EEOC Guidance on the Application of the ADA to the Blind or Visually Impaired
Last week the EEOC issued Q&A guidance on working with individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The press release announcing the new guidance explains some of the information provided including:
- When a vision impairment is a "disability" within the meaning of the ADA;
- What questions employers may ask job applicants or employees about their vision impairments and when employers may conduct medical examinations that test vision;
- What accommodations people who are blind or visually disabled may need to apply for a job, to perform a job's essential functions, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment, such as the ability to take advantage of training and other opportunities for advancement; and
- How employers should handle safety concerns they may have about applicants or employees with vision impairments.
The document, itself notes some startling statistics:
- Approximately 10 million people in the United States are blind or visually impaired.
- One million adults older than the age of 40 are blind, and 2.4 million are visually impaired.
- Over the next 30 years, as the baby-boomer generation ages, the number of adults with vision impairments is expected to double.
- Only 46% of working-age adults with vision impairments and 32% of legally blind working-age adults are employed.
For the detailed EEOC document, go here.