Keep up to date with everything our Student Voices and Young Voices groups have been doing. Check back regularly for the latest updates!

This is our latest update written in May 2025, looking back at the past six months.

Student Voices

Since our last update in the autumn, Student Voices have continued to grow — and we’re thrilled to welcome six new members! With more voices at the table, we’re now able to represent an even wider range of views on education for blind and partially sighted (BPS) students.

The team hit the ground running this year with their involvement in the Access and Assistance for All Campaign, and in January hosted a Parliamentary Reception at Westminster. One of our Student Voices delivered a powerful presentation to MPs and advisers about the importance of the campaign for BPS student’s access to education.

We were also proud to see the Access and Assistance for All Campaign recognised at the Rodney Powell Awards, where it was named runner-up in the Volunteer Team of the Year category.

In a milestone moment, the Rodney Powell Awards introduced a Student Voices category for the first time ever. Huge congratulations to Aleks, winner of the Outstanding Contribution: Student Voice Award, and to Maymunah, the well-deserved runner-up. The evening was a brilliant celebration of the hard work and dedication of our volunteers — thank you all!

In March, both Student and Young Voices took to the stage at the Vision Impairment Education Workforce (VIEW) Conference for professionals, taking part in a Q&A about their educational experiences and the importance of the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI).  Students shared how the CFVI has impacted their own education journeys and made the case for it to be used more widely in schools and colleges.

Another student had the chance to attend London Fashion Week, exploring how accessibility is being introduced in the fashion industry — a brilliant opportunity to represent BPS students in new spaces.

We also joined forces with RSBC’s Youth Forum for a collaborative session around futures and employment. This gave our students the chance to discuss their hopes — and worries — about entering the job market. Following this, we welcomed Charlie from TPT’s Internship Team to one of our monthly meetings to discuss internship opportunities and gather ideas about the kinds of careers our students are interested in.

Several of our Student Voices have also been stepping into speaker roles:

• One student gave evidence at the SEND Select Committee in the Houses of Parliament, sharing their personal experience of education — look out for their blog, coming soon!

• One student shared their university experience at one of our STEP transition programme sessions, answering questions and offering reassurance in a helpful Q&A.
• Another presented at a VICTA/TAVIP Tech Week session, offering practical tech tips and advice on self-advocacy for university success.

Young Voices

April saw our Young Voices team come together in London for an in-person catch-up. It was a brilliant chance to reflect on the skills they’ve gained through the programme and make progress on their campaigns — all wrapped up with a well-earned pizza dinner!

The team have been championing the CFVI, with Alex creating a video on how it supported her sporting journey, and Tom writing an article about its impact on his education.

One of our Young Voices also contributed a powerful case study to our upcoming Post-16 Education Report, which will be launching soon — stay tuned!

Meanwhile, our Breaking Barriers in Sport team launched new resources with Goalball UK, designed to help PE teachers and sports coaches make sessions more inclusive for BPS students. One of our Young Voices even presented this work at the Sight Loss Councils Conference in front of more than 100 delegates.

The Accessible Retail team has been busy too — they’ve gathered feedback through a questionnaire on Accessible QR codes and are now working on a report to share their findings.

Finally, two of our Young Voices took part in our STEP Transitions Events, sharing their tips and experiences on moving from secondary school to college or post-16 education. Their advice helped reassure students and provide a realistic view of what to expect — and how to thrive.

To find out more about our brilliant Student Voices and Young Voices, visit our Meet the Student Voices and Meet the Young Voices pages. If you’re interested in becoming a Student Voice volunteer, you can learn more and apply here.