Children and young people
We think education and learning opportunities should be high quality for all blind and partially sighted children, teenagers and adults. We campaign for more support, financial assistance and robust policies.
Supporting the Young Vision Alliance Campaign
RNIB is a member of the Young Vision Alliance, a group of young people with vision impairment, parents and other sight loss organisations, who have come together to campaign for better support for children and young people with vision impairment so they can reach their full potential in adult life.
The Young Vision Alliance launched a report in Parliament, entitled Our Futures Matter, in November 2018, calling for the Government to introduce specific guidance to ensure that:
Every child and young person with vision impairment (VI):
Is assessed by education and habilitation VI specialists and given a plan, upon diagnosis, which is reviewed regularly. This plan must define the specialist support required to enable the child to fully access their learning and develop their independence.
Has access to the same learning materials at the same time as their sighted peers, fully adapted to their needs.
Receives clearly and appropriately adapted national tests and exam papers of high quality, with relevant past papers freely available.
Ensure that every local authority:
Requires all school staff who support and teach children and young people with vision impairment to receive vision impairment awareness training from an appropriately qualified specialist.
Is given sufficient funding to provide and effectively manage appropriate numbers of Qualified Teachers of Vision Impairment (QTVIs) and Qualified Habilitation Specialists (QHSs) to meet the needs of all children and young people with vision impairment, as defined by national standards.
