Why your next hire should be a person who is blind or has low vision
Today is White Cane Day, which celebrates the white cane as a tool of independence for people who are blind or have low vision. The awareness day has been recognised since 1964.
Members of the blind and low-vision community are now using a wide range of tools and technologies, from white canes to smart phones, to assist their participation in all aspects of Australian life.
Unfortunately, Australian workplaces have not kept up.
The problem-solving capabilities, adaptation and flexibility of members of the blind and low-vision community, and the assistive tools they utilise, continue to remain unrecognised in most Australian workplaces.
In 2020, gaining employment is the biggest barrier to people who are blind or have low vision achieving choice in how they live their lives.
Only 24 per cent of Australians who are blind or who have low vision are in full-time work. Half are unemployed and a further 25 per cent are underemployed.
People who are blind are five times more likely to be unemployed than the average Australian.
Even though technology is in place for blind or low vision workers to perform on an equal or even elevated level as their sighted peers in the workplace, they are not being given the opportunity to do so.
Given the impressive and effective techologies available to assist people who are blind or have low-vision and that much of this technology is subsidised by governments, these statistics point to an impediment in our workplaces, not in the blind and low vision community.
This is why awareness days continue to be so important in achieving change, even in 2020. When it comes to the employment of people with disabilities, it’s the level of awareness in leaders, their mindset and their attitude, that is still the most formidable barrier to change.
Employers see blindness and low vision as a limitation in their employees when, in fact, it is the complete opposite.
I have learnt this as CEO of an organisation with a workforce of 15 percent people who are blind or have low vision. Our workforce features people who are blind or have low vision at every level, from our frontline service providers through to our leadership team.
I assure you that, as a leader, I have found the performance of my colleagues who are blind or have low-vision to be inseparable to that of my sighted colleagues.
But I don’t need to assure you. The performance of blind and low-vision leaders at Vision Australia speaks for itself.
In the months ahead we will be celebrating the excellence of blind and low-vision leaders at Vision Australia.
On my own LinkedIn page, I will be answering some common questions on making workplaces inclusive of blind and low-vision employees.
I invite you to join us on this journey - please ask a question or comment below - but I don’t want this journey to stop you from employing someone from the blind and low vision community right now.
In 2020, you are the next step in the blind and low-vision community achieving equality.
Your mindset is the most important tool for change.
Ron Hooton, CEO, Vision Australia
Support for NDIS Participants
4 年Ron Hooton, I totally agree, having worked in employment services for many years including Vision Australia, I can say the clients I worked with who were blind or had low vision, were motivated and willing to work. Many had degrees and qualifications to match others in the community and were willing to tackle any job offered, even if it meant not using their degree they had achieved. Unfortunately, it's the perception of what a person who is blind or has low vision can do. compared to what they can actually do, that gets in the way. As an employer, you won't go wrong employing a person who is blind or has low vision that is qualified to do the role you need to fill. There is also ongoing support for you as an employer and the job seeker to make sure everything is put in place to make the placement successful. Rana Kordahi Naomi Kroll Norvan Vogt Paul Mann Paulette Steele Jordan Akhurst (she/her) Dr Deanne (Dee) Gibbon CSC OAM Lindy Drew-Tsang Graeme Hannel James Bellas Karel de Laat Ben Johnson Jessica Hickman Mark Welke Julie Newton Sonia Herbert Adam Daley ?? @Rashesh Vara #disabilityinclusion #disabilityawareness #disabilityemployment #disabilityadvocate #employmentsupport #employeeproductivity #blindness