Annual review - RNIB

Enabling people to retain work when losing their sight,
or to find new employment
Losing your sight should not mean losing your job. Working and earning your
living can be vital to self confidence and independence. We are determined to help
people keep their job when they are losing their sight, and find new work if they
need to. But the shocking fact is that only 33 per cent of blind and partially
sighted people of working age are in employment. This year, through working with
employers and training and supporting blind and partially sighted people, we have
helped 1,164 people to retain their job or to find new employment, and thereby to
build and maintain their confidence.
Finding his feet
Chris Ford, 50, lost his sight in 2008 as a result of an assault. He took part in
RNIB’s Finding your feet: Steps into work programme in 2012. Before he lost his
sight he was the main breadwinner, now his daughter has taken on that role. It’s
important to Chris to be able to support his family.
“ RNIB’s Steps into work programme was the first time I got together
with other people in the same position as me to look at some of
the problems we are facing. I was shocked to find out that only
33 per cent of blind or partially sighted people of working age are
in paid employment. I’d like to retrain in counselling. Speaking to
people on Steps into work helped me see it might be right for me
and I think I would be good at it.”
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Supporting independent living