Allisha Collins – Conference Administrator

“Work has given me more confidence and a better life. I would never go back to not working”

Many people take the ability to read a novel from cover to cover for granted. Allisha Collins of Birkenhead does not. Allisha who has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a hereditary eye disorder, read her first complete novel after she started work at the Gateway Centre in Liverpool.

Beneficial adjustments

Employment has been good for Allisha: “My job at the conference centre has given me much more confidence. I work on the reception desk and have to be assertive because I have to approach clients rather than wait for them to approach me” says Allisha.

Employer's story

Nigel Byrne, manager at the Gateway Conference Centre, interviewed Allisha for the conference administrator post but didn’t ask her any questions about her visual impairment. He knew that Allisha was partially sighted but was much more interested in whether her personality and skills were right for the job. “We needed someone with bags of personality because the role is very much a customer focused role. Allisha had just the skillset that we were looking for” says Nigel.

Access to Work

Nigel was aware of the Access to Work scheme through Jobcentre Plus and that funding might be available to help with adjustments. Nigel says “After she started to work for the company, I talked to Allisha about her impairment and about what support she would need to do her work”.  Nigel also enlisted the help of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) who carried out a workplace assessment and offered advice about the type of workstation and equipment Allisha needed.

Nigel appreciates that some employers worry about the cost of employing disabled people but he believes that employing non-disabled people also costs money, especially when employers have to pay agency fees to recruit new employees. “If you think you’ve found the right person for the job, you will pay whatever it costs, whether that person is non-disabled or disabled” says Nigel.

Employee's story

When looking for work, Allisha was encouraged and supported by a Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) at her local Jobcentre Plus who helped her with job hunting and also to find a place on the RNIB Training Grade Scheme. As a trainee, Allisha was able to develop vocational skills in administrative work.

Allisha is enthusiastic about her work and makes visitors to the Gateway Centre feel welcome.

One of the benefits of her job as a Conference Administrator was discovering a text enlarging machine. The machine is a light weight electronic magnifier which Allisha uses at work to read documents but can also use to read magazines and novels.

Greater awareness

Allisha believes that there needs to be greater awareness about what disabled people can do. She says that raising awareness is not just about helping people today but about helping future generations.

Allisha says “Things have got better since my mum was at school. She had a hard time because of her sight whereas I had a much better time at school. Future generations should have an even better time than me both at school and at work.”

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