Pathways of young people with VI from
school and beyond: insights from
longitudinal, qualitative research
RNIB Research Day 25 November 2015
Rachel Hewett
Visual Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research (VICTAR),
Department of Disability Inclusion and Special Needs, University of
Birmingham
Sue Keil
Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) team, Evidence and Service
Impact, RNIB
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Today’s presentation
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Background to the project
What does survey data tell us?
Research aims and objectives
Methodology
Qualitative, longitudinal research design
Two case studies:
• The pathway to becoming NEET
• The pathway into employment and independent adulthood
• Next steps in the research
• Next steps for policy and practice
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Background to the project
• Concerns relating to the transition experiences of
young people with visual impairments:
• Anecdotal reports of poor post-school experiences
• Low employment rates
• How well is education preparing young people with VI
for adult life?
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What does survey data tell us?
• Labour Force Survey (LFS):
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Employment rates of 16-25 year-olds: 27.8% VI compared with 52.8%
Not in education, employment or training (NEET) aged 16-25: 42.8% VI
compared with 21.7%
• LFS, Network 1000:
• Higher the qualification, the more likely to be in employment
• Even with a degree, people with VI less likely than people without a
disability to be employed
• With no qualifications, people with VI far less likely to be employed
• US National Longitudinal Transition Study:
• Factors associated with employment of 19-23 year-olds with VI were work
experience, completing a post-secondary programme of study,
independent travel skills and peer social skills
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Aims and objectives
• To track the process of transition for blind and
partially sighted young people from ages 14 and
16 for five years
• To identify the roles of professionals involved
• To identify the factors that improve or reduce a
young person’s chance of gaining employment
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Project Overview
• Five-year longitudinal qualitative study 2010 2015
• Phase one funded by RNIB
• Phase two funded by Nuffield Foundation
• Extension to October 2016 funded by Pocklington
• Tracking the experiences of around 80 young
people with vision impairment through post-14
and post-16 transitions into FE, HE, employment
and independent living
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Methodology
• 82 participants aged 13-16 recruited through
local authority sensory support services
• Approx. 66 still participating in the study, aged
18-21
• Twice yearly telephone interviews with
participants
• Around 30 themed case studies – face to face
interviews, ‘key associate’ interviews,
‘shadowing’
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Methodology
Topics include:
• Tracking questions – where are the participants, what transitions did
they make, and what were their experiences in getting there? (With a
particular focus on Higher Education at this stage)
• Support received whilst in compulsory education; transition
planning
• Independence – travel and mobility, access to information, selfadvocacy, attitudes to independence
• Work experience – paid work, voluntary work, work experience as part
of curriculum, placements
• Visual impairment – registration, understanding, support and
information received, benefits
• Access to information – strategies used, low vision aids, assistive
tools, use of mainstream technology
• Wellbeing, friendships, self-esteem, locus of control
• Independent living – experiences, aspirations, how well prepared
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Qualitative Longitudinal Study
• Definitions Farall (2006), and Saldana (2003)
“Qualitative Longitudinal Research embodies a range
of mainly in-depth interview-based studies which
involve returning to interviewees to measure and
explore changes which occur over time and the
processes associated with these changes”
• Types of qualitative longitudinal studies (Epstein, 2002)
1. Continuous research in the same small society over a
number of years
2. Periodic restudies at regular or irregular intervals
3. Return after a lengthy interval of time has elapsed since
the original research
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QLS – Strengths and Weaknesses
• Strengths
• Prospective rather than retrospective study
• Can still get the respondents to reflect on their experience
• Not limited to contextualised snapshots
• Strengths over quantitative longitudinal studies
• Chance to chart and explore how social problems become individual
problems
• With quantitative methods, extreme experiences can often be lost
• Weaknesses
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Resource intensive
Change takes time to emerge, so studies may need to last years
Requires researcher commitment
Repetitive nature may bring about question fatigue
• References: Farall (2006); Holland et al (2006), Saldana
(2003)
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Qualitative Longitudinal Studies – ESRC focus
• ESRC concerned social science research focusing too
heavily on quant methods → feasibility study into QLS
• “Qualitative research can reach the areas that quantitative
research cannot reach, producing high quality, in-depth
data, and providing great explanatory value” (Molloy et al)
• Literature review identified transitions as key area for
qualitative longitudinal research
• Methodology should not drive design → RQs addressed
with appropriate tools
• ‘Small’ study can generate a lot of data
• Ethical concerns – data can be a ‘fingerprint’ of individual
• Long term funding very important
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Case study 1: The pathway to becoming NEET
• “William”: Registered blind, preferred format pt 36
• Struggled accessing GCSEs in mainstream school > did
not achieve 5 A*-C
• Post-16 went to specialist college where he described they
would have “better equipment for my needs”
• Completed Foundation Diploma & Level 2 course
• Wanted to take Level 3 course, ran out of funding
• Aspirations:
• “Even if I do well at school I’ll have a hard time getting the
right kind of job”: Agree
• “People like me don’t have much of a chance in life”:
Strongly Agree
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Case study 1: The pathway to becoming NEET
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Left college > looked for apprenticeship
Voluntary work
Job centre > not invited to join Work Programme
Rented house with friend
NEET for 3 years > not actively seeking
employment
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Case study 2: Pathway into employment and
independent adulthood
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“Mark”: Not registered (eligible), preferred format pt 24
Studied in mainstream school > achieved 5 A*-C
Went to college > Level 3 qualification
Successful speculative application for Apprenticeship
Aspirations:
“Even if I do well at school, I’ll have a hard time getting the
right job”: Neither Agree or Disagree
• “People like me don’t have much of a chance in life”:
Disagree
• Apprenticeship > Permanent Employment > Promotion
• Independently purchased first home
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Next steps in the research
• Moving into Phase 3 > Funded by Thomas
Pocklington
• Focus on transition into employment and
transition into independent living
• Continuing with longitudinal interviews and case
study work
• Development of guidance material based on
research findings
• Campaigns/Influencing (e.g. DSA consultation)
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Next steps for policy and practice
• Implications for practice:
• Greater emphasis on independent learning,
independent mobility and daily living skills, and
self advocacy skills
• As part of transition planning, YP need
meaningful work experience opportunities,
access to informed careers advice, information
on FE, HE and DSA and Access to Work
• FE and HE providers need better
understanding of needs of students with VI
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Next steps for policy and practice
• Current policy context: Children and Families
Act 2014 and new SEND Code of Practice:
• Code of Practice extended to cover 0-25 age range
• Clearer focus on the participation of CYP [and parents]
in decision-making at individual and strategic levels
• Stronger focus on high aspirations and on improving
outcomes for CYP
• Greater focus on support that enables those with SEN
to succeed in their education and make a successful
transition to adulthood
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Next steps for policy and practice
• Sharing key findings and their implications with
policy makers:
• UOB/RNIB/Nuffield meeting with DfE SEND reforms
monitoring team
• RNIB/UOB collaboration on response to DSA
consultation
• Involving YP in development of resources:
• Learner outcomes toolkit
• Co-production of HE guidance – further guidance to
follow
• Disseminating through practitioner networks and
training
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References
• Douglas G, Pavey S, Clements B and Corcoran C (2009) Network
1000. Visually impaired people’s access to employment. Visual
Impairment Centre for Teaching and Research, School of Education,
University of Birmingham for Vision2020 UK.
• Hewett R with Keil S (2015) Investigation of data relating to blind
and partially sighted people in the Quarterly Labour Force
Survey: October 2011 – September 2014. VICTAR, University of
Birmingham for RNIB
• Hewett R with Keil S (2015) Secondary analysis of the Labour
Force Survey (LFS) EU module. VICTAR, University of Birmingham
for RNIB
• Capella McDonnall M (2011) ‘Predictors of Employment for Youths
with Visual Impairments: Findings from the Second National
Longitudinal Transition Study’ Journal of Visual Impairment and
Blindness, August 2011, pp 453-466
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References
• Farrall, S. (2006) Farrall, S. ‘What Is Qualitative
Longitudinal Research? 2006.’ LSE Methodology
Institute, Papers in Social Research Methods, Qualitative
Series, Paper 11.
• Saldana, J (2003) Longitudinal Qualitative Research,
Alta Mira Press, New York
• Holland, J ., Thomson, R., & Henderson, S. (2004).
Feasibility study for a possible Qualitative
Longitudinal Study: A Discussion Paper. Report to
ESRC
• Molloy D., & Woodfield, K. with Bacon, J. (2002)
Longitudinal qualitative research approaches in
evaluation studies, Working Paper No. 7, London:
HMSO
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Contact details
• Sue Keil, RNIB: [email protected]
• Rachel Hewett, VICTAR, DISN, University of
Birmingham: [email protected]
www.twitter.com/RachelHewettUoB
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