do to make it like accessible, okay, if you can just like, give me a few, like, about half an hour or so to familiarize myself with the set, you know, I will have it, you know, I will have it down, you know, I’ll learn and stuff. If I do, like, accidentally go the wrong way, just if you can just cut it. And we’ll just try again, like, and that’s a great thing to be fair with. And you can keep cutting and re recording and stuff like that. So it’s lovely to see that people are genuinely interested in stuff like that, rather than like, oh, you know, you’re you’ve got splits, like, you’re not gonna see this, you know, we’re gonna look for someone else. Like, I just think it’s great that they ask questions, to be honest.

21:33

Thank you for sharing that. Charlotte, what’s your thoughts?

21:37

I completely agree, really, I think that is the main thing, I think a lot of the rest of it, we can sort of get on with it, like anyone else, but I think it is, is mainly not assuming and asking questions, because we know our visual impairment better than anyone else, and what we need to be understanding given us time, like Cindy said, being able to familiarize herself with me on my first day at work, I must have walked around the office about 10 times just sort of finding my way around, to just be given the time to sort of, I mean, yeah, we can do things just as well as anyone else. But sometimes there might take us longer, or we’re doing a different way. So just be an understanding of our needs, and what we might need to do, and just giving us the time and space to do it. So I mean, someone could have stepped stood there and tried to describe to me the office and you know, take you around, or this or that. But really what I needed was my own time and space to be able to do it myself. And just familiarize myself.

22:27

I’m like the question queen, given the new way of working, how can this benefit young people now?

22:34

So I think it’s it’s really good work from home, especially say like interviews, I mean, you will walk into a room with a cane in your guide, or wherever they see you. And they sort of focus on that, I think sometimes, and I’ve heard stories where people are not maybe declaring their visual impairment, which sort of contradicts what I said earlier about declaring it. But doing sort of virtual interviews and different things like that can really benefit us because we don’t have to find our way to a new place or be worried about someone focusing on the fact you’ve got a cane in your hand, we can sit in front of that screen, and we’re just like anyone else having an interview, rather than being singled out as a person with a disability. I also think it’s works in different ways. Because some people I know, have their equipment in the office, and then they go to work from home and it becomes more challenging. Whereas for me, when I was in the office, I mean, I had all my equipment now working from home, I can work with my 50 inch TV. So I’ve got an even bigger screen that I have in the office. And for me, I’m in my own environment, I’m comfortable, I don’t have to do my long journey to work. So it’s good, but at the same time, it’s quite isolating. So but I guess he is for everyone disability or not. So I think it’s got its benefits and its downsides really. But I think for me, it’s definitely been a benefit. And I’m more comfortable in my own space. And you know, not having people watching me and assuming and different things. Like if I’m holding meetings or delivering training people don’t even need to know for visual impairment really, I mean nine times out of 10 I will tell them but I could probably deliver that training or do the meeting without anyone even knowing so it’s definitely worth benefits.

24:13

So I’m kind of on the opposite end of that when it’s like I prefer I guess there’ll be do different kinds of jobs. Like when it comes to auditioning and stuff I prefer it to be in person because I don’t know why but I just feel more comfortable like being able to kind of show that yes, I do have a cane and as we’ll see, but at least I’m here like I made it you know like I don’t know I just feel like personally for me I just kind of prefer it to be in person rather than just like virtual as well if I’m able to portray more about myself in person. But yeah, I think like you said it’s there’s positives and negatives and things that there’s benefits and promises and things like that. But it is interesting. Like it is really interesting how weights kind of changed and stuff and all the new kind of technologies and things that are in place to be able to work from home and stuff like that.

25:07

When finding work affect your benefits and it is for the better or not, it’s good.

25:13

I think it depends on the job. Okay. And for me, I mean, you’re always still get your PIP that’s never going to be affected by work, as far as I know. But as an Employment Support Allowance, which is sort of the job seekers, but for people with disabilities, and obviously, that stopped, but I know that you can work up to I think it’s about 16 hours. I could be wrong there. But there’s there is a limit. So you could sort of if you wanted to. Yeah. So if you wanted to start getting some experience and doing sort of a part time job, then you’re actually not going to lose your benefits and you’ll be you’ll be gaining, I was still going in because obviously my salary was more than what I was getting from ESA anyway. So I think it’s about getting that balance. So in looking at what you’re going to be earning, you know, if you’re going to be doing 17 hours a week and losing your ESA chances are you’re probably not going to be gaining much.

26:05

You lose it though, do you? Because at first as far as I know, like I think so obviously, you can work part time to 16 hours. And I think after that they start they don’t cut it completely when they started adopting, I think it’s like so for every pound you and it’s like 68 Pence or take off or something.

26:24

Yeah, I’m not 100% Sure I know with mine, I lost my ESA that I was doing a full time.

26:28

just going off that that’s that’s another perk to being visually impaired when you’re working as though and I’m not sure if any of your client claiming it because I didn’t know about it until I stopped working which which was the blind person’s allowance, which gives you a threshold.

 

26:45

Person’s tax code. So she paid different tax…

26:49

So your average person. So Carla, and Sonya and Nicole, though will start paying tax after 12,750, I think. No, so, profiles and 12,575 a year if they’re earning more than that… anything over that you start paying tax 20% tax. But whereas a blind person, you get another round about 2k extra on top, so you’re getting almost 15,000 pounds of tax free allowance. So for example, if you’re working and you’re making 16k a year, if you’re blind person you pay only 1000 Pound… 20% of 1000 pounds, whereas a sighted person would have to pay 20% of 3000 pounds, if that makes sense. A little bit better. Slightly better. It’s a little perk. But yeah, that’s another benefit.

27:45

Is not just for blind people is that for people with other disabilities as well?

27:49

it’s called blind person’s allowance I’m assuming it’s just for blind people.

27:51

So that was the RSBC Unseen podcast about employment. We hope you enjoyed what we have to offer you. Be sure to check out I believe they’re on our website and on Spotify, the rest of our podcast we have loads of interesting topics that we cover. And make sure to stay tuned. But for now, take care and we will see you soon.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai