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There’s a 70% rate of unemployment among blind Americans, according to figures from the National Federation of the Blind.

With similar levels in other developed countries, and even higher levels in the developing world, it goes without saying that the trend’s unacceptably high.

Unemployment among the legally blind is also notably higher than that of individuals with other disabilities.

Before going further, though, I want to say that as a person living with legal blindness as well as someone who’s faced difficult employment realities in my own life, this issue is close to my heart. And in that vein, I’m incredibly excited and proud to be writing this maiden post on eSight’s new blog.

In my view – and the view of eSight – this issue deserves center stage.

The topic doesn’t only touch on me and a few other people, though. We’re talking about millions upon millions of people here. (There are 285 million individuals with visual impairment globally, according to the World Health Organization, with 246 million of those living with low vision and 39 million being profoundly blind.)

It’s difficult to think of another minority population this size, facing this level of marginalization from the workforce on a global scale, who wouldn’t already be protesting in the streets.

These levels of unemployment are even more shocking when you consider:

All of the amazing new technologies that are already out there and able to help those living with visual impairment be mobile, perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and work for a living.
The fiscal sense it makes in terms of an employer’s bottom line to hire these individuals, in particular.

And that’s why we’re going to go on a deeper dive into both of these areas below.

Employment Difficulties Facing the Visually Impaired

In so many parts of society, technology’s proven to be a continuous and growing catalyst for change. In the case of those with visual impairment, technology is changing people’s lives in a demonstrable way, giving them opportunities they never had.

It’s hard to believe how far we’ve advanced in only a few years.

It used to be (scratch that, still is) that if you were legally or profoundly blind and seeking employment, employers expected that you’d have to use a white cane to get around your office, or that you would be able to read Braille and require an employer to come equipped with all relevant Braille materials.

Research has shown that those who use a white cane for daily mobility and those who are able to read Braille find employment at notably higher rates than their visually impaired counterparts who don’t have those specific tools and skills. If you have vision loss and don’t use a white cane or don’t know how to read Braille, the research points to your employability suffering as a result.

(Not that there’s anything wrong with using a white cane or being able to read Braille!)

Examples like these just show how inequitable the playing field can be for individuals with visual impairment, despite the fact that they may be perfectly suited for the job in question when it comes to knowledge, education and temperament.

A notable fact from that same study is that those who read Braille also receive significantly higher salaries than those without that particular skill, resulting in a staggering $11,000 USD per year loss in income for the non-Braillers!

If only there were new technologies for those with visual impairment which could help employers move past these outdated hiring practices, and focus on a visually impaired individual’s experience and qualification for the job!

(Don’t worry, there is, and we’ll get to that in a second.)

Beyond the issue of the specific skills and tools that those with visual impairment are expected to have learnt or bought in order to stand a (still lessened) chance at getting a job, there remains the issue of islands of accessibility.

Consider the many assistive devices out there:

Braille machines
CCTVs
Magnifiers
Text-to-speech software
(To name a few…)

Even with all of the above, visually impaired employees remain stranded on islands of accessibility. If a person has one of these devices at their desk which allows them to work, as soon as they leave that “island” to, say, go and sit in on a meeting in the boardroom with a colorful (albeit unhelpful) PowerPoint presentation – the workplace rapidly becomes an inaccessible environment again with the assistive device unable to adapt.

In this way, the individual’s trapped on an island.

However, new technologies are rapidly changing this reality. For those with low vision, breakthrough wearable devices such as eSight are freeing employees from their islands and creating environments of inclusion at all types of workplaces (e.g., offices, factories, schools – the list is pretty well endless unless you drive for a living or deep-water dive).

These technologies are also leveling the playing field for a massive population of those living with low vision in terms of actually getting a job. No longer does the determining factor in a person’s employability surround whether or not they have a white cane, or if they can read Braille.

For the legally blind, with devices like eSight they can actually see again.

And with that kind of technology, employers are able to focus on the individual’s education, background and experience – exactly what they should be thinking about.

Why Employers Should Be Providing New Technologies

Now this is the part that most companies and employers haven’t yet realized.

Providing these new technologies for employees with visual impairment isn’t only the morally right thing to do (you know, giving a person sight and all), but it’s also the economical option for an employer!

That hiring individuals with disabilities boosts a company’s bottom-line has been pretty well recognized in the media (see here, here and here).

Wearable technologies like eSight boost the productivity of existing (or future) employees with legal blindness, allowing them to break free from their islands of accessibility, get around the office and be mobile – and, fundamentally, see and work in the same way that their sighted colleagues do.

The US Department of Labor noted in a recent report that companies with hiring practices aimed at increasing the number of employees living with disabilities in their organization resulted in greater morale and productivity among the rest of their staff.

Another study conducted by Chicago-based DePaul University added to these findings, noting that these particular hires showed:

Much lower rates of absenteeism than their colleagues
Long tenures in their positions
Strong loyalty to the company that hired them

The benefits to providing these new technologies are profound and far–reaching within an organization.

Employers also benefit from an untapped labor market (see: the 70% unemployment rate discussed above), one that’s at the moment obstructed by the perception of hirers that those living with visual impairment are unable to substantively contribute in the workplace – despite their potentially having relevant education, background and experience.

New technologies like eSight are changing this, and these perceptions will have to adapt.

Lastly, and in the most macro-scale, the productivity lost by keeping these individuals out of the workforce is considerable. In the United States, estimates put this cost to the economy at just under $50 billion USD per year. In Canada, the price tag on lost productivity sits at a similar per capita level, totaling $4.4 billion CAD annually.

With a device like eSight – and in the face of how much it would cost the economy to continue doing nothing – the legally blind are instead able to find gainful employment, earn their own income and proudly pay taxes.

To Wrap Up

As I said at the beginning, this issue is close to my heart.

Too many people around the world can’t find the work they deserve and which they’re qualified or trained for – despite technology out there that can help both these individuals and the bottom-line of any company or organization that hires them.

This has to change. The best way to start is by spreading awareness and sparking a discussion. And at eSight, we work hard every day to do just that.

In ending, I’d like to once again welcome you to the brand-new eSight Blog!

Stay posted for more updates on issues of interest to those living with visual impairment.