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Face-to-face or virtual workplace assessment for sight or hearing loss: which suits which employee?

/ Employment, Professionals / By

An employee is due back after a long absence. They work three days a week from home and two across different sites, and their sight or hearing loss is already affecting calls, screens or meetings. The referral is ready. The next question is practical rather than clinical: should the assessment happen in person, or by video?

There is no single right answer, and the research does not settle it. This article sets out what the official guidance says, where the evidence is thin, and the factors that tend to decide the matter in a visual impairment workplace assessment, a hearing loss workplace assessment or a return to work assessment.

A laptop on a table beside a green plant in a home workspace

What the evidence does and does not say

No UK source was found that compares remote and in-person workplace assessments for employees with sight or hearing loss: no outcome data, no head-to-head trial and no official statement that one format is better. A firm claim for either would go beyond the published evidence.

The nearest research concerns office ergonomics and does not focus on sensory loss. A 2017 case study in the journal Work, set in Alberta, compared in-person and telehealth ergonomic assessments at one non-profit organisation and reported no significant difference in scoring outcomes. It stressed that live video helped communication and rapport, and that bandwidth and hardware needed attention. It involved one organisation in another country and did not examine people with sensory loss, so it is a pointer, not proof.

Official UK sources are practical rather than comparative, and treat both routes as legitimate. After an Access to Work application, GOV.UK says an assessor may call the applicant or view the workplace by video call or in person, to find out what changes might help. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says that for home workers who use display screen equipment, an assessment usually does not need a visit unless the employer decides there is a need, and that the assessment should consider any special requirements, such as those of a user with a disability.

Where a virtual assessment tends to work well

Video suits situations in which the working environment is small, stable and easy to show. The clearest example is home working. Access to Work treats the home as a workplace where someone works there some or all of the time, and HSE’s display screen equipment rules apply to home and hybrid workers. An assessor can ask the employee to move the camera around the desk, window and screen, which shows how glare, lighting and layout affect the work.

Video also helps when people are widely spread. An employee who covers several sites, or an employer with no premises near the assessor, avoids travel and the scheduling that goes with it. For return to work timelines, a virtual session may be easier to fit into a short window. No source measures this, so it is a practical expectation rather than a finding.

Preference matters too. Some employees are more relaxed in a familiar room with their own equipment; others find a call tiring.

Where on-site is usually the better choice

Some things are hard to judge through a camera. Noise is the clearest. RNID advises a well-lit venue without lots of background noise for in-person meetings, and notes that background noise can make a voice less clear through microphones and hearing aids. How sound carries across an open-plan floor, whether a meeting room echoes, whether a hearing loop is present and working, or how a workshop sounds at its busiest, may be best judged in the space.

Lighting and movement raise a similar point. Glare at a particular hour, uneven lighting along a corridor, contrast on steps and the route from the entrance to the desk can be shown on a camera only partly, and only where it is pointed. For an employee with sight loss returning to a changed building, a walk-through may give more reliable information than a described layout. Where several pieces of equipment must work together at one desk, fit and positioning can be checked directly.

Making a video assessment accessible to the person being assessed

A video call is only a fair assessment if the person can use it. For employees with hearing loss, RNID advises testing the technology with someone who is deaf or has hearing loss, allowing plenty of time to arrange communication support, keeping cameras on so that lip patterns and facial expressions are visible, and asking people to speak one at a time. RNID also states that automated captions are not 100% accurate. A quiet room, or noise cancellation where that is not possible, matters because background noise reduces clarity.

For employees with sight loss, RNIB notes that visual interaction is important to many people but that not everyone can see what is happening on screen, and that a screen reader user will not be able to navigate around a shared screen. Documents are better sent in advance in a format the employee uses. Asking beforehand what the person needs is better than assuming. GOV.UK adds that where phone calls are difficult, Access to Work applicants can ask for all communication to be by email, a flexibility that suits scheduling any assessment.

Preparing for either format

Acas advises that employer and employee agree a time and place, that employers share relevant policies beforehand, and that employers talk with the person rather than make assumptions. In practice that means confirming the employee’s access needs for the session, asking which format they prefer, and giving the assessor the job description, working pattern and any relevant occupational health advice. For an on-site visit, the actual workstation, meeting rooms and routes should be accessible and set up as they normally are. For a virtual session, the call should be tested with the employee beforehand, and they should have a quiet space and be comfortable showing a home workspace.

No-cost and low-cost workplace adjustments

Area Suggested adjustment Why it helps
Choice of format Ask which format the employee prefers, and offer a mix if needed Gives the person a say and avoids assumptions
Call set-up Test the call beforehand; camera on, one speaker at a time, low background noise Supports lip reading and clear sound
Communication support Arrange support in good time; treat captions as an aid, not the only route Automated captions are not fully accurate
Documents Send papers in advance in the employee’s format rather than sharing a screen A screen reader user cannot navigate a shared screen
Home workspace Ask the employee to show desk, window and screen on camera Shows glare, lighting and layout where the work happens
On-site environment Use a well-lit, quiet room; walk the route from entrance to desk Reveals acoustics, lighting and navigation issues
Several sites Use a call first, then visit the site with the greatest barriers Combines speed with direct observation

What this means for occupational health, HR and case managers

For referrers, a useful question is what the assessor needs to observe. If it is software, settings, meeting communication or a stable home workstation, video may be enough. If it is acoustics, glare, routes or equipment fit, an on-site visit is likely to be more informative. Where the return to work window is short, a virtual session first, with a visit if needed, keeps things moving without closing off the option.

Under the Equality Act 2010, an employer’s duty to make reasonable adjustments applies in particular where a disabled employee asks for them, has difficulty with their job, or where a delayed return to work is linked to their disability, according to Acas. Acas also states that the employer is responsible for paying for reasonable adjustments, and that Access to Work does not replace that duty. The format does not alter those duties; a well-chosen one helps the employer obtain accurate information promptly. Visualise assessments are specialist, practical and non-clinical, and sit alongside occupational health, audiology and rehabilitation input rather than replacing it.

Hints and tips for the individual

  • Say which format you would prefer, and whether that depends on the day or the topic.

  • Tell the person arranging it what you need for a call, such as captions, a quiet room or documents in advance.

  • If you work from home, think about what you would show the assessor: desk, window, screen and equipment.

  • Make a note of the situations that cause most difficulty, such as noisy meetings, shared screens or glare at a certain time of day.

  • Ask for a break if a call becomes tiring. It is a reasonable request.

Building awareness and communication

Line managers and colleagues shape how well either format works. In a video session, a manager who keeps the camera on, speaks one at a time and sends documents beforehand has already removed many barriers. Presenting the format as a choice made with the employee, not for them, sets a respectful tone for the adjustments that follow.

Legal rights and support

Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is disabled where they have a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. GOV.UK explains that “substantial” means more than minor or trivial and “long-term” means 12 months or more, and that the Act does not apply in Northern Ireland. Schedule 1 can treat an impairment as substantial even where treatment or an aid, such as a hearing aid, is reducing the effect, although ordinary glasses and contact lenses are taken into account. Under regulation 7 of the Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010, a person certified as blind, severely sight impaired, sight impaired or partially sighted by a consultant ophthalmologist is deemed to have a disability. Where the definition is met, the employer must make reasonable adjustments.

Access to Work can help with specialist equipment and support workers for eligible people in England, Scotland and Wales, but it will not pay for reasonable adjustments the employer must legally make. Northern Ireland has a different system.

Whether the definition is met for a particular person depends on their circumstances, and this article is general information rather than legal advice.

Summary

Neither format is automatically better, and the evidence comparing them for sight and hearing loss is thin. The choice is best made on practical grounds: where the work happens, what needs to be observed, how accessible a call would be for the person, and how quickly the assessment is needed. Video suits home working, dispersed teams and software questions. On-site suits noise, lighting, routes and equipment. A combination often fits best, and the employee’s own preference deserves real weight.

Watch the short film

This short film shows the same employee with sight loss starting a job in two different buildings. In the first, uneven light, unmarked step edges and a handrail that stops halfway slow every step. In the second, even lighting, marked edges and a full handrail mean nothing about the person has changed, only the building. It is a reminder of why looking at the workplace itself matters. The film lasts just under a minute and a half.

Frequently Asked Questions

No published UK comparison exists for employees with sight or hearing loss, so neither can be called better in general. A related office ergonomics case study found no significant difference in scoring, but it was small, from another country and not about sensory loss. The right format depends on what needs to be observed.

It can be, provided the call is accessible. RNID advises testing the technology beforehand, keeping cameras on so faces can be seen, using one speaker at a time and allowing time to arrange communication support. Automated captions help but are not fully accurate.

Yes. Access to Work treats the home as a workplace where someone works from there some or all of the time, and HSE's display screen equipment guidance covers home workers. Documents are best sent in advance in an accessible format, because a screen reader user cannot navigate a shared screen in the same way as a sighted person.

No source measures how format affects speed. In practice, a video session may be easier to schedule, and an on-site visit can follow if direct observation is needed. The employee's access needs for the session itself should be confirmed first.

If you or someone in your team is deaf, has hearing loss or is visually impaired and would like expert, tailored support to stay productive and comfortable at work, you can arrange a workplace assessment with us. Assessments can be arranged to suit the person.

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