Keep up to date with everything our Student Voices and Young Voices groups have been doing. Check back regularly for the latest updates!

This is our latest update written in January 2026, looking back at the past six months. 

Student Voices

Over the past six months, our Student Voices have been truly exceptional. Their insight, generosity and leadership have played a vital role in shaping conversations, resources and events across the education sector. By sharing their lived experiences as blind and partially sighted students, they have ensured that work across education is rooted in real experiences and driven by meaningful inclusion.

Their involvement in the GoogleVox session brought lived experience directly into discussions about accessible technology. By confidently explaining how they use screen readers in education, students demonstrated the powerful role accessible technology plays in supporting learning, independence and confidence. They highlighted where improvements could make a tangible difference, helping to shape more inclusive thinking and practice.

Student Voices have made a significant impact through written contributions, including an article published on the Student Minds website. Drawing on personal experience, the article offers reassurance, practical guidance and encouragement to blind and partially sighted students at university. It speaks directly to students navigating university life, helping them feel understood, supported and less alone. 

Their perspectives were further amplified at the NADP Conference, where Student Voices helped inform conversations around disability support in higher education. By sharing what it is really like to navigate university as a blind or partially sighted student, they grounded discussions in lived reality and clearly illustrated what effective, inclusive support looks like in practice.

Student Voices have contributed to the CFVI by writing reflective articles based on their own educational journeys. These pieces bring the framework to life, showing how the right support at the right time can strengthen transitions, build independence and promote inclusion across different education settings. 

More recently, Student Voices led the launch of the Through Our Eyes podcast, which explores the real journey of choosing, applying to and starting university. Through open and honest conversations, students share challenges, decision making and successes, offering insight, reassurance and practical guidance to those preparing for university life.

Lived experience was central to STEP Together, our in person transitions event, where Student Voices took part in a panel and openly shared their experiences of moving on to university. By speaking candidly about their journeys, the challenges they faced and what they wish they had known, they offered reassurance, inspiration and encouragement to blind and partially sighted students beginning to think about their own next steps into higher education. 

Young Voices

Since our last update in May, the Young Voices team has continued to make incredible strides in leadership, advocacy and sector impact.

In July 2025, the Sport team met with Paralympics GB to share their insights and help shape inclusive sport initiatives. Meanwhile, the Accessible Retail team finalised their Accessible Retail Report, highlighting practical recommendations to improve retail experiences for blind and partially sighted customers. The report has already been shared with key industry partners and will inform ongoing accessibility work. 

Young Voices also contributed to TPT’s Volunteering Review, attending focus groups to provide feedback on volunteering experiences and suggest improvements for future opportunities. Their input will directly shape how TPT supports young volunteers in the years to come. 

Over the summer, our Young Leaders represented the programme at STEP online events, speaking confidently about their projects and experiences to peers across the UK. Their presentations highlighted the value of advocacy, teamwork and creative problem-solving. 

The cohort concluded in August 2025 with a celebration event, recognising the hard work, dedication and achievements of the Young Voices over the past 18 months. The event was a chance to reflect on their projects, share experiences and celebrate the lasting impact they’ve made on their peers, TPT and the wider sector.

Throughout this period, the team continued to develop personal skills and confidence through monthly online meetings and collaborative sessions, reflecting on their achievements and planning the next steps for future campaigns. 

The dedication, professionalism and creativity of this Young Voices cohort have made a real difference — both for themselves and for the wider blind and partially sighted community.

Find Out More

To find out more about our brilliant Student Voices and Young Voices, visit our Meet the Student Voices and Meet the Young Voices pages.

We are now actively recruiting for the next Young Voices cohort and there are also some spaces available in Student Voices. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please contact our volunteering team or visit our webpages for more information.