Give me Access to college: Blind and Partially Sighted Students Remain Locked Out of College 

Thomas Pocklington Trust’s (TPT) latest ‘Give Me Access to College; report reveals that blind and partially sighted students continue to face significant barriers in accessing specialist vision impairment (VI) support in post 16 education. Despite efforts to reform education for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Further Education (FE) continues to be overlooked, and unacceptable gaps remain limiting opportunities for young people with a VI.

This report revisits our earlier findings, ‘Give Me Access to College’ and highlights the urgent need for targeted reforms. We call on the Government to ensure that blind and partially sighted young people are included in the SEND improvement agenda, with consistent support, training, and access to a full range of post 16 pathways.

We request your support and encourage you to take action by sending a letter to your MP, you can help encourage positive change for blind and partially sighted young people. It’s quick, simple and it can lead to real change.

Read our full report here, and send the letter to your MP

You can also read our LinkedIn blog  written by Krupali Parshotam, sharing her experiences of college as a blind and partially sighted person.

If you would like to learn more about our work, then sign up for our Education Newsletter. Or if you would like a more in-depth conversation, contact us at educationpolicy@pocklington.org.uk

Update November 2025:

Latest AmplifyFE resource linked to the work of Thomas Pocklington Trust’s work:

AmplifyFE podcast: Access and Assistance for All (AAA) Youth Champions

For the latest AmplifyFE podcast, we have done something slightly different. The Access and Assistance for All (AAA) Youth Champions have taken over and written, recorded and produced this episode to promote the AAA campaign. It aims to make further education more accessible by design, and to increase awareness about assistive technology.