ENABLER Project: Tackling unemployment for blind and partially sighted people
Executive summary
What we did
Between 2010 and 2013, RNIB and the University of Birmingham carried out a three-year, action-based research project to help improve the employment prospects of blind and partially sighted people. Working alongside a group of employment specialists and approximately 100 blind and partially sighted people, we designed and tested:
• a standard assessment model that has increased our understanding of
the skills, aspirations and barriers to employment of blind and partially
sighted people
• innovative support strategies for those furthest from the labour market, which has helped inform how we deliver services for blind and partially sighted people seeking work.
Why we did it
Blind and partially sighted people are significantly less likely to be in paid employment than the general population or other disabled people. Only one in three registered blind and partially sighted people of working age is in paid employment. They are nearly five times more likely than the general population to have had no paid work for five years.
Blind and partially sighted people need specialist support on their journey towards employment. In addition to more common barriers, such as long term unemployment or low literacy and numeracy levels, blind and partially sighted job seekers have specific needs related to their sight loss.
What we found
We identified key factors that determine a blind or partially sighted person’s distance from the labour market, and whether they are ready for work.
Examples of those factors include:
• being able to self-advocate to employers, explaining what workplace adjustments will be required to carry out particular roles
• confidence and competence using computers adapted with appropriate assistive technology software
• confidence and ability to travel independently using public transport
• access to information via a preferred format of braille, large print, audio or electronic information.
We have shown that blind and partially sighted people furthest from the labour market require intensive support and specialist interventions in key areas.
These include:
• developing assistive technology skills
• developing mobility skills
• skills to communicate needs and associated adjustments to employers
• making the most of residual vision
• a pre-employment programme, designed to meet the complex needs of blind
and partially sighted people.
What we produced
We have developed a comprehensive employment assessment toolkit that takes account of the specific needs of blind and partially sighted job seekers.
It supports employment advisers and their clients to design interventions that help blind and partially sighted people on their path towards employment.
The employment assessment toolkit enables employment advisers, who work with blind and partially sighted people to gain a clear understanding of their clients’ aspirations in relation to employment, and what types of support and development are required. It can be used by any provider working in the welfare to work industry that supports blind and partially sighted people.
Trials of the employment assessment toolkit and innovative support strategies provided evidence of the effectiveness of a holistic and specialist employment service for people with sight loss. The toolkit was proven to be an important part of such a service and helps employment advisors, clients and managers to:
• establish a profile of each client’s particular skills and barriers
• identify and design effective interventions which are sensitive to the complex needs and circumstances of people with sight loss
• plan a tailored pre-employment programme
• establish a baseline, which can be compared with a reassessment following intervention
• record evidence of measurable success towards paid employment
• acknowledge and celebrate other meaningful outcomes such as greater independence, or contribution and participation through voluntary work
• gather information about the range and number of clients being supported at different levels of need.
The new employment assessment toolkit is helping the RNIB group of charities to re-model the way it delivers pre-employment support with blind and partially sighted people. Designed to assess the particular issues faced by blind and partially sighted people, it serves as a diagnostic tool and is useful for planning the steps required to progress towards work. The RNIB group of charities is embedding the employment assessment toolkit as part of our support to working-age people. Our use of this standardised assessment model means that our pre-employment support for blind and partially sighted people will be even more closely aligned to the specific needs of those we support.
Category: Research Reports