Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) and Action for Blind People have devised a programme to offer work experience for visually impaired candidates.
The partnership began in 2005 when Action for Blind People approached TfL for work placements that would give visually impaired jobseekers an opportunity to develop their skills. Only one in four blind and partially sighted people of working age are in work.
Transport for London has committed to providing at least four placements which will vary from four to eight months and are designed both to assist the business and to offer development opportunities to the participant. Access technology software such as speech reading programs (JAWS or Supernova), will be made available by TfL.
To establish a placement, TfL briefs interested departments then Action for Blind People matches CVs to the job description. Suitable candidates are then shortlisted and interviewed. Departments receive visual awareness training before the placement starts.
The first participant, Lucy Farrar, is working in TfL's traffic manager's office.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my first six weeks working at TfL and I couldn't have wished for a more helpful, friendly and welcoming team. And it gives me peace of mind to know that Action for Blind People here if needed."
Simon Mouncey, a placement line manager at TfL, commented:
"We are now building the visual awareness training into our inductions, not least because all our staff should have the diversity and inclusion core competency 'to understand and respect the needs of TfL's diverse workforce and customers' to do their job effectively. The placement has made an exceptional contribution to our department's skills and experience." [i]
Useful links
Sources
- [i] Employers' Update Summer 2006