‘Without help of RNIB I would be without a job and stuck in a rut’

But imagine how much harder it is to convince an employer to take on someone with impaired sight who will require costly adjustments to their workspace or sometimes take longer to process information due to their condition.

The local branch of the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) are trying to do their bit to help those with visual impairment into work that will best suit them with an Eye Work Too employment coaching programme. Currently the statistics show that only one in four blind people have jobs. The charity naturally wants this to change.

The RNIB is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people. It wants society, communities and individuals to see differently about sight loss. The organisation’s focus is on creating a world where there are no barriers for such people in any area of life.

To give an idea of the prevalence of the condition: every day 250 people start to lose their sight; at least half of all loss of vision is avoidable; more than two million people in the UK have sight loss, while in Northern Ireland there are 55,600.

Tess Braidner, 29, from Belfast, is just one example of the effectivity of the charity’s Eye Work Too, for which there remain places to be filled by the end of March. In tandem with RNIB, Tess is calling for more employers to welcome those who are blind or dealing with visual impairment into the workplace.

Sessions on improving your CV, interview skills, confidence building, using assistive technologies such as magnification and speech software, attaining ICT user skills, how to explain sight impairment to an employer and explaining the need for adjustments such as a larger monitor and more limited targets than those with perfect vision are just some of the topics to be addressed through online sessions.

Tess credits the RNIB programme with helping her into her current role as a support worker for students at Belfast Met.

She has had sight loss since birth after being born four months prematurely.

Her eye condition is called retinopathy of prematurity and she also has glaucoma. The latter illness is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged. Symptoms include blurred vision or seeing rainbow-coloured circles around bright lights.

Unfortunately for Tess, her condition appears to be deteriorating over time and she worries about how this will impact her ability to work.

“Lately it does seem to be getting worse, and it does get me down but I am lucky that I do have a great support network of friends and family to call on. I can see but things are very blurry and as a support worker sometimes I struggle to see the blackboard in order to help students understand the tasks their tutors have set.”

Despite her difficulties with her vision, Tess initially completed a degree in graphic design in Bolton before acquiring a PGCE in teaching learners with additional needs.

After seven years in England, she decided to come home, unable to find permanent work and missing family and friends intensely. She signed back up with RNIB right away, taking part in art, healthy eating and exercise classes before joining the Eye Work Too programme.

“After I returned from Bolton, I wanted to get back into the support network of RNIB Northern Ireland as I have been using the charity’s services all my life. Without the RNIB I would just be stuck in a rut. From the bottom of my heart I cannot sing their praises highly enough.

“I rang the RNIB Helpline and was put in touch with the employment services and the community connections team to link me in with social activities. One phone call, that was it.

“I couldn’t do without RNIB.”

Tess joined the programme in March 2020 and secured a job at Belfast Met in October.

“RNIB set my path back to work out for me and helped me to navigate it.

“But it’s been so frustrating [to have to work virtually under lockdown] as I’m just busting to get out! It’s the social aspect of working I crave too. I want to get out and see the world; we are social creatures and I’ve skills to offer.

“I am learning a lot. My RNIB employment adviser Clare Dixon has opened so many doors for me, from job openings, interview training, internet security sessions and enabling me to undertake my Level Two in ICT.

“She’s also on hand to advise both me, and my employer, about disability rights in the workplace and making adjustments for me.”

Tess adds: “Belfast MET have been so good; it’s a really inclusive workplace and gives me what I need to help me do my job.”

Anne Cahill, Eye Work Too project co-ordinator, said: “All clients complete an Employment Assessment with their Employment Advisor as part of their induction and this guides all towards suitable work options for placements. Ideas are then explored, and relevant companies are approached.”

Anne also explained that equipment can be borrowed too: “Our new loan equipment scheme allows Eye Work Too to reach blind and partially sighted people from every part of Northern Ireland by loaning laptops, assistive technology and other IT equipment.

“All participants are offered personal one-to-one tuition to ensure successful completion of accredited qualifications in IT.

“A new virtual drop-in ensures that all participants have the opportunity to develop new friendships and keep up-to-date, with exciting social activities and other services offered through RNIB. We ensure ongoing support and IT training for those wishing to engage in further education – this ensures full and smooth engagement in their learning.”

All participants are offered work placements which provide real life work experience, on the job training and enhanced opportunities to secure permanent work.

Tess stressed: “Sight loss isn’t just applicable to older people.

“I took part in an RNIB event a while ago and there was an older person there who said I was far too young to have a visual impairment.

“People don’t realise young people have sight loss too.

“I highly recommend RNIB. It has been a great support for me in every way and the Eye Work Too programme has done so much for my confidence. “

And what would Tess say to others in the same situation who are maybe apprehensive about working?

“I would encourage anyone who is frightened to give Eye Work Too a go,” she said. “It has really boosted my confidence and given me the tools to secure a job.”

Clare Dixon is an employment adviser at RNIB. She added: “Generally employers do want to offer specific measures or adjustments to accommodate a partially sighted employee. But there is still discrimination out there and as an organisation we need to do all we can to remove barriers to employment for this demographic.

“We want to see the workplace become an even playing field for those with sight problems. That is our mission.”

There are several considerations an employer must make when employing a blind or partially sighted person and the same principles apply when hosting an apprenticeship: they must check that application forms and interview processes are accessible; remember that there is a wide range of assistive technologies that can support blind or partially sighted people in the workplace; they also will have a legal responsibility to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support a disabled employee which can be funded through the government’s Access to Work scheme.

The RNIB offer advice about risk assessing, making simple adaptations to workplaces and support related to coronavirus. For more on the Eye Work Too programme call 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk/eye-work-too-project.