Thursday 22 November 2012

Meet the Blind in Business Candidates

At Blind in Business, we work with a wide range of people struggling to find employment, help them to use assistive technology in the workplace and education, and make the step between education and employment.

'My name is Daisy Robson-Odugbemi, a law graduate and I am originally from Nigeria. I have oculocutaneous albinism which is a lack of pigment in my eyes, skin and hair; a ‘black girl trapped in a white girl’s body’ as my family like to say. I am registered blind as my eyesight is really poor. Even though I have been lucky enough to have a good family and supportive network of friends, my scholastic life has been difficult. University was an exceptionally trying time and I began to have doubts about whether it was even possible for me to achieve my goals and ambitions. I heard about Blind in Business through my University Disability Centre and being involved with them has been wonderful. They have offered practical guidance, are friendly, always available to help and provide a listening ear. I have also gained a lot by attending their networking events and ‘Speed Recruitment’ sessions, where I met employers and other young people with visual impairments. 
For the first time, I gained friends who know exactly what I am going through. I feel happier and more confident about my future prospects for the first time in a long time knowing that Blind In Business are there for me through this journey from education into a career'. 


My name is Maya Haynes and I am a 2nd Year undergrad at Keele University. I first got involved with Blind in Business when I was home from my first year of University for the summer, and wondering what to do with it.
I came across Blind In Business through a few web searches and realised that they could give me work experience whilst helping me to find summer work at the same time, which was perfect for me. I started by doing 2 weeks work experience at the London office. 
However I really enjoyed it and was offered the opportunitiy to stay on for another week or so.  Working at Blind in Business gave me a lot of confidence last summer and made me realised that employers ARE interested in people like me who have very limited vision. Of course there are limitations to very few jobs, but Blind in Business are always honest about these, and they always focus on the positive as opposed to the negative. It was a great experience and I will definitely be approaching Blind in Business next summer, to go into the offices and get help with applying for jobs and doing some work experience on the side. 

To hear more stories from candidates, check out our Candidate diaries on Youtube.

 

 

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