The Employment Journey of Former TPT Intern Renu Walia

“I’m just so passionate about helping and supporting blind and partially sighted individuals, obviously, having lived experience of my own, and it just gives me an absolute pleasure to do what I’m doing as an ECLO.”

Renu was working as an intern for 6 months with TPT  and she was the first virtual intern for London Vision. She is currently an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) for the Royal Free Trust, which means she is working with RNIB and the NHS.

“Volunteering is a brilliant stepping stone into employment because you gain skills, obviously you’ve given up your time so you’re a bit more passionate, and you gain a lot of skills, knowledge, and networking is a key.”

As an ECLO, she supports blind and partially sighted individuals with information and practical advice into achieving as much independence as they can with the sight that they have.  Renu has achromatopsia, a rare genetic condition, that causes daylight and lighting blindness.

“The experience that I gained in that 6 months was unbelievable, and it set off a platform to get my current role as Eye Clinic Liaison Officer.”

Meet Renu through our We Work video below, in which she shares her journey into employment through volunteering, the importance of her own lived experience in delivering advice to visually impaired people, and she gives her advice to other blind and partially sighted individuals looking for work.

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