For people who are blind or have low vision, having the initial discussion about their vision with an employer can often create feelings of confusion and anxiety.
Ben Pettingill, who suddenly lost 98 per cent of his vision at the age of 16, knows first-hand how stressful this experience can be.
While there are a number of options for when and how people can tell an employer they are blind or have low vision, Ben believes the most important thing is to do it in a manner that is comfortable for the individual.
“You can either do it on your cover letter, on your resume, beforehand, and before you get to that job interview process, you can do it at the beginning of a job interview, or during,” Ben says.
“Some people prefer to do it beforehand on your cover letter, get it out in the open, and therefore you know you’re not going in nervous about how you’re going to explain it,” he says.
You can find more from Ben here, or check out the rest of the simple and practical advice to help people who are blind or have low vision empower themselves on Cornerstone, our new online resource hub.
If you think you need more support to find or maintain a job, you can request a call from our Employment Services team to discuss your options.