Lord Holmes of Richmond has called on the government to set up a dedicated taskforce to close the employment gap for blind and partially sighted people in the UK, after a report found that 73% of blind and partially sighted people of working age are not in employment. For non-disabled people, the figure is 27% — an employment rate of 27% for blind and partially sighted people, against 83% for the wider population.

The call comes from Lord Holmes's report, Out of Sight – Out of Work, which was launched in the House of Lords in July 2026. Lord Holmes, who went blind in childhood and is a former Paralympic swimming champion, said the gap was a waste of talent that harmed both individuals and the economy.

"The most important thing we need from government is clear leadership and a commitment to establish a taskforce," Lord Holmes said. "Imagine if they were enabled and empowered to be in employment. That is adding to our economy, productivity, GDP and reducing welfare benefits. These are individuals who want to work and who have skills and talent to bring. This is such a waste of talent."

Four barriers holding jobseekers back

The report identifies four systemic barriers that blind and partially sighted people face when trying to get into work: policy, funding and accountability; employer practices, recruitment processes and workplace issues; data and measurement; and technology.

Its central recommendation is a government taskforce with cross-department authority, led by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with ministerial leadership and responsibility for its work, progress and outcomes. The taskforce would publish an annual report to both Houses of Parliament on its progress.

Lord Holmes raised the issue in the House of Lords in December 2025, asking the government to consider a taskforce. The minister said at the time that she was not in a position to announce one, but pointed to the Independent Disability Advisory Panel and the government's Get Britain Working programme.

Jobseekers describe repeated rejection

The BBC spoke to jobseekers who described how hard it is to get a foot in the door. Willow Horner, who uses a cane, recently completed an internship organised by the Thomas Pocklington Trust in central London. The trust's Get Set Progress programme, run with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), has organised around 150 internships.

Horner, who hopes to work in marketing or communications, had been unemployed for a year before the nine-month internship. "Since finishing the internship in July, I've done roughly 40 applications and I've had one interview," she said. She said employers needed to have an open mind about employing people with sight loss, adding that some employers "can't get over their preconceived notions of what visually impaired people in the workplace might look like".

Bradley Tomsett, from Greenwich, who is looking for a role using his computer skills, said he had applied for between 40 and 50 jobs since finishing the internship and had five interviews. He said using a cane to get to interviews could put an employer off or lead to an unconscious judgement. Before the internship, he said, he was unable to secure any interviews at all.

Josh Feehan, who runs the internship scheme at the Thomas Pocklington Trust, said it was a paid opportunity to "gain skills, confidence and experience". The trust also works with employers on training, accessible recruitment processes and reasonable adjustments.

What the government says

The Department for Work and Pensions said it wants every visually impaired person who can work to have the support they need. It pointed to the Access to Work scheme, which can help with the cost of specialist equipment, assistive software and support workers such as a job coach or a travel buddy, as well as commuting costs where public transport cannot be used.

The DWP added: "We are investing £3.5bn in disability employment support, including support for blind and partially sighted people to fulfil their potential."

Analysis by the RNIB of the Labour Force Survey found that the employment rate for people who describe themselves as having difficulties seeing has been falling since 2018, even as it rose for the broader population — a trend Lord Holmes said showed that no government had yet gripped the issue.