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January Newsletter: How to support employees with Visual Impairments

Disability Awareness at Work: 28 January – 13.30pm – 14.30pm – “Championing Diversity: “Disability Awareness at Work” 

The NHS reports there are more than 2 million people living with sight loss in the UK. Of these, around 340,000 are partially sighted or registered as blind (NHS,2024).

As we celebrate World Braille Day it is important that our colleagues who live with sight loss are supported at work.

Visual impairments (VI) can affect anyone. Some of the most common effects can include:

  • Involuntary eye movement
  • Light sensitivity
  • Partial or complete blindness
  • Poor vision in the dark
  • Transition time from light to dark, or the other way round

Challenges a colleague with a VI may face:

  • Navigation around an office especially large – open shared spaces
  • Reading text documents
  • Using everyday technology and software applications
  • Full participation in virtual meetings especially when people use messaging chats or in accessible formats/displays

Do you have sight loss, are you struggling at work, do you have an employee who might need support for reasonable adjustments at work? If so, then EDNA is here to help! If you need support for reasonable adjustments in the workplace, you can self-refer to the EDNA Service. 100% confidential and no diagnosis required.

There are additional places to go for help and support:

For external support you might wish to reach out to RNIB the UK’s leading charity for people with sight loss.

Their website is specifically designed for people with sight loss, and they provide a wide range of useful information and resources, including an online community and RNIB online shop – RNIB | Homepage of the Royal National Institute of Blind People

Or you might wish to contact them on 0303 123 9999 their helpline is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm.

Other national charities

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