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Action deskYou are in: Kent > BBC Radio Kent > Action desk > World Sight Day  RLSB logo World Sight DayBy Steff Foreman Currently 75 percent of visually impaired adults in the UK are unemployed and research has shown that many employers would find it ‘difficult’ or impossible to offer jobs to blind or partially sighted people. For many of us, getting up in the morning and going to work is something we often do on auto-pilot, but can you imagine, if despite having skills, qualifications and ambition, you could not get a job. With around 85,000 blind or partially sighted people living in London and the South East alone, it is alarming to know that most of these capable adults are unemployed through no choice of their own.  Helena, Cheryl Baker, Anita Dobson and Hilary. On the 11th October 2007, supported by Anita Dobson (RLSB Vice President), Royal London Society for the Blind used World Sight Day to hold an event at the London Eye, organising a ‘Flight for Sight’. The intention was to address the many issues faced by visually impaired adults, but most prominently, to educate employers about the specialist equipment, software and support available, so that they can help blind or partially sighted people do normal jobs and play a full role in society. Hilary and Helena from the BBC Radio Kent CSV Action Desk went along to find out a bit more. Two people who were part of the event, are Mark Layton-Rees and James Morcom, both blind from birth and both received primary and secondary mainstream education, going onto further education at Dorton College in Sevenoaks. However, that is where the similarities end:  Mark Layton-Rees at the London Eye. Mark, 36, has been successfully employed at an IT company in Bexleyheath since leaving education in 1994, where through the use of specialist adaptive equipment he supports and maintains business systems and accounts packages for over 5,000 users. Mark is married and a father to two children, meaning he also has a parental interest in disability employment as his daughter has inherited his condition. Help playing audio/video  James Morcom at the London Eye. James’ story on the other hand is a very different one. At 24 years old, James has returned to further education after spending three years unsuccessfully seeking employment. With the help of a Disability Employment Advisor, he sent out 27 applications, had 11 written responses, of which only 1 asked him for an interview. He was not offered the job. James had almost reached the point of despair, when he decided that he would return to higher education, in order to further his qualifications and hopes to pursue a career in psychology. He is now more confident that he will gain employment once he has his degree. Help playing audio/video In anticipation of World Sight Day, Julie Maddocks also met Penny Walker and her son Joshua Bozak, who at 16 was heading off to a specialist blind college in Hereford, having been in mainstream education in Kent since primary school. A focused and inspirational young man, Josh plans to study an NVQ in Business in order to one day become a Police Control Officer for Kent. He also has a keen interest in music and drama, playing the piano in his spare time. Despite having ‘heaps of confidence’, both Josh and Penny are keen for him to have some independence training at college in preparation for adult life. Help playing audio/video last updated: 07/11/07 SEE ALSOYou are in: Kent > BBC Radio Kent > Action desk > World Sight Day |
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