Am I able to get a Personal Reader Grant?

If you are blind or visually impaired and you need help with job-related reading, you may be entitled to a grant

Factsheet

Fact checked by experts and reviewed by young people.

Written by: spunout

am-i-able-to-get-a-personal-reader-grant?-thumbanail

Working a job with a visual impairment can be difficult without the proper support. If you need assistance with reading at work, you may be able to apply for a Personal Reader Grant.

What is the Personal Reader Grant?

The Personal Reader Grant allows you to employ someone part-time to help you with work-related reading during your work day. The grant covers a personal reader for a maximum of 640 hours of work a year, paid at the national minimum wage.

Who can apply for a Personal Reader Grant?

If you are finding it difficult to read at work due to a visual impairment or blindness, you can apply for a Personal Reader Grant. You don’t have to be registered as blind, and it doesn’t matter how much you’re earning in work. You can apply directly as an employee or your boss can apply on your behalf.

Personal Reader Grants are not available to people who work in the public sector (for national or local government, State agencies, the HSE, etc.) This is because public sector employers are already required to meet your needs as a member of staff with a disability.

If you are a student at college or university and are experiencing difficulty with reading as a result of a visual impairment, you can contact the Disability Liaison Officer for your college/university for information on supports.

Hiring a personal reader

Before you hire a personal reader, make sure to work out exactly the type and amount of reading you will need their help with. You can advertise for a personal reader as you would any other job. Putting an ad online, in a newspaper, in a shop window or on a community notice board are all possible ways of finding someone.

How to apply for a Personal Reader Grant

You can download the application forms for the Personal Reader Grant online or pick them up from your local Intreo Centre. The staff will be able to help out if you need assistance filling in the forms.

Need more information?

We are here to answer your questions and talk through your options. Our online chat service is for 16 to 25 year olds and is available Monday to Friday, 4pm to 8pm. Chat to us now about your situation.

Chat now to a trained Youth Information Officer
Or leave us a message and we will email you back