Attitudes of Employers Toward Hiring Individuals With Severe Visual Impairment

There are 10 million Americans with visual impairment of whom 1.3 million are legally blind or have severe visual impairment.Over the past decade, the unemployment rate for the general population has remained stable at 4-6%; in contrast, for people with disabilities, the unemployment rate has reportedly risen, as more individuals reported being out of work.The unemployment rate for those with severe visual impairment was estimated to be as high as 70%.This article explored attitudes of employers toward employees with visual impairment.The findings of this study revealed that the potential barriers to hiring individuals with severe visual impairment are no longer discrimination or stereotypical issues, but more likely (a) a lack of exposure and (b) the work environment.