The Job Market is Inaccessible, and We Don't Talk About it Enough
Despite continued gains in employment, people who are blind remain one of the nation’s greatest untapped labor resources. Nearly 70% of working-age Americans who are blind are not employed (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment-population ratio).
To shed more light on this topic, The Vision of Children Foundation reached out to the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, to provide more insight. NIB is the nation’s largest employment resource for people living with vision impairments, and they make it their mission to improve employment opportunities for people who are blind.
One of the most jarring realities of the current job market is the way it systemically excludes those with disabilities. This failure to include eligible individuals has been a reality for so many people, yet it is hardly talked about among those not facing this kind of ableist discrimination. Beyond that, the practice of employers paying those with disabilities under the minimum wage only further devalues the abilities of completely eligible workers. You can read more on the subminimum wage description here.
“While we’ve made tremendous strides, there’s still work left to do, particularly when it comes to breaking down misconceptions about the capabilities of people who are blind.”- Kevin Lynch (NIB CEO). In 2018, NIB commissioned a survey among human resource directors and hiring managers to better understand employers’ attitudes and perceptions towards hiring people with disabilities, including those who are blind or visually impaired. Read the press release and the survey results for more information. “While we’ve made tremendous strides, there’s still work left to do, particularly when it comes to breaking down misconceptions about the capabilities of people who are blind.”- Kevin Lynch (NIB CEO). Today, NIB and its associated agencies employ nearly 6,000 people who are blind nationwide, including hundreds of veterans. NIB has proven time and again that there are no limits to the capabilities of people with vision disorders. Their work is helping people who are blind live the American Dream.
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I also encourage you to check out their website at NIB.org for additional information on our trainingprograms that they offer for people who are blind to better prepare them for career success.