We have developed this fact sheet to provide information and direction on supporting people with who are blind or vision impaired. It is a starting point for a range of matters you may wish to consider when offering employment related support to this group of job seekers.
Understanding blindness and vision impairment and its impact on job performance
People with disability are usually experts in their own needs, and will understand the impact of their disability on work performance and any workplace adjustments they may need at interviews, while training or on the job.
People experience blindness and vision impairment in different ways. Some people are born with no or significantly reduced vision while others lose vision due to accident or disease.
There are five conditions that most commonly cause vision loss:
-
glaucoma resulting in gradual loss of peripheral vision
-
cataracts
-
age related macular degeneration often affecting central vision
-
diabetic retinopathy
-
retinitis pigmentosa leading to tunnel vision.
For some people vision loss is sudden, while for others it may be gradual. Some people, for example, those with diabetes, may have fluctuating levels of visual functioning, and people with the same eye condition may have different degrees of remaining vision.
Legal blindness, has a particular technical definition. A person is considered legally blind if they have restricted visual field (peripheral vision loss) of less than 20 degrees, or if, even with corrective lenses, they can only see something from six metres away or less that someone with unaffected eyesight could see from 60 metres away ('20/20 vision' is a colloquial term which relates to this definition, but uses feet instead of metres). However, some people who are legally blind prefer to refer to themselves as vision impaired as they still have some useful sight.
There are many people with a vision impairment that impacts on their daily functioning but cannot be corrected by glasses and is not severe enough to be considered legally blind.
The main areas of functioning important to employment that are usually affected for people who are blind or vision impaired are information access and physical movement. Consequently, alternative information formats and adaptive technology become important tools for improving employment access as well as orientation and mobility training. Orientation refers to a person understanding where they are within an environment and mobility refers to their ability to move from one place to another.
It is important to remember that people who are blind or vision impaired will have different levels of familiarity and expertise with adaptive information technology. Similarly, not all legally blind people use or are familiar with Braille. Their preference for mobility aids will also vary. Some will use guide dogs, others will prefer canes, perhaps combined at times with guidance from a personal assistant or friend, or will have enough functional vision to allow successful mobility in most situations.
The Workplace Adjustment Tool contains further information on blindness and vision impairment. The Workplace Adjustment Tool is a searchable database that allows you to search for ideas for workplace adjustments and solutions based on a particular disability and the type of job being undertaken.
Put the person first
When developing a job search plan or offering post-employment support, it is necessary to be flexible and treat each person who is blind or vision impaired individually. Tailor your approach to individual needs and capacities and focus clearly on each person’s goals and abilities. This should also entail reassessing and adapting plans and support as necessary, and linking people into relevant specialist services.
Tapping into existing support networks may also assist job seekers to achieve their vocational goals. Use current and valid assessments and reports (school, work experience, medical, and rehabilitation and work capacity assessments) to help you gain a full understanding of the person’s strengths, barriers and any assistance they will require along the road to employment.
Pre-employment strategies
You can assist job seekers who are blind or vision impaired to find suitable and durable employment by developing an individualised pre-employment plan that incorporates a discussion of the following:
-
an exploration of realistic job options
-
an orthoptic assessment which may assist in gaining a better understanding of the type of aids and equipment that may be useful or necessary for employment at this stage
-
a job development strategy covering resumes, interviews and job search techniques, including the job seeker's role and your role in these activities
-
consideration of disability disclosure
-
requirements for workplace adjustments or modifications
-
consideration on post placement support needs.
Job search
Sometimes people who are blind or vision impaired may have narrow ideas about jobs in which they could succeed. This thinking may have been fostered by parents or teachers who may not have thought broadly about employment possibilities. Historically it was thought there were only limited jobs for people who were blind (the classic being switchboard operators) but with modern technology, options have increased and, with appropriate training and equipment, people who are blind or vision impaired have the same range of abilities as anyone else.
As a result, it is crucial to carefully explore each job seeker's work skills and interests through personal discussion, checking with any previous employment referees or talking frankly to former employers or work experience teachers. For those with limited or no recent work experience, or with unclear ideas of what adaptive technology or equipment they might need in the workplace, it may be beneficial to arrange work experience or voluntary work to assist realistic future job choice as well as skills training with adaptive software or information technology.
This process of exploration may also help determine whether a person will be able to work for full wages or will need to access the Supported Wage System and be paid productivity based sub-minimum wages. Keep in mind though that historically only a small percentage of people accessing the Supported Wage System have had a sensory disability including vision impairment.
Most job seekers will undoubtedly benefit from personal involvement in preparing suitable resumes, and using a range of job search methods. However, many people who are blind or vision impaired will need to be alerted to written job advertisements if they cannot access the technology to do so themselves, as well as develop alternative methods of completing standard written job application forms such as personal assistance or requesting emailed versions. Due to information access limitations they may also need some assistance with contacting employers and setting up interviews.
Job interviews—support and interview tips
When it comes to actual job interviews or face to face meetings with employers, most people who are blind or vision impaired will not usually require physical support or advocacy. They are more than capable of speaking for themselves, and discussing their workplace adjustment needs. They may need assistance from you to explain their adaptive equipment needs and funding available through the Employment Assistance Fund. This reassurance of coverage for essential equipment, at interview, can often influence the success of the interview. They may, however, need assistance with directions and locating unfamiliar addresses.
You may also need to advise employers on disability awareness for interviews, such as:
-
allowing guide dog access
-
assisting job applicants using 'sighted guide' (offering back of arm to walk a person through the workplace and placing hand on top of chair when offering a vision impaired person a seat)
-
ensuring self introduction before speaking
-
using normal speech and language.
All job candidates, whatever their interview skills, should be given some interview practice, and can only benefit from understanding what job interviews are all about.
Disclosure issues
There is no one answer to the question of disability disclosure for people with who are blind or vision impaired.
For some people it will not be an issue as their disability may be quite apparent. In this case it will be a matter of working out a way of discussing information about a job seeker’s disability with prospective employers in a manner with which they are comfortable.
For others, with less obvious types of vision impairment, disclosure is a real issue that needs discussion as often the disability will not be initially apparent in an interview or on the job.Whilst ultimately it is the job seeker's choice as to whether to disclose, the benefits of disclosure should be carefully considered and discussed. In most cases it means that accessing appropriate work modifications and support is made much simpler and this is often the key to successful placement.
Post-placement strategies
Job commencement—assistance and support ideas
Starting a job can be a testing time for any new employee but those who are blind or vision impaired ought to receive the same introduction to a job and initial training as other employees. Given issues with information access and mobility, there may be the need for extra orientation assistance and support in addition to any employer incentives you may arrange. This will vary depending on the employee, the severity of the disability, the complexity of the job, and the nature of the workplace. Such assistance and support could include:
-
pre-employment orientation to the workplace environment (access to building, work station, toilets, lunch room) perhaps using a qualified orientation and mobility instructor and involving an occupational health and safety representative to complete a safety audit
-
facilitating any workplace modifications before job commencement, utilising the Employment Assistance Fund is often appropriate, for example simple changes may be needed such as:
-
taking clutter away from passageways
-
Braille labelling or printers
-
tactile or visual markers
-
improved lighting
-
adaptive equipment, for example, close circuit television or magnifying lamps for print enlargement
-
optical scanners
-
other low vision aids, such as hand held magnifiers.
-
liaising with IT staff or external experts to install adaptive software or modify computer system, for example, enlarged screen text with larger than conventional monitor sizes, synthesised voice and Braille output (utilising the Employment Assistance Fund is often appropriate)
-
providing advice on provision of employee information in alternative accessible formats, such as large print, audio and email, on a day to day basis and/or additional use of notetakers during workplace training sessions
-
a train the trainer approach involving:
-
a more formal process of instructing a designated co-worker or supervisor in more appropriate specialist training and performance monitoring techniques
-
the development of an informal buddy system where a co-worker is willing to ‘keep an eye’ on the employee’s progress and assist with learning new tasks and dealing with work related problems as required
-
proactive education of the employer or co-workers on the impact of employees who are blind or vision impaired with the aim of avoiding misunderstandings on the job—this may involve full or partial disclosure.
The ideal situation is when the employer takes ownership of employee induction and training, but for new employees who are blind or vision impaired they may need some advice and assistance to get it right.
Ongoing support
Once an employee who is blind or vision impaired has commenced work and been given all the necessary initial assistance and training, you can increase their chances of maintaining this employment by providing ongoing support as it is required. Ongoing support requirements and the way this support is delivered should be discussed with the employee. Ongoing support may include:
-
visits, emails and phone calls to monitor performance
-
assistance with resolution of work related problems
-
ongoing coaching of employers and co-workers on relevant disability issues or training techniques
-
advice on job redesign (tasks, processes, hours) or workplace adjustments (modifications, special aids and equipment, communication and information access strategies)
-
provision or arrangement of ergonomic or workplace assessments
-
off site or on site counselling or performance feedback
-
referral to community services or linkage into work related support mechanisms
-
assistance with training and expansion of duties, including regular performance reviews.
More information
For information and step by step instructions on the financial help available to employers of people with disability, including the application process, visit:
The following fact sheets, developed for service providers, are also a useful resource: