Fact Sheet: Employment

Employers Have a Responsibility to Make Workplaces and Technology Accessible to All

A job that provides good income and personal fulfillment should be available to everyone. But the reality is that people who are blind or have low vision don’t have the same opportunities as everyone else.

According to the 2023 Current Population Survey, in the U.S. only 42% of women ages 16-64 and 40% of men ages 16-64 with “vision difficulty” were employed. This is compared to 68% of women and 76% of men without disabilities. People who are blind or have low vision can face multiple barriers that make it harder to get hired or keep a job. Some of these barriers may lead people to stop looking for work.

AFB’s researchers looked at some of these barriers and some promising solutions.

What AFB’s Research Found

Many people who are blind or low vision face challenges beginning with the application process. The same is true with the process of onboarding, which means getting set up in employer systems when starting a new job.

Job applications and screenings are not always accessible, which means they don’t work with the technology people who are blind or low vision use to read websites, apps, and documents. In AFB’s Barriers to Digital Inclusion Survey, 90% of participants reported having problems with accessibility at least some of the time when applying for jobs on employer websites. The same was true with 80% of people using mobile apps to apply for jobs.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers must make onboarding and employee training accessible. But in AFB’s Workplace Technology Study (WTS), 59% of the participants said they had trouble filling out paperwork for onboarding in person, and 48% had trouble with online onboarding paperwork. About 40% said they had trouble doing required on-the-job training, and 39% did not get timely, effective training when their employer introduced new technology.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies and contractors to make their online systems accessible. The federal government also has goals for disability hiring. But in the WTS, out of the participants who were federal workers or contractors, 64% had trouble with electronic onboarding forms, 28% had trouble accessing online training, and 65% said their employer installed new technology that was not fully accessible.

During the hiring process, it’s not always easy to know how or when to tell a prospective employer about a disability.

Some participants in the WTS said it was uncomfortable telling their employer they had a disability during the hiring process. They worried about not getting the job or being asked inappropriate questions. Only 80% of the participants disclosed their disability before being hired.
In the study, white participants were more likely to disclose their disability than non-white participants. This shows there is still work to be done to make sure people from minority backgrounds who are blind or have low vision know their disability status will not affect employment opportunities.

Research participants noted some positives, and AFB has created materials to help employers make employment more accessible overall.

Remote work has become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home can help people who are blind or have low vision hold jobs even if they have transportation challenges. In the WTS, some participants said they liked remote work because they could control their own office setup, and some liked the fact that remote work made their disability less obvious to their co-workers. Other participants did prefer to work on-site. Remote work should be available as an accommodation, but in-person accommodations must also be provided for on-site employees who are blind or have low vision.
Based on our research, AFB created a toolkit for Human Resources and hiring managers. It provides best practices and guidance to help remove barriers to successful employment for people who are blind or have low vision.