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Focus on the workplace on World Sight Day
14/10/2021
Only one in four blind and partially sighted people who are of working age are in employment
Today is World Sight Day. The Oxfordshire Association for the Blind is using the day to raise awareness of the disparity between sighted and blind and partially sighted people in the workplace.
The Association supports people across the county and runs the Banbury Social Eyes group, which meets at the Mill Arts Centre café. The group offers a range of activities and support for people with a visual impairment.
Recent figures show that only one in four blind and partially sighted people who are of working age are in employment. 90% of employers would be interested in employing someone who is blind or partially sighted.
Mark Upton is the Chief Executive at Oxfordshire Association for the Blind and is visually impaired himself.
Mark said: “We’re trying to highlight that we are employable, we have skills and the ability to do a lot of jobs.
“Growing up with a visual impairment you always seem to focus on the things you can’t do. I couldn’t drive so I knew I would never be able to be a lorry driver. But then lots of people can’t do lots of other jobs. They’re not going to be rocket scientists or brain surgeons, but they don’t focus on that.
“Unfortunately, when you’ve got a visual impairment you tend to focus on all those things you can’t do rather than those jobs you can do.
“I think that’s the thing with employers. They need to realise that they could employ someone who’s blind or partially sighted. They could make the necessary adjustments and its not actually that hard.”
Working with an apprenticeship provider, the Association has this year taken on a visually impaired young person as an apprentice.
Mark said: “We want to use that as an example for other companies who are going to take on an apprentice to say ‘we’ve got someone who’s visually impaired why don’t you take them on?’. Here’s our example of how we’ve done it and here’s how we can make the adjustments.”
More than 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss, including around 22,000 people in Oxfordshire.
More information from the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind is available here.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam