The great barrier grief
Britain has one of the best anti-discrimination laws in the world, so why are blind and partially sighted people still struggling with access to employment, transport and information. Statistics gathered by charities and organisations striving to help people overcome these obstacles illustrate just how much more still needs to be done, despite 13 years of disability discrimination legislation. Some 66% of blind or partially sighted people of working age are unemployed, and nearly the same number again (67%) has no formal qualifications, according to latest figures. Employers' ignorance about the government-funded Access to Work initiative, where money is available to pay for extra help, adaptations or computer software to support a blind or partially sighted person in the workplace, is a major stumbling block in getting people back into work. A lot of employers take the stereotypical view that, if you have a visual impairment, you can only be a telephonist or work in a factory. But I think they need to turn that opinion on its head and the question they should be asking themselves is 'Think of a job which a visually impaired person cannot do.'
The Guardian