Gaining access to employment opportunities

Work plays a central role in life, not only as a source of income but also as a means of gaining a sense of personal identity and sustaining status and self-respect. Yet the majority of disabled people are excluded from paid work and are therefore unable to access either the economic or social benefits it affords. An estimated three out of four visually impaired people of working age are neither in employment nor in a position to access the opportunities it can offer. In Summer 1996, as part of a study investigating access to employment amongst people with vision problems, the RNIB conducted a survey of 60 individuals who had previously been interviewed in the RNIB surveys of adults and children (Bruce et al 1991; Walker et at 1992), 3. This article presents the main findings of this follow-up survey and explores the ways in which access to employment for visually impaired people could be improved. Findings from the survey reveal that while educational attainment can improve employment prospects, the degree of vision loss is a major factor in securing employment. Over half of those interviewed felt their career had been impeded both by their visual impairment and by employers attitudes. Blind and partially sighted people interviewed in this study suggest that access to employment opportunities could be improved by changing social attitudes, raising employer awareness and increasing understanding of the needs of visually impaired people. ~-----.--n-. ~_........----..--.n-.--.---....-........-.-._-.-..--.-.__..