For Businesses

For Businesses

On this page, you will find information about hiring, accommodating, and retaining employees who are blind or have low vision. Below, you will see questions employers often ask about workers with blindness or low vision. Click on a question to view the answer and related resources.

Do you have questions about blindness and low vision and how it relates to employment?

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Important Questions

What should I know about working with a colleague who is blind or has low vision?

Just ask! Our friendly, practical video provides workplace professionals with suggestions for creating a welcoming and accessible environment for colleagues who are blind or have low vision.

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Are you prepared for an applicant with vision loss?

This one-hour self-paced interactive video, available for 1 or 1.5 hours of SHRM credit, covers common questions employers have about hiring people with vision loss.

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What is blindness and low vision?

Often when we think of blindness we think of a person who has no vision at all, but how much can a person see and still be considered blind?

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What types of jobs can people who are blind or have low vision do?

With appropriate training and equipment, people who are blind or visually impaired have the same range of abilities as anyone else. There are no “jobs for blind people.”

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Why hire workers who are blind or have low vision?

People who are B/LV work successfully in many fields. The problem-solving skills and can-do attitude B/LV people use to cope with their disability make them tenacious employees who know how to think creatively about challenges they encounter.

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How can we accommodate visual impairments in the workplace?

When hiring, employers want to know if an applicant has the necessary skills, experience, education, or other background to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. The same holds true when hiring a person who is blind or has low vision (B/LV).

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What are the legal requirements of hiring someone who is blind or has low vision?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) makes it unlawful to discriminate in employment against a qualified individual with a disability, such as blindness or low vision (B/LV). The ADA also outlaws discrimination against B/LV individuals in state and local government services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications.

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How can I help a current employee who is experiencing blindness or low vision?

Employees experience vision loss due to illness, accidents, or aging. As an employer, there are steps you can take to help your employee remain on the job as a valued and productive member of the team.

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How do blind workers perform job-related tasks?

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Common Myths

Individuals who are blind or have low vision face more barriers than their disability. They also have the additional hurdle of overcoming social perception. Check your knowledge and understanding with this true/false quiz.

Common Myths

How much do you know about how individuals who are blind or low vision perform tasks?

Take the quiz to test your knowledge and view the videos to learn more about how blind employees perform workplace tasks.

Take the Quiz View Videos of Workplace Assistive Technology

Spotlight on Successful Employment

Spotlight on Successful Employment

Angela Davis

Following a career in banking, Angela Davis changed her career path to incorporate her interest in engaging in community service.

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Frequently Asked Questions
Inquiring Minds Video Series

When considering hiring someone with blindness or low vision, there are many questions that employers have. These brief recordings will explore some of these questions and give you a better idea of how work is done by thousands of individuals with blindness or low vision every day.

View Video Series FAQ

Additional Resources for Businesses

Find guides, fact sheets, programs and networks to facilitate improvement in your business.

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