Vision Impairment

Vision impairment can be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Act makes it against the law to discriminate against a person because of their disability in many areas of public life including in employment, education, getting or using services, renting or buying a house or unit and accessing public places. There are some limited exceptions and exemptions.

Example: A company does not provide its customers with invoices in a format that is accessible to people with vision impairment. This could be disability discrimination.

Employers have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace so that an employee with a disability can do their job effectively. Failure to do so may amount to discrimination.

There are a range of adjustments that can be made in the workplace to accommodate a person with a vision impairment. These include:

• modifying workspace by taking away clutter or improving lighting
• providing written information in alternative accessible formats, such as accessible Word documents, Braille or audio
• providing screen reading software or other vision aids such as hand held magnifiers.

The Federal Government can provide financial assistance for workplace adjustments for employees with disabilities. Access Job Access' Employment Assistance Fund information here.

It is not unlawful to discriminate against an employee on the basis of disabilities if the person cannot perform the inherent requirements of a job after reasonable adjustments have been made.

• Good Practice, Good Business: What is disability discrimination?
• IncludeAbility: resources for employers to create inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities