Employers are being encouraged to create more accessible workplaces for blind and partially sighted people as new national guidance highlights the role of inclusion in supporting both wellbeing and performance.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the UK charity supporting people with sight loss, has launched a guide to help organisations recruit and retain employees who are blind or partially sighted. The charity is also urging employers to work towards its Visibly Better Employer quality standard, which recognises businesses that remove barriers to work and implement inclusive practices.
Figures from RNIB show that people with sight loss remain far less likely to be in employment than other adults. Around 11,000 blind or partially sighted people in the UK are currently looking for work, many without the chance to demonstrate their abilities.
Building Inclusive Workplaces
The Visibly Better Employer standard helps organisations attract new talent and retain staff who develop sight loss during their careers. It involves assessing recruitment and workplace accessibility and offering tailored advice on reasonable adjustments and supportive policies.
Marie Clarkson, Visibly Better Employer Manager at RNIB, explained that the framework gives employers the tools to make lasting change. “Obtaining the Visibly Better Employer (VBE) status will help organisations attract and retain talented people with sight loss and support staff affected by sight loss,” she said.
“We’re seeing fantastic progress with companies that have achieved the standard and have transformed their workplaces through inclusive practices. Employers including Amazon, the House of Commons, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Cadent Gas and The Office for National Statistics have all achieved the quality standard.”
She said that too many skilled people were still being excluded because of outdated perceptions. “Thousands of talented people are being overlooked. There are many misconceptions preventing employers from seeing blind and partially sighted people as potential employees. Employers can address these through training for staff and educating themselves around adjustments that can be made at work.”
Clarkson said inclusive recruitment could widen the talent pool and bring benefits for wellbeing, culture and innovation.
“It’s time we fix this, widen the talent pool available to employers, increase diversity and innovation and draw on the value blind and partially sighted employees bring to organisations and the workplace. Blind and partially sighted people thrive in almost all employment sectors. Just like everyone else, it comes down to the right support, training, skills and experience for the job.”
Attitudes Remain the Main Barrier
While technology and awareness have improved accessibility, RNIB’s findings suggest that employer attitudes remain a major obstacle. Many people with sight loss who are not in work believe their biggest barrier is how employers view their capabilities.
Some recruitment processes are still not accessible and job applications may exclude screen-reading users. Interview formats and workplace systems can also present difficulties that are avoidable with simple adjustments. Although the Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable accommodations for disabled employees, polling indicates that some employers are reluctant to adapt roles or workplaces.
Research also shows that the employment rate of blind and partially sighted people has remained largely unchanged for decades despite more people completing higher education. Those who are employed are often in permanent jobs and contribute strongly to their organisations, which demonstrates a persistent gap between ability and opportunity.
Practical Steps and Support
RNIB’s initiative aims to close that gap by offering employers practical support through trained employment specialists. These experts review recruitment materials, advise on onboarding, and help implement sight loss awareness training. Employers are also given tools to measure progress toward Visibly Better Employer status.
Reasonable adjustments are often straightforward and inexpensive. Examples include screen-reading or magnification software, accessible documents, clear signage, adjustable lighting and flexible job design. Many organisations that have implemented these measures report higher engagement and retention among all employees, not only those with sight loss.
The charity also supports employees who develop visual impairment during their working lives. Sight loss can occur at any stage, and RNIB helps people remain in work by advising both staff and employers on adjustments that make continued employment possible. Over the past year, the charity has helped more than 1,000 people stay in their jobs and assisted hundreds more into new roles through its employment services.
Wellbeing and Inclusion Go Hand in Hand
Experts say that inclusion is not only a legal or moral issue but also central to employee wellbeing. Accessible workplaces enable people to participate fully, which in turn strengthens confidence, belonging and overall job satisfaction.
Creating an inclusive culture can reduce stress for employees with disabilities, ensuring that they are not isolated or forced to navigate inaccessible systems. For employers, this means moving beyond compliance to actively embedding inclusion in wellbeing strategies.
RNIB argues that improving accessibility benefits everyone, from enhancing digital usability to fostering empathy and collaboration across teams. As the Visibly Better Employer programme continues to grow, it offers a framework for businesses to make those changes sustainably.
More than 2 million people in the UK live with sight loss, including over 1 million with long-term visual impairment. Many are of working age and have qualifications in sectors ranging from technology and education to finance and customer service. RNIB says that tapping into this talent pool will help employers meet skills shortages while improving organisational diversity and wellbeing.