Blind in Business: Education to Employment Summer Training Course 2007: 23rd/24th August

Blind in Businessí Annual summer event is approaching fast, as recruiters prepare to begin 2008ís recruitment season.

At the course, employers will learn more about how to incorporate visually impaired people into the workplace, as well as how to make their recruitment processes accessible to people with reduced eyesight.

And all this is critical, as 75% of all visually impaired people of working age are out of work.

This course also brings graduates with visual impairments into an atmosphere where they will learn how to sell themselves, how to cross barriers presented by their disability, and how to ask for the adjustments they need to compete.

Because, the main thing recruiters and candidates have in common is fear.

Employers fear the impact of a visually impaired person on the workplace, and the complications and expense this will incur.

Candidates fear the perceived prejudiced and ignorant attitude of people in business.

Confronting fear, insecurity and a lack of confidence are the principal thrusts of this course.

One of the ways we do this is to take our blind graduates water-skiing. Something new and quite probably rather frightening for people with little sight: they soon see that they can do anything they want to do.

Michael Kenny, director of Blind in Business commented that ëconfidence is the key to all of this. So many people come to us with so little of it ñ when they leave they are transformed and settled into a job they never thought they could secure.í

Andy Flack, Employment Co-ordinator and manager of the summer event agreed that ëthe main thrust of our work is to allow people to reach their potential. By introducing them to employers (who in fact arenít so scary), and allowing them to water-ski as well as to meet people who face similar barriers, life after university becomes much less daunting. In fact they face the world of work with optimism and the skills required to succeed.