Building Careers for People Who Are Blind

By Mike Johnson,
Communications Manager,
National Industries for the Blind

Did you know that 70 percent of working age Americans who are blind are not employed?

Despite continued gains in employment over the years, this alarming statistic reveals that people who are blind remain one of our nation's greatest untapped resources. The opportunity to capitalize on this qualified, dedicated, and available labor pool should be enough to get any employer excited!

The employment gap between people who are blind and people who are sighted fuels our mission at National Industries for the Blind (NIB): to enhance opportunities for personal and economic independence for people who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining, and improving employment.

For nearly 75 years, NIB has been building careers for people who are blind. Today, NIB and its 90 associated nonprofit agencies serve as the largest employer of people who are blind. More than 6,100 people who are blind work at NIB or one of our associated agencies, producing thousands of different products for federal and commercial customers, providing a variety of administrative, technology, and managerial services, and operating hundreds of military retail stores across the country.

As we celebrate our 75th anniversary in 2013, NIB will focus on raising awareness and educating employers about the capabilities of people who are blind. Together, we can create more employment opportunities for the thousands of Americans who need them.

Dispelling the Myths

Although Americans who are blind have worked and continue to work across many different industries, the vast majority of working age people who are blind are not employed. Why?

There are many myths and misconceptions about the abilities of people who are blind. As a recruiter or hiring manager, you may ask yourself, "Is a person who is blind a good fit for my company?" The answer is YES! People who are blind are as capable as their sighted counterparts. For example, at the Lighthouse for the Blind in Seattle, skilled technicians who are blind manufacture aircraft parts for Boeing commercial jets, including parts for aircraft wings, lighting, and cabin seating. These parts are complex-engineered and fabricated to precise standards-and require highly trained and skilled labor to manufacture them.

As an employer, you may think accommodations for people who are blind are too expensive. In reality, these costs are nominal. Data from the American Foundation for the Blind and the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that 88 percent of accommodations cost less than $1,000,[ 1 ] 50 percent cost less than $500, and 15 percent cost nothing.[ 2 ]  Check with your local vocational rehabilitation agency to find out what assistance they can provide. The bottom line: contributions that people who are blind make to a company far outweigh the costs of accommodations.

You probably agree that it's socially responsible to employ people who are blind, but you may not understand how it will affect your company's bottom line. Many employers have already discovered that it makes good business sense to employ people who are blind. Consumers support businesses that employ people who are blind or otherwise disabled. For example, one study sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed that 54 percent of households are more responsive to businesses that feature people with disabilities in their advertising.[ 3 ] Disability-friendly businesses earn the loyal patronage of people who are blind or have disabilities and their network of supporters.

People who are blind are productive, skilled, and devoted employees. As a result, their turnover rate is relatively low. In fact, a team of researchers at DePaul University found that employees with disabilities stayed on the job roughly four months longer than employees without disabilities.[ 4 ] This not only reduces the amount of resources employers spend on recruiting and in/out-processing, but higher retention can help improve team cohesiveness and employee morale. Additionally, people who are blind enhance your company's overall diversity, offering ideas, opinions, and perspectives that are critical for innovation and growth. A strong workforce is an inclusive workforce!

Technology and Engineering-the Great Equalizers

Assistive technologies continue to close the gap between people who are blind and sighted, and these tools are more sophisticated and cost-effective than ever. People who are blind use a variety of methods to communicate and interact in their workplaces, and most forms of print or electronic media can be made accessible with the help of technology. For example, computer software can translate print into speech, magnify computer screen images, and enlarge text to a readable size.

When technology isn't enough, bring in the engineers! In the manufacturing industry, rehabilitation engineers adapt work environments to help people who are blind succeed on the job and to be as productive and efficient as possible. For example, at the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Utica, New York, a rehabilitation engineer from NIB designed and built a customized jig for the agency's rubber band counting and bagging operation. This workstation modification increased productivity by more than 35 percent, and allowed employees to perform their tasks completely independently.[ 5 ]

Through the use of technology and/or simple, low-cost changes to a work environment, employers are breaking down barriers to success for people who are blind. Are you ready to take the next step?

How You Can Help

We've learned that people who are blind are dedicated, capable employees. Now is the time to take action-hiring people who are blind not only changes their lives but also benefits companies in a variety of ways. Here's what you can do to get started...

First, continue to educate yourself and your colleagues about the benefits of employing people who are blind. It's natural to be cautious about the unknown, particularly when making hiring decisions. However, thousands of success stories have proven that people who are blind are devoted, productive employees. Accommodations are not expensive; in fact, most are free or cost next to nothing.

Second, partner with NIB or one of its associated agencies to give your company a competitive edge. We work with companies to meet the needs of their customers, including federal agencies that require disabled-employee labor on their contracts. Our ability to connect companies with qualified employees can make your proposals more competitive and open up additional business opportunities.

Third, just do it! There are roughly 6.3 million Americans with significant vision loss who have a high school degree or GED, and 4.8 million with a bachelor's degree or higher.[ 6 ] As you review résumés and interview candidates, remember that blindness is not a limitation when it comes to doing great work. Many employers have already discovered the benefits of hiring people who are blind-now it's your turn!

For more information about NIB and its associated agencies, visit www.nib.org.

[ 1 ] American Foundation for the Blind. Learning About Blindness. Retrieved September 4, 2012.

[ 2 ] U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Workforce Preparation. Disability: Dispelling the Myths, How People With Disabilities Can Meet Employer Needs, page 2. Retrieved September 4, 2012.

[ 3 ] U.S. Chamber for Commerce Center for Workforce Preparation. Disability: Dispelling the Myths, How People With Disabilities Can Meet Employer Needs, page 5. Retrieved September 4, 2012.

[ 4 ] DePaul University. Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities, page 12. Retrieved September 4, 2012.

[ 5 ] National Industries for the Blind. Small Changes with a Big Impact, Opportunity Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 1 (Winter 2011), page 9. Retrieved September 6, 2012.

[ 6 ] National Federation of the Blind. Statistical Facts About Blindness in the United States. Retrieved September 4, 2012.