In one episode our podcast series, we had the privilege of interviewing Hayley, a visually impaired civil servant, about her experiences concerning workplace assessments, adjustments, and challenges.
Dan Williams founding director of Visualised Training and Consultancy, and host Tom Walker are joined by Hayley who works for a central government department as the leader of a busy policymaking team.
Hayley collaborates with ministers and stakeholders in policy design and implementation.
Hayley was born with Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a condition affecting her optic nerves and stem cells, leaving her with no vision. Despite this, she strives to be as independent as possible, although she requires certain workplace adjustments and support. Hayley uses a screen reading software called JAWS and relies on a support assistant for help with tasks that are visually demanding, such as managing her calendar and emails, interpreting data, and traveling for meetings.
Over the years, the extent of her human support has increased as her responsibilities have grown. There have been times when Hayley didn’t have her workplace adjustments in place, either due to departmental transitions or bureaucratic delays.
This lack of support had significant impacts on her stress levels, wellbeing, and career progression. She recalls a particularly challenging period after a career break, during which it took over a year to reinstate her workplace adjustments.
When Hayley had a workplace assessment by Visualise Training and Consultancy Ltd, she described it as one of the best she’d ever had. The assessor’s deep understanding of visual impairments and their impact on work made the process smooth and effective. Visualise’s comprehensive report helped Hayley’s line manager clearly understand her needs.
Hayley encourages visually impaired individuals to advocate for themselves and not to hesitate in asking for the support they need. She emphasises the importance of putting oneself at the center of conversations about workplace adjustments and seeking reassessments when necessary.
Hayley advises HR and occupational health professionals to listen to visually impaired employees and understand that their requests for adjustments are essential for their performance.
Professionals should also think outside the box and be open to continuous dialogues, recognising that the needs may evolve over time. This episode highlighted the importance of appropriate workplace adjustments for visually impaired individuals.
You can hear Hayley’s story here