Inclusive Voices short story competition for vision impaired young people
Celebrating Audio, Braille, and Community To mark HiVis Fortnight 2025, Calibre Audio is proud to relaunch the Inclusive Voices short story competition – a celebration of creativity, accessibility, and diverse storytelling. Whether you love to write poetry or prose, they're inviting entries from people of all ages and abilities. Craft a story of up to 550 words that includes at least one of our themes: Audio, Braille, and Community. Who Can Enter? Everyone is welcome! Calibre encourages entries from: People with print disabilities, including current and potential Calibre members. Budding writers of all ages, with or without a [...]
Top tips for making money and securing employment as a vision impaired person
Charlotte shares side hustles to try this summer holidays When I was a teen, many of my sighted peers at school were getting weekend jobs: stacking shelves, working as baristas, waiting tables. But as someone with no useful vision, none of those jobs were accessible. I ended up receiving Universal Credit which provided me with a small monthly income. It meant I could spend money on things like new clothes or eating out. Having said that, the whole application process was pretty laborious, and now that I look back, I wish I’d thought about other [...]
Breaking barriers: journey through finance, independence, and empowerment
By Bilaal Ali My name is Bilaal, I'm a determined and passionate blind student pursuing a degree in Accounting and Finance. I'd like to share my journey which is marked by ambition, resilience, and the unshakeable belief that sight loss should never be a barrier to success. I am currently completing a work placement as a Junior Accountant at Nicholson and Co, where I have been gaining real-world experience in essential accounting tasks like bookkeeping, tax returns, and report writing. But beyond just learning how to work with numbers, I'm navigating an industry that often [...]
Nine ways ChatGPT can help you live a smarter, more independent life
Top ChatGPT Hacks You Need To Know: Charlotte shares her thoughts on how ChatGPT can be especially helpful for VI users: I was very sceptical about ChatGPT. I assumed it would be unreliable and clunky and full of misinformation. But I can honestly say, I was wrong. It is so clever and it has made a huge difference in not only my job, but also my daily life as a blind person. Here, I discuss my top hacks for living a smoother, smarter and more independent life with ChatGPT. What is it? Developed by OpenAI, [...]
GSCE and A-Level Revision Tips
It's the final push before exams - here are our top ten revision tips! Revising for exams like GCSEs and A-Levels can be tough. But with the right tools and strategies, you can absolutely thrive. Whether you use Braille, screen readers or large print, here are our top revision tips for blind and VI students. 1. Make a revision plan In a document, write out a list of all the subjects you are taking. Divide each subject into topics. Put a star or symbol next to the topics you find most challenging. This will help you [...]
Free Support for VI Prospective University Students
Are you a visually impaired student starting university this autumn or currently in your first year? The process of applying to university is stressful for everyone but can be even more difficult when you have a visual impairment. Arriving at university as a VI student can be daunting. With the support of the LOOK University Mentors, LOOK wants to help take some of the stress out of it. Through our University Mentoring programme, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, you will be paired with a VI young person who has already been through the application process [...]
New opportunity – ITV Academy News Traineeship 2025-2026
The ITV Academy News Traineeship 2025-2026 is now open for applications on the ITV Careers website. The link for more information and the online application form is: https://careers.itv.com/teams/media-entertainment/itv-news/itv-news-apprenticeship Applications close: 23:59 Sunday 23rd February 2025 There is an email box for any questions - newstraineeship2025@itv.com - this account is monitored throughout the application process. Trainee Video: Some of ITVs current and former trainees have contributed to a film about their experience on the traineeship: Additional info Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 1 day online assessment centre on either 22nd, 23rd or 24th April. The traineeship will [...]
I couldn’t work for 8 weeks because my DWP disability payments were delayed
One of our Changemakers has a story to share... Yahoo News has just released an article all about our wonderful VICTA Changemaker Bilaal. The article addresses delays to the Access To Work scheme and how these are negatively impacting visually impaired employees. Bilaal's experience features to raise awareness on this issues and highlight how changes need to be put in place. To check out this important news piece and support our Changemaker Bilaal, click here.
Tactile Times Online Advent Calendar
Tactile Times are in the Christmas Spirit! Tactile Times have just launched their fully accessible, online advent calendar for the third year in a row. Are you tired of print advent calendars that just feel like...well...paper? This one is different. It is fully accessible with all major screen readers using a computer or phone, and you can access it with a BrailleNote Touch as well. You might even hear a few familiar voices along the way! You can visit it to open the first couple of doors right now. Tactile Times will have a new [...]
New opportunity – Blind In Business Pathways Service Events – Autumn 2024
Please see the information below from Blind In Business about their upcoming events for this autumn... Building Prospects Part 2 Building Prospects is a fun, peer led program of hour-long workshops, designed to empower blind and partially sighted young people between the ages of 13 and 18. We create a confidence building, supportive environment which helps participants explore pathways towards the career of their dreams. We will explore and equip participants with CV writing tips, how and where to job search, an interview master class and opportunity to practice mock interviews with leading employers in [...]
