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Support the inclusion of young people with vision impairment

Executive summary

Children with vision impairment are recognised to be a low incidence and high needs group. Limited access to specialist support for children and young people with vision impairment can negatively impact on attainment and educational and social inclusion. This has implications on long term outcomes as they transition into adulthood. Employment statistics show that only 37% of young people with vision impairment are in employment in comparison to 59% from other disability groups. Addressing these challenges is particularly important within the current policy context in England, including SEND reform, the Schools White Paper, recommendations from recent reviews of support for vulnerable children and young people, and wider government efforts to tackle the disability employment gap. VICTAR's research evidence shows a holistic response, as outlined in the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment, is needed to ensure that children and young people with vision impairment are able to develop the required skills and experiences. Developed through a UK-wide consultation, this framework for the first time provides a nationwide framework documenting the role and responsibility of education in supporting children and young people with vision impairment.

Policy recommendations

  1. The Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) to be recognised and referenced in England Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) policies, as part of SEND system reform.
  2. Local Authorities to embed the CFVI to in local authority service commissioning and delivery frameworks.
  3. CFVI to be followed by all educational settings supporting children and young people with vision impairment, in partnership with vision impairment specialists.
  4. A funded workforce strategy to recruit, train and retain Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment and Habilitation Officers.

Outcomes of children and young people with vision impairment

For those children with vision impairment accessing National Curriculum assessments and end of Key Stage 4 examinations there is a consistent and significant attainment gap between this population and their peers without a special educational need or disability. At Key Stage 1, the gap is 33 per cent. This gap falls to 21 per cent by Key Stage 4, demonstrating the impact which can be made by receiving educational support, but there is still a significant difference which needs to be addressed.

Government statistics show that CYP with VI are almost twice as likely to be not in employment, education or training (NEET) as their sighted peers. Several factors can risk a CYP with VI becoming NEET such as attaining lower levels of qualification, not being able to access education, limited opportunities for work experience and a lack of tailored careers guidance.

CYP with VI report lower wellbeing and poorer mental health than their fully sighted peers. At age 17, CYP with VI were five times more likely to ‘feel depressed all or most of the time’. There are added pressures on CYP with VI, such as inaccessible systems, needing to repeatedly advocate for necessary adjustments and feeling socially excluded. This demonstrates that children with vision impairment need to have access to holistic support for their mental and emotional resilience and to help develop their self-agency.

Ineffective Careers Education, Information, and Guidance

Research shows that young people with vision impairment are not receiving adequate guidance to help them plan for their future careers and have limited opportunities to accessing meaningful work experience. A key challenge is that education settings are not drawing on the expert guidance from specialists, meaning that any support that students do receive is provided as an add-on, rather than as part of an inclusive offer. Challenges have been faced by those students who do not have an Education Health and Care Plan as they are less likely to be receiving regular contact from a QTVI.

“Some young people I think have had careers guidance in college that hasn’t really hit the spot, so they have left college and ended up NEET on their sofa.” QTVI.

Limited preparation for adulthood

Research evidence demonstrates how transformative it can be receiving the right support at the right time. However, too few children and young people with vision impairment are receiving the holistic support that they need throughout education to become independent adults and to be competitive in the labour market. Recent evidence shows only half (55%) of children have received support from a specialist vision impairment teacher, and less than a third (31%) received essential ‘habilitation’ supporting their mobility and independent living skills. The impact of VI on social inclusion can be significant. For example, young adults with VI often do not apply for jobs in unfamiliar locations [RH1] [RH2] because they lack the confidence to travel independently.

Workforce shortages

Despite specialist professionals like QTVIs and habilitation specialists being integral to the support of children and young people with vision impairment, evidence shows that the number of these professionals are reducing. QTVIs or habilitation specialists complete advanced training over two-years to provide this specialised support, funded by their employer. Research into habilitation support for children and young people with vision impairment shows the majority of children are already going without the support they need, with resources being prioritised for those with only the most severe needs. The government have reversed plans to fund QTVI training through Level 7 Apprenticeships but have not provided alternative solutions.

The Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment offers a solution

The Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment outlines the support needed by children and young people with vision impairment to ensure that they have fair and optimal access to education, while also having the opportunity to develop the skills and experiences they need to become as independent as possible. Through the 11 Areas of Support outlined, it promotes a collaborate approach to support, bringing together specialists, non-specialists and families, and takes a holistic view of the broad range of support that a child or young person with vision impairment requires for educational and social inclusion.

Use of the CFVI by specialist professionals

The first edition of the CFVI was published and launched as open access in April 2022. By 2025 it was being used by 92% of Local Authority specialist vision impairment services in England. A 3-year evaluation and implementation study has tracked the use and impact of the CFVI. Case studies with specialist service providers demonstrate the CFVI has had a positive impact on their work:

“It has enabled us to have a backbone to our service. With cuts forever being threatened we have had to change our way of working, but with the support of the CFVI curriculum it has enabled us to deliver more of a teaching service rather than an advisory service. [The team has] a buzz and an excitement as they can now plot, gauge and see how the young people are grasping new skills because the CFVI has enabled us to change how we work”. (Head of Sensory Service at Local Authority)

The CFVI has also facilitated more effective collaboration between different professionals working with children and young people with vision impairment. This has been achieved through the credibility which the CFVI offers specialist professionals and the way it promotes shared language, clarity, and understanding.

“Teachers and teaching staff now have a deepened understanding of CFVI and its critical role in providing equitable education for children and young people with vision impairment. This understanding has strengthened teaching practices across the school, ensuring that CFVI principles are fully embedded in all aspects of student support.” (Teacher at Special School).

Impact of the CFVI on the outcomes of children and young people with vision impairment

Case studies with 20 service providers identified ways in which the CFVI has had a positive impact on outcomes, including:

  • Supporting the improved independence of children and young people with vision impairment
  • Fostering inclusion in school
  • Improved identification of need
  • Ensuring a holistic focus on skills development
  • Ensuring support for a wider range of children and young people
  • Better integration of the specialist curriculum into day-to-day learning

Case studies illustrate how improved understanding and collaboration between specialist and non-specialist professionals has led to schools taking greater responsibility for supporting children with vision impairment.

Contact

Dr Rachel Hewett, Co-Director of Vision Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR), University of Birmingham.
r.g.hewett@bham.ac.uk

Lucy Merritt, Education Policy Manager, Thomas Pocklington Trust. lucy.merritt@pocklington.org.uk.