Building an inclusive world is an objective which needs to be considered from many perspectives. This transversal approach was the cornerstone of the online sessions focused on key areas for partially sighted people which the Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted of Slovenia organised on the first three Fridays of December. An initiative coordinated with the EBU Office, these webinars also served as excellent discussion points for sharing best practices in the areas of access to employment, the development of assistive technologies aimed to improve personal mobility and mental health.
One of the key messages shared by participants of these activities was the need to adjust people with low vision’s environment according to accessibility standards. Roy Imeson, Employment Advisor at RNIB, underlined this principle in the first webinar, focused on promoting the equal right to work. In order to ensure the full implementation of article 27 of the UNCRPD, he emphasised that “tools promoting inclusion must be considered both during recruitment and at the workplace”. Furthermore, in the same activity, Anja Uršič, a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana, made a presentation about some of the current practices used to employ partially sighted people, such as wage subsidies, quota systems or reserved job positions, as well as adapting the work environment.
However, finding a solution to people with sight loss’ obstacles in all areas of life doesn’t only come with legislative progress and its practical implementation: visually impaired people’s voice must also be taken into account in the design of solutions. Over the course of the second webinar, Julian Jackson, Founder and Director of VisionBridge, made emphasis on that concept, while also highlighting that governments must invest in research of assistive technologies in key areas for partially sighted people such as personal mobility. In that sense, representatives of WeWalk and Waymap presented their proposals for enabling them to move more independently: a smart cane and an application providing audio instructions, respectively.
While searching the different alternatives for adjusting people with low vision’s needs, there is one essential aspect which needs careful consideration: mental health. The process of gradually losing your sight has a psychological impact as reported by evidence collected by research. During the final webinar, Maša Pupaher, a PhD student in the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana, presented her research work in this area, exploring the socio-emotional aspects of going partially sighted such as experiencing the loss of skills or giving up on future plans. However, the session also included a fruitful debate with many suggestions for helping people with low vision: peer support, psychological services, spending time in nature or learning new skills were mentioned as some of the alternatives for that purpose.
As a final note, EBU would like to thank the Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted of Slovenia and Nastja Žlajpah for organising these activities and for allowing us to participate in enriching discussions. Networking is an essential tool in order to share good practices aimed at promoting inclusion in society for people with visual impairment.