Although people who are visually impaired work in as many different job sectors as people with normal vision, the unemployment rate of visually impaired people is significantly higher. The rate of employment of visually impaired individuals has been steadily increasing, but more opportunities need to be made for these highly qualified and skilled individuals to enter the workforce.
That being said, people who are blind or visually impaired make a living doing a wide range of jobs depending on their interests and skill sets. With reasonable accommodations, visually impaired individuals can perform just as well as anyone else.
According to the American Printing House for the Blind, visually impaired individuals work in as many different career sectors as people without visual impairments. People with visual impairments generally know what resources and adaptations they need to make them successful in the workplace. There are various resources available to help visually impaired individuals learn about these accommodations as well.
For anyone, visually impaired or not, salaries vary greatly depending on many factors, such as job sector, competition, and geographical location. Having a disability, such as being blind or visually impaired, should not impact one’s salary.
Education paths for people who are blind or visually impaired are often the same as for people with normal sight. With the help of special education resources, there are many potential education setting options for people with visual impairments. Based on a child’s unique needs, visually impaired children attend school in settings ranging from general education classrooms to private schools for the blind.
Following basic education, higher education options are available for people with visual impairments. The Americans with Disabilities Act has helped to ensure that colleges and universities across the country make their education fully accessible to all students, including students with visual impairments.
Employment Statistics for the Visually Impaired
The unemployment rate of visually impaired individuals is more than twice as high as the unemployment rate of the general population. According to 2016–2017 data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 37 percent of working-age individuals (ages 16–64) with vision loss participated in the U.S. labor force, with a 12 percent unemployment rate. For the general population, 73 percent of working-age people were active in the labor force with an unemployment rate of just 5 percent.
As the percentage of the working-age employment population in the U.S. has increased slightly, so has the employment rate for visually impaired people. From 2014 to 2017, the employment rate of visually impaired individuals increased from about 29 percent to 35 percent. Despite this positive trend, the employment rate for visually impaired people remains roughly 37 percent lower than that of the general employment population.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
Even though blind or visually impaired individuals are effective employees as people without disabilities, the unemployment rate among the group is significantly higher than it is for the general population. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2017 report, 37 percent of persons with vision challenges in the age bracket of 16 to 64 participated in the U.S. labor force, while 12 percent were unemployed.
Those statistics are similar to ones documented in previous years of annual reports – statistics that fueled a disabilities reform movement that led to the ratification of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The ADA encompasses civil rights laws proscribing discrimination against people with disabilities in different areas of public life. Whether in school, at work or in any public and private venues open to the general public, discrimination against the disabled is not tolerated. Blind and visually impaired individuals have the same rights and opportunities as other citizens.
Thus, individuals with disabilities like visual impairment have equal opportunity in public accommodations, state and local government services, employment, telecommunications and transportation.
How to Make a Living
Despite the gaps in employment rates for visually impaired people compared to the general population, there are many rewarding ways to make a living when visually impaired. Most people who are visually impaired have the same education and skills as people without visual impairments. They can perform the same tasks and only require reasonable accommodations to get the job done.
Many misconceptions and stereotypes exist about the abilities of visually impaired individuals to work in a regular job setting. Thanks to advancements in modern technology, adaptive equipment, such as screen-reading software and braille displays, is available to make nearly any job accessible to people with vision loss. Additional accommodations may need to be made, but someone who is visually impaired has likely already explored solutions so they can successfully fulfill their duties.
Career Options
In truth, visually impaired individuals can do nearly any job you can think of. According to Career Connect, which is operated by the American Printing House for the Blind, people with visual impairments are employed in as many different types of careers as people with full sight.
Blind and visually impaired individuals currently hold jobs in a wide range of industries. They may be any of the following:
- Marketing professionals
- Human resources managers
- Business managers
- Salespeople
- Agriculture workers
- Teachers and professors
- Lawyers
- Health care providers
- Counselors and psychologists
- Social workers
- Physical therapists
- Writers and journalists
- Customer service representatives
- Retail employees
- Athletics instructors and coaches
- Motivational speakers
- Scientists
- Engineers
- Architects
- Artists
The above list is not exhaustive, and nearly any job you can think of could be added to it. If you are blind or visually impaired and considering your career options, the important thing is to consider what type of career interests you have and what aligns with your skill set and education. Your visual impairment should not be a limiting or guiding factor in your career search.
Wage/Salary Information
Expected salaries from any given career vary depending on many factors, such as geographic location, education, work history, industry, the current job market, and competition for the job.
Here are median annual salaries for specific jobs in the United States based on 2017 and 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Receptionist: $28,392 ($13.65/hour)
- Administrative assistant: $38,880 ($18.69/hour)
- Market research analyst: $63,120 ($30.35/hour)
- Graphic designer: $50,370 ($24.22/hour)
- Interpreter or translator: $49,930 ($24.00/hour)
- Public relations specialist: $59,300 ($28.51/hour)
- Writer or editor: $62,170 ($29.89/hour)
- Architect: $79,380 ($38.16/hour)
- Environmental engineer: $87,620 ($42.13/hour)
- Guidance counselor: $55,410 ($26.64/hour)
- Special education teacher: $59,780 ($28.74/hour)
- School principal: $95,310 ($45.82/hour)
- Teacher: $55,790 ($26.82/hour)
- Accountant: $69,350 ($33.34/hour)
- Financial advisor: $88,890 ($42.74)
- Dietician: $59,410 ($28.56/hour)
- Doctor: $208,000 ($100/hour)
- Health educator: $54,220 ($26.07/hour)
- Medical assistant: $33,610 ($16.16/hour)
- Occupational therapist: $83,200 ($40/hour)
- Physical therapist: $87,930 ($42.27/hour)
- Consultant: $83,610 ($40.20/hour)
- Human resources manager: $110,120 ($52.94/hour)
- Computer programmer: $84,280 ($40.52/hour)
- Computer systems analyst: $88,740 ($68.37/hour)
- Software developer: $110,000 ($52.88/hour)
- Web developer: $69,430 ($33.38/hour)
- Court reporter: $55,120 ($26.50/hour)
- Judge: $99,850 ($48/hour)
- Trial lawyer: $99,000 ($46.60/hour)
- Intellectual property lawyer: $137,000 ($65.87/hour)
- Employment attorney: $87,000 ($41.83/hour)
- Personal trainer: $34,980 ($16.82/hour)
- Marriage and family therapist: $48,790 ($23.46/hour)
- Customer service representative: $33,750 ($16.23/hour)
How You Can Prepare for Your Role
While you have countless career options as someone who is visually impaired, you need particular resources and accommodations to succeed in the workplace. Numerous organizations make it easy for you to access the various resources that can help you understand your rights and detail reasonable accommodations the employer should avail to you to help you deliver accordingly.
Even so, you need to prepare to maximize your productivity in whatever role you take. First, it is important to learn about your diagnosis. Understanding the type of vision loss helps you know what to expect, prepare and determine which tools will be essential in fulfilling your roles.
This important resource is available on NVISION website and was last updated on Jan 12th 2022.
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