Strategies for Employing Older Workers with Visual Impairments

Abstract

The National Aging and Vision Network established the National Agenda on Vision and Aging in 1998 and identified employment opportunities for older individuals with visual impairments (those who are blind or have low vision) as a major goal. A work group was formed to address this goal. One of its first tasks was to identify examples of strategies to increase the employment of older persons with visual impairments. Project VIEW was selected to epitomize a model program for the employment of older workers.

Workplace Discrimination and Visual Impairment: A Comparison of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Charges and Resolutions under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act

“…During that time, techniques for removing negative attitudes held by employers toward hiring individuals with disabilities were rec ommended (Brostrand, 2006;Golub, 2006). In addition, other recommendations included methods for teaching employees to identify their disability-related employment needs (Rumrill & Scheff, 1997); employers identi fying strategies to meet their legal obligations under the ADA (Unger, Rumrill, & Hennessey, 2005); and employees utilizing vocational reha bilitation agency services (Simpson & Rogers, 2002). The implementation of the above recom mendations may have contributed to decreased job acquisition discrimination against individu als with visual impairments.…”