Have the “Vision” to Retain or Hire an Older Worker Who Is Visually Impaired
The number of older Americans who are experiencing age-related vision loss is growing. Yet, these individuals often may want to continue to work if given the chance by an employer and help and guidance from vocational rehabilitation services.
What should an employer do to help an older employee who is losing vision?
Find out about low vision services and devices and vision rehabilitation services which can make it possible for the employee to learn adaptive techniques to carry out his/her job functions. By taking advantage of these services, the employee can avoid premature and unnecessary early retirement, and the employer can avoid losing a skilled, productive and reliable employee.
Why would an older person who is visually impaired want to continue or go back to work?
Older persons who are visually impaired are interested in work for the same reasons as most older people who want to work:
1. additional income
2. the opportunity to be around other people
3. the opportunity to continue to learn new skills
4. health insurance and/or other benefits
5. sense of self-worth
6. opportunity to feel productive
I can understand why I would want to retain a good worker
but...Why should I consider hiring an older person with a visual
impairment?
Older persons have:
* a proven work history a strong work ethic
* life-long work related skills
* job-related education and training
* the capacity to learn
* no earnings limitations after age 65
* typically no dependent children at home who require care
* interest and attention to safety issues (less likely to take chances which may result in injuries)
What help is available to employers and older workers?
Accommodations such as:
* Additional lighting and/or lighting positioned directly on work tasks
* Low vision optical devices such as hand-held or stand magnifiers
* Devices such as talking clocks and watches, writing guides, large print rulers
* Adaptive equipment such as screen enhancers which magnify the image for ease of reading, computers and other equipment with speech output
Services such as:
* Eye medical care
* Vision rehabilitation services
* Low vision services
* Job site modification
* Individualized orientation to the job and to the work site
* Job training or retraining
For more information about hiring older workers, call Pris
Rogers,
423-921-8456 or Alberta L. Orr, 212-502-7634 at AFB.
(American Foundation for the Blind Fact Sheet, www.afb.net)
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[Appendix A] [Appendix B] [Appendix C] [Appendix D] [Appendix E] [Appendix F] [Appendix G] [Appendix H]
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