Who are our Youth Forum and Young Ambassadors?

The RSBC Youth Forum is a group of blind and partially sighted young people aged between 16 and 25. They’re dedicated to creating positive change and ensuring that the voices of young people are heard in the decisions that impact their lives. 

Through their work, the Youth Forum raises awareness, challenges perceptions, and represents the views and opinions of young people with vision impairment. Their goal is to influence decision-makers, advocate for improved services, and drive meaningful change, both within RSBC and in the wider community. Regular meetings with trustees and members of the RSBC team ensure that their points of view remain at the heart of our charity’s services and engagement. 

Our Young Ambassadors play a vital role in providing a wider perspective to RSBC. Ambassadors are age 16-30 and really want to support other young people and the work that RSBC does. Most have received support from the charity and recognise how important that it was to their journey. Their experience allows them to offer invaluable insight into the challenges young people might face and how they can be better supported. 

There’s a strong desire for the Youth Forum and Young Ambassadors to meet more often, both online and in person, to encourage even more collaboration and allow RSBC to understand the perspectives of the young people we support. 

Shaping the future

Our Youth Forum members and Young Ambassadors came from as far as North Wales and the Lake District to represent the voice and interests of all vision impaired young people, offering a wide range of lived experiences and viewpoints. Discussions focused on how RSBC can better engage with young people in the coming months and years, and provide them with the tools, support, and opportunities they need to thrive. 

Key themes from the event included: 

• Strengthening communication channels to ensure young people feel heard and valued. 

• Expanding opportunities for personal and professional development. 

• Enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in all aspects of RSBC’s work. 

• Encouraging young people to take an active role in shaping RSBC’s future initiatives. 

• Increasing collaboration between Youth Forum and Young Ambassadors to create a more unified approach. 

• Engaging with local communities more effectively, potentially through local or regional representatives. 

• Having a clear and meaningful plan that transformed ideas into action.

Areas of focus

A crucial takeaway from the event was the emphasis on key challenges faced by blind and partially sighted young people. The priority areas included: 

 

Mental health 

• Many vision impaired children and young people have mental health challenges, but vision impairment itself is not always the sole cause. Some of the challenges stem from external factors such as lack of support, isolation, loneliness and societal barriers. 

• There’s little or no specific mental health support for VI children and young people, as many professionals don’t have suitable training or experience and are simply unaware of the challenges that living with vision impairment can bring. 

 

Isolation 

• Many young people feel disconnected due to limited opportunities for social engagement and independence. 

• Strengthening community ties and creating safe, inclusive spaces for connection are essential. 

 

Transport 

• Travel costs can be expensive for people with VI due to inaccessible public transport systems. 

• Limited independence on transport often forces young people to rely on others.  

• Inadequate transport access also restricts social and professional opportunities. 

• There’s a lack of tactile ground indicators and poor accessibility in public transport. 

• The barriers that travel presents, often cause isolation and therefore link into mental health issues and challenges with access to employment. 

 

Employment 

• Barriers include funding for transport, commuting challenges, and workplace discrimination. 

• Lack of awareness among employers about schemes like Access to Work that ensure a VI young person has the right tools for their job. 

• Inaccessible job applications are a barrier at the very outset and barriers created by the lack of workplace technology hinder employment prospects. 

• Overall lack of workplace awareness regarding the needs and capabilities of blind and partially sighted employees. A real lack of understanding of the value and potential of a VI colleague in the workplace. 

A few words from our young people

 

‘I found it an eye-opening experience. It felt amazing to have different perspectives and opinions on issues and how they impact each individual differently’ 

 –Lauren: Youth Forum member 

 

 

‘It was such an exciting and productive day, where all of us young people finally got to come together to share and create solutions to some of the most crucial things that impact us. It was so very much needed, and we’re excited to have more days like this in the future’ 

 –Zenny: Youth Forum Chair 

  

 

‘I loved the office and how everything was set up. Hopefully more to come in the future – I really enjoyed the day’ 

-Ikra: Young Ambassador 

Looking ahead

Our young people are driven, enthusiastic, and determined to create real change. The Youth Voices Strategy event reaffirmed our commitment to helping empower them so that their insights and lived experiences shape a future where they have greater opportunities and a stronger voice.  

We’re excited to take the ideas from this event forward and continue working together to make a lasting impact. A huge thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to such an inspiring and productive discussion. Look out for more updates, as we turn these conversations into action!