A series of videos demonstrating the accessible technology blind and partially sighted people use to perform tasks in the workplace as well as their fully sighted colleagues.
During November 2022, Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) and Sight Loss Councils (SLCs) listened to the voices of over 1,000 blind and partially sighted (BPS) people who we asked to tell us, what mattered to them the most. This Executive Summary will highlight the key themes that emerged from Listening Month 2022 and will highlight what activities, campaigns and influence work has been taking place in 2023 to June 2024.
2. A Sense of Priority
The most common themes identified are listed below, along with an overview of the work carried out by TPT and SLCs. For detailed updates on specific campaigns, locations, statistics and planned projects, please read our full ‘You Said, We Did’ report.
Street obstacles (e.g. A Boards, overhanging vegetation, poorly placed street furniture) were a real deterrent to people and cause of accidents
E-Scooters / bicycles being ridden inappropriately and leading to injury or nervousness about using an area
Pavement quality was an issue for many people, with pedestrian journeys negatively impacted by pavement surface quality
Pavement parking was a concern, with lack of local action
Accessible crossings were generally positive, but complained that often there are not enough of them or not fully functioning
2.1.2. We Did
We sit on a variety of local access panels and forums, using lived experience voices, to shape policies and to influence for positive change
Delivering walks with simulated spectacles and Vision Awareness sessions
Hosting the ‘Are you worried about obstacles on your pavement?’ activity
Working with e-scooter providers to improve rider safety and parking etiquette through videos, creating a charter, and working with TIER on an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS)
Developing and delivering the ‘Pavement Parking’ campaign – creating videos to highlight the issue, through various media forms, and urging the Government to introduce a new law.
Lack of audio announcements on buses or effectiveness of bus timetable information or apps
Mixed experience of passenger assistance services on rail services, with support not always available or delivered
Accessibility of booking services mixed, particularly when using apps and for ticketing
Reliability of bus and rail services was a frequent complaint, adding to the uncertainty of an already stressful journey. Very difficult to respond flexibly to delays and cancellations when you have a vision impairment
2.2.2. We Did
Various ‘mystery shopping’ exercises on a number of bus and train operators
Held a number of focus groups with people who are not involved with SLCs or the campaign directly
Hosted an Accessible Travel in Brighton and Hove forum with key stakeholders and BPS people, who provide feedback through their lived experience and advocate for positive change
Organised and hosted the SLC Conference 2023, where the theme was ‘Making Transport Accessible: Through the Power of Lived Experience’
Working with Transport for London (TfL) – to improve experiences on the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, testing an audio announcement button announcing bus arrival times, and Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD) screens, providing clearer visual information
Hosted several ‘Meet the Bus’ and ‘Try the Train’ events, with key stakeholders to improve services and raise awareness of visual impairment
Improving accessibility on buses – working to ensure information on buses is visible for wheelchair users after October 2024, and AVAS is on all buses from 2026
Implementing talking bus stops in York
Hosting round table events with Stagecoach
Improving the accessibility and navigation of various train stations with the assistance of using the Aira app, Good Maps, and by the use of audio guides, created by Bristol SLC.
Campaigning on the ticket office closures
Working with Nottingham Express Transit (NET) to improve the accessibility of tram travel
Working with Ethos Farm to improve customer experiences and raising awareness of visual impairment amongst staff, from the Department for Transport, Heathrow, the Eurostar and many other organisations
Working with Luton Rising Accessibility Forum to inform the development of Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART)
Regular complaint that attitudes and understanding of employers is poor and a lack of knowledge about support available
Concern about complexity of Access to Work (AtW) and generally poor knowledge of the specialist equipment available to enable visually impaired people to secure jobs Benefits claims process was cited by many people as being complex and inaccessible
2.4.2. We Did
Ran a pilot programme for BPS people to receive bespoke services locally
Creation of various ‘We Work’ videos which highlight different roles within different sectors which BPS people work in. These videos can be found on the TPT website and YouTube channel
Works For Me programme – A free service to support BPS people in all aspects of applying for a job, including IT support
‘Finding Your Feet’ workshop – A service to work with other organisations in providing similar support and in turn, for them to independently run this service and provide peer support
Get Set Progress – an internship programme to support BPS people with paid work opportunities. With over 50 internship roles filled so far, 85% went on to full time employment
Delivered a number of corporate talks to various organisations about working as a BPS person and providing a greater understanding
Working with Ingeus who provide an employment service on behalf of local government and London local authorities, who can assist Works For Me clients living in many London boroughs.
Confidence to go out and about when newly diagnosed was mentioned as a barrier – with delays to getting support not helping
Feeling of isolation from services and friendship networks. Many reported finding themselves housebound, at least initially, and consequently losing natural networks.
Mixed experience of accessing leisure and sports facilities with some very complimentary and others reporting “none exist for V I”.
2.5.2. We Did
Hosted ‘Let’s Get Active’ events in Greater Manchester, and York and Humber, to increase their confidence in trying new sport activities, as well as boosting mental health and meeting new people.
Hosted an ‘Applying Make Up and Skincare’ masterclass in Manchester to increase the confidence of BPS people when shopping for and applying make-up and skincare products
Hosted the Merseyside ‘Bringing Museums to Life’ event, exploring how to make arts and culture more accessible, and sharing experiences of inaccessibility
Hosted the Essex ‘It Belongs in a Museum’ event, to learn about what Chelmsford Museum and VocalEyes are doing to ensure BPS people can access museums, galleries and theatres across the country.
General complaint about lack of staff awareness in service and retail settings
Design of shopping and hospitality environments often poor (e.g. lighting, crowded, no natural walk routes or ways to access help)
Mixed experience of online offer, with some apps and websites commended and others offering a poor experience
A frequent issue was people’s mixed experience of access with a guide dog.
2.6.2. We Did
Worked with a large number of local and national retailers, to improve accessibility and raise awareness of vision impairment
Delivering Vision Awareness workshops to a wide range of organisations, where in addition, participants were also talked through the impact of the Built Environment and the Equality Act and their duties
Collaboration with technology companies and access technology innovators, to make product packaging accessible, both from a tactile and technological perspective
Retailers have been further supported via the production of a variety of resources, for ongoing support and guidance
Mixed views on technology, with many saying it was a game changer, and others saying it was unaffordable and/or inaccessible.
Big difference across ages, with older people more likely to express frustration.
2.7.2. We Did
Tech workshops and employment courses designed to equip BPS people into work through ‘Tech Fridays’, ‘Tech and Talk’ sessions and ‘Let’s Talk About Jobs’
Delivery of Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshops called AI to support with everyday living, AI in the workplace and AI and other apps that help you get to work
Education and technology was a big focus on supporting BPS people with their development, through creating webpages and a new section of our website.
Due to the demographics of the participants, we received very little feedback on access to education
We ran a separate survey and focus group aimed at young people and students, which picked up very similar themes to the main Listening Month activity
There was strong emphasis amongst young people on the importance of accessibility of education and particularly around understanding and awareness, access to technology and having support needs met quickly.
2.9.2. We Did
TPT’s Education team has grown its team, to ensure students are supported in every aspect of education
Developing the Student Support Service team, providing advice and guidance through a telephone line, resource pages and events.
Increasing our social media presence, especially on Facebook and Instagram, to ensure BPS students are reached.
Delivering training sessions to a variety of organisations and education providers
Expanding on our Student Voices and Young Voices programme, who contribute towards research, speak at events and shape campaigns and policies
TPT have funded the British Youth Council ‘Access and Assistance for All’ campaign, working together with their policy team to collaborate with organisations such as NatSpec, NASEN and Ofsted.
Producing various policy statements around education to support with campaigns
Hosted a roundtable event where David Johnstone MP (Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing) attended, where students shared lived experience
Collaborating with IBM to make the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software accessible with assistive technology
Working to ensure that the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) is a benefit, ultimately enabling BPS students to have access to the education opportunities they need to thrive.
Launching new and updated webpages to support professionals in particular those who are sighted and working with BPS students, alongside a newsletter and online training.
4. Planned Projects for 2024 and Beyond
There are a number of projects planned in the later part of 2024 around the themes mentioned above. TPT and SLC will continue championing for change, campaigning on the issues that matter to you the most and continue to advocate for blind and partially sighted people using lived experience voices to influence and engage with the relevant bodies. To find out more about the projects planned, at the time of writing this report, please refer to our full ‘You Said, We Did’ report.
4. Looking Ahead
We will be launching Listening Month 2024 in October this year, to learn if what you told us in Listening Month 2022 are still your main concerns, or if you have new challenges or priorities that matter now. We want to ensure our campaigning and influencing work aligns with what you tell us.
We would also like to gain feedback to check that what you told us in Listening Month 2022, the work that TPT and SLC have carried out, has made a difference in your area. Our engagement with you is important and shapes our priorities and what we will focus on.
Thank you for reading this report and we hope you found it useful.