73% of blind or partially sighted (BPS) people, of working age, in the UK are not currently employed. It is a shocking statistic that reminds us that although talent is everywhere, opportunity, crushingly, is not. It is the reason why I am calling for a government taskforce to take action to close the employment gap for BPS people in the UK. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) must develop and launch the Out of Sight – Out of Work Taskforce with Ministerial leadership and responsibility for its work, progress and outcomes.

In my report ‘Out of Sight – Out of Work’ launched in the House of Lords this week (13th July 2026) I have studied what data is available, spoken to individuals with lived experience of entering, or attempting to enter the workplace as a blind or partially sighted person, employers, professional organisations, sight loss sector representatives and disabled peoples organisations to arrive at a series of detailed and comprehensive recommendations to close this grotesque gap.

I am indebted to work of the individuals and organisations cited in the report. Sincere thanks also to those contributors and stakeholders who attended the launch. Josh Feehan, Head of Internships at the Thomas Pocklington Trust shared information about the organisation’s internship programme, revealing that three out of four participants gained employment after six months. Those are numbers that flip the 73% on its head. It is worth noting that peer support from fellow interns was a key benefit named by all interns.

Khadija Raza, Policy Lead at RNIB spoke powerfully about her own experiences. She was registered severely sight impaired at 16 and remembers hearing that same statistic (of only 1 in 4 blind people in employment). It made her really worried and it motivated her to work hard, through school and university.

Laura Davies, CEO at BASE responded to Josh and Khadija’s presentations by pointing out that the challenge is not understanding the problem. The Report includes their evidence and so much more, that describes the problem in detail but, as Laura said, the challenge is rather to have the courage to act. The Government could lead the way, setting standards and simultaneously demonstrating what employers could be doing. If we know what the barriers are, why do they still exist?

There is a need for leadership and accountability. On which, it is heartening to have the support of Richard Baker MP, who is taking a key role through the Disability Employment APPG.

There was a fruitful discussion pulling out all the fundamental threads from the report. The report identifies four key systemic barriers: policy, funding and accountability, employer practices and workplace barriers, data and measurement and technology. Key recommendations are arranged in these categories.

Policy, Funding and Accountability

1. Establish a government taskforce (the “Taskforce”) with cross-department authority lead by
   the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
2. The Taskforce to develop service-level standards for Access to Work (ATW).
3. The Taskforce to mandate sight loss training for ATW assessors and Disability Employment
   Advisors (DEAs).
4. The Taskforce to access expertise and training by working with the sight loss sector specialist
   and professional bodies.
5. The Taskforce to review, change, where necessary, and create a joined-up approach to the
   various schemes set up to assist including ATW, Connect to Work and Disability Confident.
6. The Taskforce to work with vendors and use procurement leverage to develop and deliver
   clear, measurable, accessibility standards.
7. The Taskforce to create a clear framework for outcome-focused delivery rather than a sub
   optimal system structured around cost control.
8. The Taskforce to work with partners to scale proven specialist-led models nationally.

Employer Practices and Workplace Barriers

1. The Taskforce to work with BPS individuals and the sight loss sector to review and update the
   Disability Confident scheme and strengthen validation through measurable employment
   outcomes.
2. The Taskforce to work with an expert accessibility panel to create clear accessibility
   standards for recruitment technology providers.
3. The Taskforce and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to establish a task-and-finish
   group of experts in accessibility technologies and recruitment to create Statutory Guidance
   mandating transparency in every element of the recruitment journey and adjustment
   processes.
4. The Taskforce to publish guidance for employers helping them to establish clear
   organisational ownership of inclusion and accessibility with decision-making authority.
   Employers must ensure that inclusion and accessibility accountabilities are structured across
   their organisation not just fenced in HR.
5. The Taskforce must undertake a review of the current apprenticeships programme and
   introduce changes to ensure their full accessibility including endpoint assessments.
6. The Taskforce must work with BPS individuals and the sight loss sector to co-create
   employment information available in multiple accessible formats.
7. The Taskforce must undertake a review of supported internship programmes to draw out
   their key success principles and produce a clear plan for effective expansion.
8. The Taskforce must undertake a review of peer and reverse mentoring programmes to draw
   out their key success principles and produce a clear plan for their expansion.

Data and Measurement

1. The Taskforce must work with BPS individuals and the sight loss sector to introduce national
   data standards for BPS employment measurement.
2. The Taskforce must introduce a methodology and system to enable the tracking of
   employment data longitudinally: capture data at ophthalmology registration point, and track
   employment status at every interaction over time.
3. The Taskforce must publish an annual report to both Houses of Parliament on its progress.
4. The Taskforce must undertake research and produce a plan to enable the transition of the
   disability pay gap to outcome-focused data to ensure it is clearly connected to enabling
   change.
5. The Taskforce must undertake cross-government working to introduce algorithmic
   transparency standards in public employment status.
6. The UK and EU must work together, through the Taskforce, to increase regulatory clarity
   around data and measurement collection to unlock progress.

Technology

1. The Taskforce must work cross-government to:
   o set the standard by making accessibility compliance a condition of public procurement;
   o develop and publish national interoperability guidelines;
   o establish baseline assistive technology standards for large employers – providing more
   detail and examples to support employers, as well as holding employers more
   accountable;
   o invest in digital skills training – from schools to university to work;
   o scale successful models from other UK government and industry-based hiring initiatives
   with similar aims.

It’s high time for the Government to lead, to act, to close the gap.

Out of sight, out of work: Creating opportunity for blind and partially sighted people | Computer Weekly