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In Touch - Factsheet BBC Radio 4 |
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Tuesday 3 December 2002
Listen to the In Touch for 3 December SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED. 50 disabled workers, 18 of which are visually impaired are facing redundancy at Beacon Industries in Wolverhampton, and quite possibly permanent unemployment. The Beacon Centre, a voluntary organisation for visually impaired people where the workshops are based says it is longer prepared to pay its share of the costs of keeping the workshops open. There are involved in the range of light engineering work making things such as trolleys for the work place. It takes its funding from three sources; the voluntary organisation, the local authority, and money from central government under the workstep programme aimed at making formerly subsides sheltered employment self sufficient. This is the 2nd time already this year that the workers at Wolverhampton have faced unemployment. After the previous occassion back in June the National League of Blind and Disabled which represents the workshops thought it had hammered out the agreement which will give the workshop at least another year of insecurity while relatively new management tried to turn it around. But then a month ago the Beacon Centre suddenly said it could no longer support the workshop because of its own financial situation. It has lost 25 percent of its reserves partly as the result of losses at the stock market. Peter has been talking to Pat McLarry, General Manager of the workshop, Dorothy Hadley - a retired worker from the workshop and Arthur Sidley - Chief Executive of the Beacon Centre. Followed by a discussion with Maria Eagle, Disability Minister and Jo Mann, from the National League of the Blind and Disabled, about the future of sheltered employment. CONTACTS BEACON CENTRE FOR THE BLIND Wolverhampton Road East Wolverhampton, West Midlands. WV4 6AZ Telephone: 01902 880111 Fax: 01902 671889 Email: enquiries@beacon4blind.co.uk In existence since 1875, The Beacon Centre provided services for several thousand registered blind and partially sighted people living in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and South Staffordshire. The mission was to fully support these visually impaired people in any way we are able. Operating from a seven acre site near Wolverhampton, facilities include a residential home for the blind, specially adapted bungalows, a day centre, after school club, domiciliary visiting service, supported business, mobile resource unit, hospital information desk, carers support and a toy library. RNIB 105 Judd Street London WC1 H9NE Tel: 0845 766 99 99 (UK callers only - Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) Tel. 0207 388 1266 (switchboard/overseas callers) Fax. 0207 388 2034 Interpreters are available: please call for details Textphone users call via Typetalk 0800 51 51 52 The RNIB provides information, support and advice for anyone with a serious sight problem. They not only provide braille, Talking Books and computer training, but imaginative and practical solutions to everyday challenges. The RNIB campaigns to change society's attitudes, actions and assumptions, so that people with sight problems can enjoy the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as fully sighted people. They also fund pioneering research into preventing and treating eye disease and promote eye health by running public health awareness campaigns. NATIONAL LEAGUE OF THE BLIND AND DISABLED Central Office Swinton House 324 Grays Inn Road London WC1X 8DD Tel: 020 7837 6103 Fax: 020 7278 0436 Minicom: 020 7837 6103 National League of the Blind and Disabled is a registered trade union and is involved in all issues regarding the employment of blind and disabled people in the UK. Visit the In Touch Message Board Back to the In Touch page The BBC is not responsible for external websites |
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