Loud and Clear: Employing Visually Impaired people isn’t charity; companies have yet to realize.
Employing Visually Impaired People
Does your business hire a lot of visually impaired people? There’s a good chance they won’t, because too many companies still don’t see how valuable it is to hire someone with a disability.
I think it’s important to understand that this isn’t a kind thing to do or even just the right thing to do, even though both of those things are true. Recent studies have shown that people who have disabilities are more dependable, more loyal, and miss less work.
Still not sure? Let’s take a look at some more numbers. People with disabilities are still a big customer group that isn’t being used much. Your staff needs to be different, and having some people with disabilities on your sales team would be a good thing. As a customer, these changes would make me think there was real interest.
Employing Visually Impaired People: Develop an Inclusive Environment
Companies that have a welcoming setting for people with disabilities do five important things to find, keep, and promote diverse talent. Consider putting the following best practices into place in your business if you want to hire blind people:
1. Develop a commitment and a specific objective for inclusive hiring.
It’s not enough to wish your workplace was better for people who are blind or have low vision. You need to act by doing these things:
- Set clear, measurable goals for your employees.
- Spread the word about your company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace to all of your groups, and teach your hiring managers how they may benefit from hiring people with visual impairments.
Additionally, consider partnering with workforce development organizations like vocational agencies and your government’s Go to Work program.
2. Enhance the process of hiring.
Look at how you hire people now and make changes. Consider the following thoughts:
- Write inclusive job descriptions. Write a thorough job description that includes details about the responsibilities, the work environment, the physical needs, and the culture of the workplace. Mention this if you have flexible advantages like working from home or being able to set your own hours.
- Use open-ended language. Use more open-ended language when writing about job needs.
- Mention interview accommodations. Tell all job candidates that they can ask for help getting to the interview if they need to. This will make candidates who are blind feel at ease and show them that the company has an open mindset. Learn which questions about a person’s inability you can’t ask in an interview, and don’t ask them.
- Train hiring managers the right way. Train hiring managers to evaluate job candidates solely on the basis of position suitability, skills, and features directly related to the position, and not on the basis of appearance, disability, or other biases.
3. Assist workers in performing their tasks to the best of their abilities.
After hiring a person who is blind or has low vision, talk to them about any adjustments they might need, ideally before they start working. Know where this person will be working and be ready to give a description of the space. Any changes that need to be made should already be in place when the new employee starts.
4. Prepare your staff to work with visually impaired people.
From a management point of view, your business may be doing everything right. But employees who can’t see well can’t be comfortable and effective unless their coworkers are kind to them.
After hiring someone who is blind, everyone should go through training on how to include people with disabilities. This will help your team get ready to welcome coworkers with disabilities and ask questions to make sure the shift goes smoothly. Employees who can’t see can speak up and answer questions straight if it makes sense.
Set the tone with your workers by telling them how happy you are to have each new person join the team and how much you want them to work together, include everyone, and make the team as a whole more productive.
5. Provide ongoing empowerment for visually impaired employees.
Think about the following ways to give your employees who are blind more power:
- Start mentoring groups. Help workers who can’t set up mentoring relationships with executives in the company to help them advance in their jobs. If a blind executive is available as a mentor, offer this choice, but be open to other ideas.
- Offer ways to build skills. If your group is bigger, you might want to offer classes that help people learn new skills. If you run a small business, you might want to pay for outside skill training for your employees.
- Promote performance. Be clear that all employees will be considered for promotion within the company, and then follow through on that promise.
READ OUR BLOGS:
Rise of Ocular Problems in Nepal: How Can They Be Managed?
How Should I Interact with a Visually Impaired Person?
6 Useful Apps for Blind and Partially Sighted Users
Blindness and Visual Impairment and Their Causes in Nepal
Journey to Independence: Empowering Visually Impaired Youth through Vocational Training in Nepal
Visual Impairment and Transition from High School in Nepal
Government Contribution for the Blind in Nepal: Is it Enough?
Education for Special Children in Nepal: Visually Impaired Rights