Vince working on the production lineIn May 2010 your donations helped to fund a project called ‘WORK Visions'.
This is a series of four modules and is run by Clarity. It is specifically designed to provide disabled people with valuable work experience and vocational qualifications to support them in the process of securing long term open employment. Unemployment amongst the blind is over 70% and this project wants to address this problem. On my recent visit, I spoke to Vincent and Sad, who have both started working at Clarity thanks to the project.
Vincent has worked at Clarity for six months and is a big West Ham United fan.
Vincent started the first ‘WORK Visions' module in May 2010 and has progressed to the second module, which is a six month paid placement until November 2010. He used to have a job as a kitchen porter, but had to give this up when he lost his eye sight. The independence Clarity has given Vincent means a lot to him. He can pay his own bills, he's not as depressed and he gets on well with the other staff.
He does four days a week and on Fridays he does an I.T and numeracy class in Tower Hamlets. Ideally he'd like to stay on permanently at Clarity once his contract runs out or find a job in open employment. He does a good variety of jobs, such as packing the boxes and topping the bottles. He takes pride in doing a good job and not making mistakes. He lives alone in a flat, but is kept busy with cleaning, shopping and by being an uncle to over 30 nieces and nephews! 
Sad packaging products to sellLike Vincent, Sad has been on the'Work Visions' course since May and has been at Clarity since May 2010. He is now on module two of the ‘Work Visions' programme. He was unemployed previously. He enjoys the work and finds everyone friendly, he hopes to stay on longer after the modules have finished. As he has limited vision in one eye he can do many tasks on the factory floor and he enjoys the variety. He has already learnt a number of new skills in his time at Clarity, including packing, topping bottles and sellotaping parcels for delivery.
Sad has been learning how to use a computer at home and meets up with a tutor once a week to practise his skills. In all he works four days a week at Clarity and he commutes to work from Stratford, which takes about an hour. He lives near the Olympic Park and although he is looking forward to the Olympics, he wishes the building was over because of all the noise and dust!
He is a big Manchester United fan, although he has never visited Old Trafford and his favourite player is Ronaldo.
