RNIB receives award for helping blind and partially sighted people into work

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has been recognised for the support it offers to blind and partially sighted people seeking work.

The charity’s pre-employment team was presented with the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) Employability Award on 4 December.

The award recognised the tailored support that RNIB provides for jobseekers with visual impairments.

The programme uses RNIB’s in-house expertise to develop bespoke support packages for blind jobseekers, based on their requirements. It assisted 227 people into employment between August 2022 and December 2024.

Those requiring support are directed to the RNIB employment team, who are able to discuss their experience and employment goals and create a personalised action plan.

The plan takes into consideration the level of impact the individual’s eye condition has, and details the steps required to get into employment and any barriers that need addressing.

The team is able to discuss what kinds of job might be suitable and might align with an individual’s transferable skills, and can also review CVs and applications as well as performing mock interviews.

Accredited training courses and the adaptions that might be needed can also be identified.

Referrals can also be made internally if required, with other RNIB departments able to provide support around confidence building, adaptive technology, benefits advice, or counselling.

Bhadrika Chauhan, manager of the charity’s pre-employment team, said: “It’s a huge honour to have this work recognised with an ERSA Award. Standard UK government employability programmes are still failing jobseekers with sight loss.

“We’re determined to change this and are driven to ensure support is available to both jobseekers and employers, so that great candidates can get the roles they deserve, and businesses can flourish as a result.”

Chauhan added: “At RNIB, we know that a lot of people want to work but systemic barriers are preventing them from doing so. This is why our tailored support programme is so important.”

One quarter of four blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment, RNIB said, compared to three quarters of the general population.

Saleh Ahmed, who was born with Leber congenital amaurosis, was able to secure a job as a customer service adviser at EE after using the service.

“My employment adviser helped me fill out my application forms, and attended the interview with me, as well as my first meeting with my manager,” Ahmed said.

“I was nearly at the point of giving up, but she supported me with a lot of things and made me feel confident. If it weren’t for RNIB’s help, I don’t think I’d be working right now.”

Lead image, pictured right to left: Kudirat Andeniyi, RNIB employment manager, Bhadrika Chauhan, RNIB employment manager, and George Bradley, RNIB employment adviser