Blindness or vision impairment can affect the ability of employees to work safely and be fully productive and independent within the workplace. Levels of vision impairment vary considerably and the impact of this within the workplace will also vary depending on the person’s familiarity with the job or task, assistive technology and support available within the workplace. Blindness or vision impairment may alter an employee’s ability to read, operate a computer, drive vehicles, operate machinery, handle money or safely negotiate the workplace.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
Employees with visual impairment can be assisted in the workplace by making simple changes to the environment such as using tactile markers or signs, adjusting lighting and marking edges of steps.
Orientation training may also benefit employees with a visual impairment, enabling them to become familiar with their surroundings.
There are also many ways to assist employees to see more clearly in specific work tasks:
References
Vision Australia 2009, Working with people with vision loss: Moving around safely, Vision Australia, Enfield, viewed 12 March 2010, <http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=924>.
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