The latest findings of the Transitional Research, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust and conducted by the Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR) at the University of Birmingham has found that:
- Just over a fifth (21 per cent) are either ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training’ (NEET) or in long term unpaid voluntary work
- Some young people with vision impairment do not feel ready for work and are not actively seeking employment, instead choosing to take on voluntary work or not to work at all
- Young people with vision impairment who are NEET are often not signposted to services which could enable them to access the labour market
- Some young people with vision impairment are employed in short-term unsecure roles, making it difficult for them to get Access to Work and other accommodations
- Young people with vision impairment often face a ‘cliff edge’ after completing their education. For example, a large proportion of participants became NEET when leaving Higher Education (HE), and several returned to study when they didn’t find work.