By Naomi barber
We’re excited to announce that as part of BCA’s Eye to the Future of Employment project, we’ve recently launched a website, eyetothefuture.com.au, dedicated to supporting people who are seeking employment or navigating a career change and those looking to hire people who are blind or vision impaired.
The site has been designed with accessible features and blindness specific resources that can assist in career planning, developing your resume, preparing for an interview, understanding workplace culture and much more. It also has a section dedicated to employers and recruiters to assist in making both recruitment and workplaces accessible.
On the site you’ll also find videos showcasing the everyday routines of workers who are blind or vision impaired. These personal stories of real people in the job market are a great way to demonstrate our capabilities as employees, as well as offering inspiration for those of us thinking about our career paths.
As always, we would love to hear your feedback on the site, and answer some of your work-related questions and share the answers on the website. You can send your questions to bca@bca.org.au.
We have also created a Facebook page to facilitate discussion around employment and share relevant information. If you would like to join in a work chat or look at some of the additional articles and resources we have developed, you can join our Facebook group.
Earlier in the year, we established Internship opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired. We developed relationships and agreements with partner organisations, and just as they were to commence, we were hit with a series of unexpected challenges thanks to the pandemic. Unfortunately, we needed to pause this component of the project. After consultation with our funding body, we have been provided a project extension and are eager to revisit the Internships in the not too distant future.
So, while we wait to further those Internship opportunities, we welcome you to access our website and hope you find it helpful in your employment or career development. Don’t forget to check out the employment videos that highlight some of the successes of our members in employment.