Employment and Workplace Adaptations for Adults Who are Blind or Have Low Vision by John Zamora, M.S., CDMS

John has been a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Consultant for 28 years. He was the president of Independent Consultants, Vocational Rehabilitation Inc., and initiated the position of Youth/Career Coordinator with the Braille Institute of America. The California State Rehabilitation Bureau appointed him as an Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE) on more than 200 cases, and he has served as an expert witness for numerous legal cases pertaining to disability and work issues.

He served as Co-Chairperson of the 2006 California Transcribers and Educators of the Visually Handicapped Conference, and as a Board Member of the Southern California chapter of AER. While at the Braille Institute, he developed job fairs and work training programs that resulted in dozens of individuals returning to and maintaining employment.

John also spearheaded the development of the "Braille Challenge," an annual braille skills contest that involves hundreds of braille reading students across the United States and Canada. He has published a number of articles and is a frequent instructor and speaker at conferences and professional training programs.

Employment with Vision Loss

Is vision loss beginning to affect your job performance? Is it becoming difficult to travel to and from your workplace? Do you want to learn more about your legal rights? Are you looking for resources and information that can help and support you? If these are your concerns, or those of your family members, relatives, co-workers, and friends, be assured that you don’t have to face these challenges alone.

Today, men and women who are blind or have low vision can access a wide range of rehabilitation, vocational, and training resources that can provide the skills necessary to maintain and/or pursue a wide range of employment options.

Legislation has addressed equal rights and reduced discrimination, while societal attitudes toward people with disabilities have improved dramatically during the past decade. A positive attitude, assertiveness, and being well-prepared to keep your job, seek a promotion, or look for a new position are important components of success in the workplace.

The following Questions & Answers can help you learn more about legal rights and legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); assistive technology and training for the workplace, employment-related support groups, Social Security Disability benefits, environmental adaptations for the workplace, and accessing a wide range of job and employment resources.