RNIB Insight Radio Interview Today

Hello to anyone who may have heard me talking to Paul on RNIB Insight Radio at 12pm this afternoon!

I hope that what I said made sense and was of some interest!

I'm sure it’s possible to listen again if you missed it, but I'll give you a short summary of the conversation here and also more information I was not able to mention on air.

My big news:
Having volunteered with VICTA since March, I have been offered the opportunity to become a part time paid member of staff which I have accepted, and am very happy to now be in employment!

If you listened to the show, you will also have heard my other big news, which is that I am pregnant! My husband and I are looking forward to meeting our baby boy in late September.

Volunteering
The majority of the show was about voluntary work, which I would highly recommend any visually impaired person to look into, especially if it is regular voluntary work.
There are many benefits to you, which include, improving your employment prospects, your social skills, gets you out of the house and prepares for working scenarios.

If you get involved as a regular volunter, you will find out what you like to do, what you don't like to do, what equipment and software would help you when you are in paid employment and can apply to access to work and it also gives you a sense of achievement by helping an organisation.

The organisation or charity you volunteer with will be very happy to support you, volunteers are very valuable in many not for profit organisations as they provide extra staffing at events, and are able to carry out admin tasks that other staff members often find it difficult to schedule into their timetable.

If you volunteer at an organisation whose work you are interested in, or have a qualification relating to, they will find your expertise on the subject very useful. They will also find your experience as a VI person valuable to help them to develop the accessability of their service.

Remember, as a volunteer you can usually claim back any expenses incurred for travel, and if you commit to a certain number of hours then you must be a reliable person, as the organisation will probably be depending on your time.

Unfortunately, as a disabled volunteer, you do not get Access to Work, however if you are under 24, visually impaired, and find that you would need certain equipment in order to meet the demands of your voluntary role, you can apply to VICTA for an equipment grant for personal use which you could take with you to your placement.

Doing unpaid work, looks a lot better on your CV than doing nothing. It will also help you to flesh out your CV with references and relevant experience.

So give volunteering a go, you never know what it might lead to!

Barriers for vi people
You may find that there are some things that you can not do, (such as using a franking machine or photo copier) but focus on what you can do (such as answering phones and taking minutes) and be yourself.

If you are confident in your own skin, and your own abilities, then other people will be confident in you as well.

I discovered during my time at a Gallery in London, that it isn't practical for me to commute to London, as it makes me and my eyes very tired.

I thought about where I wanted to volunteer, Galleries, Theatres, Charities, and called them to find out if they would be interested in taking on a new volunteer, with a visual impairment.
I have found that my best experiences were when I was honest about being vi from the start, as they often expect you to not be able to do anything, and then you can surprise them by what you can do.

If you don't tell them from the start, in my experience, it makes things a little more complicated, and I have felt a bit guilty about not being able to do something, because they didn't know I was vi, and therefore expected I would be able to do everything.

At the end of the day, as someone with a visual impairment, you will find everyday tasks a challenge, so be prepared for a challenge, and enjoy what you take on, and ask for help when you need it.

Blogs
Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to get more information on, and give me comments on previous posts. Email: tprovan@victa.org.uk

We discussed issues surrounding being visually impaired and going to University, which I have to admit, I was very fortunate in that my course was a joint degree in Drama and English, and the students studying these subjects are often friendly and outgoing. I always felt as though I was part of the group, to the point where my friends would forget that I couldn't see very well, which has its pros and cons!

I was also very fortunate to have the support and understanding from the majority of teaching staff, and having heard some horror stories from other vi people, and a few of my own bad experiences, I hope to put together an action plan blog for those of you who are at, or will be starting at University in September.

Look out for my next Blog - Zoom Text Review