A Confident Step into the Professional World Of Work

It’s hard to believe it has already been a year since I embarked on this journey—what started as a nine-month internship has successfully transitioned into a full-time position. The experience has been an absolute blast! I extend my sincere gratitude to the Beacon Centre For The Blind and the Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) for providing this phenomenal opportunity, allowing me to take my first confident steps into the professional world of work.

Following the successful completion of my internship on July 5th, I am genuinely thrilled to be continuing with Beacon in my new role as a Communications Officer right here at Beacon.

Growth and New Beginnings

In my role as the Comms Intern, I developed many new skills and significantly grew in confidence and professional development. Thanks to the incredibly supportive environment at Beacon and the internship coordinators at TPT, I smoothly transitioned from completing my education at The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), into the professional world of work.

This transition proved to be a real success, as I was offered a full-time position in the final months of the programme. I accepted this role with great enthusiasm and continue to be an essential member of the team, bringing my unique perspective and creative thinking to Beacon.

My wide-ranging role includes tasks and disciplines from creating engaging social media content, taking photos and videos and creating graphics, recording the Beacon Update segment of the Black Country Talking News, media release writing to updating the website, checking and updating Beacon’s information on directories, researching and submitting grant applications, consulting on various projects to ensure accessibility for sight loss and much, much  more.

Highlights from the Internship

Some of the many highlights across the nine-month internship include:

Speaking & Shadowing :

I was invited to the Civic centre in Wolverhampton, home to the City of Wolverhampton Council to shadow their Communications team which was an amazing opportunity which I learnt a lot from. A special thanks to Councillor Linda Leach, who was the Mayor at the time for making this opportunity possible.

During my internship I also had the pleasure to speak with not one but two MP’s about my internship. I spoke with Pat MacFaden MP about the challenges faced by visually impaired people in gaining employment, and Sureena Brackenridge MP was impressed by my journey and has invited me to visit Westminster and watch Prime Minister’s Questions Live, (for which details are currently being confirmed).

I was also given the opportunity to speak on a virtual panel about the internship programme and my career journey so far this was part of an information session on the programme’s expansion into Northern Ireland. I was also given the great privilege of speaking on BBC Radio WM in the week Sir Elton John revealed his own sight loss journey and experience,. Its available on the following links:

Read on BBC News website or app:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8nxgvj28yo

Listen on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0k9bzmw

I have also grown in my public speaking abilities as I received training on it from Channel 4 and Redway HR and I was able to utilise these skills in the final group project presentation and in my work as well, for example visiting a number of schools during Beacon’s Bright For Sight week, speaking in workshops and assembly’s.

Filmmaking:

I was able to utilise my passion for film in my work. I learned a great deal about the filmmaking process, especially documentary filmmaking and how to make content accessible for all, including audio description and sign language. This inspired me to discover incredible blind content creators online, like Molly Burke, Lucy Edwards, Ruqaiya Aseem and James Rath among many more, who use social media and YouTube to spread a positive message and raise awareness of blindness.

Accessible Branding:

Having studied graphic design prior to my sight loss, I did a deep dive into the reasoning behind the RNIB’s rebrand and the vision behind their bold campaign, “See Differently” and how I could implement some of my findings to make sure that the Beacon brand stays up to date with the sector ensuring accessibility is at the heart of what we do in terms of brand image, posters, audio QR codes and more.. I also learned about sonic branding for the first time—an audio cue unique to a specific brand that allows them to be recognised by sound alone, which Guide Dogs has implemented very successfully as well as the RNIB and used by mainstream companies such as Netflix.

Networking and Mentorship:

As part of my mentoring, I connected with Holly Tuke from RNIB, who also blogs as ‘Life of a Blind Girl.’ Speaking with Holly was invaluable for understanding accessible social media and finding accessible tools for content creation, like RODE Microphones. I am also very grateful to others, like documentary filmmaker Danielle Sellwood, who offered valuable insights into the industry and reinforced the need to ensure content is accessible from day one. I also had a GSP Buddy as part of the programme, which is a person I could talk to who has been through the entire internship process who’s advice was invaluable , as well as a dedicated GSP Mentor, Nina Chesworth, who provided insights from her own career and was a great person to inspire me especially in the early months of the internship.

Specialist Training:

I received specialist training from Osborn Communications, which provided me with a range of workshops focusing on Public Relations (PR), media release writing, and crisis management.

You can read more about it here: https://osbornpr.com/osborn-ends-kindness-campaign-by-mentoring-hero-intern /

TPT’s wide network of corporate partners also provided workshops and training sessions on a range of topics to equip the interns with the tools and skills to be successful. Some of these examples include offering a course of choice to complete on the Coursera platform, digital accessibility with Google, public speaking with Channel 4 with Jaime Ward who is the Head of Learning & Talent and is also visually impaired, to self-advocacy with a Paralympian and a wide range of sessions all throughout the programme from Redway HR as well as being prepared for the job market with a mock interview.

Mastering Accessible Travel

As a person living with sight loss, travelling alone can sometimes cause anxiety. However, I have found a great solution for train journeys: booking Passenger Assistance in advance. This service is a lifesaver, allowing me to request support, such as a team member using sighted guiding to take me on and off the train or where I need to go.

I am really proud of how far I have come, putting my mobility training from RNC college into practice and now being able to confidently travel independently for work or visiting friends. The only exception I still find challenging is the London Underground, where booking assistance is not as seamless as with National Rail.

Celebrating 150 years

It was a great time for me to join Beacon as a Communications Intern as it coincided with the charity’s 150^th anniversary year. This meant that I was able to promote and contribute to t the celebrations across the year including live coverage of the Beacon Of Light Ball across our social media platforms, to fundraising activities and challenges, attending and capturing the time capsule burial in photos and videos to much more of the amazing festivities to mark this incredible milestone.

My Fellow Interns & Thank You’s

It was an honour for me to work alongside my fellow interns, who taught me so much about effective team working, remote collaboration, and problem-solving whilst working on our group project. We celebrated together at TPT’s End of Internship Programme event, and my fellow interns have become much more than colleagues; they have become good friends.

I would also like to give a special thanks to the TPT internship Co-Ordinators, Josh, Charlie and Gareth  who were amazing and supportive through out the entire process

A massive thank you to the whole Beacon team especially my brilliant manager Helen who’s advice and guidance has allowed me to settle in to and thrive in my role. Also to my team members, Sarah, Gemma, Lisa (our fabulous CEO) and to everyone else at Beacon who has made it truly a wonderful place to work and for being so friendly and welcoming when I first started. You could say it’s a Bostin  place to work – if you want to be Black Country about it!

My Key Takeaway

I have learned so much from Beacon, TPT, and partners like Osborne Communications and Channel 4, on building a successful career. The biggest lesson is viewing my sight loss not as a barrier, but as a driving factor in what makes me stand out. It is a positive case study that, with the right adaptations, I can achieve my dreams and so can you.

Finally, I am excited to continue as a communications officer at Beacon and do my part in making a difference in the lives of people living with a visual impairment across Wolverhampton and the Black Country. I am also very excited to be a buddy/mentor to the the next cohort of interns of which two are with Beacon.

I am also very much looking forward to where my career journey takes me next and how I will continue in pursuit of my dreams in raising awareness of sight loss and producing engaging and accessible content for all.

To find out more about Thomas Pocklington Trust’s Get Set Progress  internship programme visit the following link: https://www.pocklington.org.uk/employment/internships/

🔟 My Top 10 Tips for Getting into Work With Sight Loss

For anyone interested in the internship programme or a similar role, here are my top 10 tips for navigating the UK job market for people living with sight loss and from the perspective of someone who has just completed my first year of work:

1. Absolutely Go For It! Give 110%—the more work you put into this internship or any opportunity, the more you will get out of it. It’s an invaluable step that provides immediate experience and significantly enhances your CV.
2. Champion Access to Work (AtW): This vital UK government scheme can fund equipment, training, transport support, and Personal Assistants. Apply as soon as you have a job offer and start date, and be prepared to justify everything you need.
3. Utilise Specialist UK Charities: Connect with organisations like the RNIB, Beacon, Blind in Business, and TPT. They offer free specialised support in CV writing, interview skills, and can connect you with employment teams and mentors.
4. Be Proactive about Reasonable Adjustments: Under the Equality Act 2010, all UK employers must provide Reasonable Adjustments. Confidently communicate your needs early on (at the interview stage or when accepting an offer) to ensure a smooth start.
5. Request a Professional Workplace Assessment: Often funded via Access to Work, an independent assessor can review your role, your sight loss, and the technology you use, making formal recommendations for assistive technology.
6. Use Disability Job Search Platforms: Go beyond general sites. Use disability-focused job platforms like Evenbreak and look for employers who are signed up to the Disability Confident scheme.
7. Hone Your Assistive Technology Skills: Become an expert in the software and hardware you rely on (screen readers, voice recognition, advanced smartphone features). Demonstrate your technical proficiency as a core, transferrable skill.
8. Harness the Power of Mentoring and Networking: Connect with other blind or partially sighted professionals working in your field. Lived experience insights are invaluable for finding accessible tools, learning industry tricks, and building your confidence.
9. Master Accessible Travel: Be proactive and familiar with Passenger Assistance (provided by National Rail) for long-distance train travel. If the London Underground is difficult, research Travel Training services offered by local sight loss charities.
10. Use Sight Loss as a Positive Case Study: Don’t hide your sight loss. The resilience, problem-solving, and adaptability you have developed by living with a vision impairment are highly desirable skills that set you apart from other candidates and is your secret superpower.