By Daniel Morgan-Williams, Founding Director, Visualise Training and Consultancy Ltd.
Sooner or later, a member of your team will sit down and tell you their sight is getting worse. It might be a diagnosis they have just been given, or something they have quietly managed for years and can no longer hide. Either way, the next ten minutes matter more than most managers realise.
I am registered blind, and I know how long people rehearse this conversation, and how much they read into the first reaction. This article is for employers, line managers and HR teams who want that first conversation to go well, and who would like to know what to do once it is over.
Why the first conversation matters so much
Telling an employer about sight loss is rarely casual. Many people worry about being seen as less capable, about being moved out of a role they are good at, or about becoming the person everyone tiptoes around. Some wait until a problem is impossible to hide, which means the first time you hear about it may be when something has already gone wrong.
How you respond in that moment tells them whether it was safe to speak. A calm, interested reply builds trust that lasts. An awkward silence, a rush of sympathy or a quick “we will have to look at your role” can close the door for good.
What to do in the conversation itself
You do not need specialist knowledge to get this right. You need to listen and to avoid guessing.
- Thank them for telling you. It took some nerve, and you want them to do it again.
- Ask open questions. “What would make your day easier?” and “Is there anything at work you are finding harder at the moment?” work far better than assumptions about what they can and cannot do.
- Do not assume you know what their sight is like. Sight loss is a spectrum. Two people with the same diagnosis can see very differently, and the same person can see differently on different days, in different light.
- Ask what they would like colleagues to know, and agree it with them. That decision is theirs to make.
- Keep it private and unhurried. Do not have this conversation in a corridor, and do not try to settle everything in one sitting.
- Do not promise what you cannot deliver. “I will find out and come back to you by Friday” is a much better answer than a vague reassurance.
Acas guidance on reasonable adjustments says the same thing in different words: employers should listen, avoid making assumptions and take the lead from the person asking for support.
Things that sound kind but do not help
Some well-meant responses can leave a person feeling smaller than when they walked in. “You do not look blind” is one I hear often, and it is never a compliment. Others include moving their work away without asking, taking tasks off them before they have said they need that, and asking whether they are “sure” they can manage. The employee has usually thought about this far longer than you have. Start from the assumption that they know their own sight better than anyone else in the room.
A BBC film tells the first chapter of my own story, and it is below if you would like to watch it.
More than the law
Employers in Great Britain have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees under the Equality Act 2010. What counts as reasonable depends on the circumstances, and this article is general information, not legal advice. But the law is only part of the picture, and I would encourage managers not to let it be the whole of their motivation.
There is a moral duty too. The person in front of you is a colleague who has done nothing wrong. They are not asking for a favour, and nobody is doing them a kindness by making the work possible for them to do. Treat them as you would want to be treated. Be helpful, be open and be honest about what you can and cannot do.
It also helps to be clear about where the money comes from. Adjustments are a business cost, paid from the business budget. They do not come out of your own pocket, and the employee should never be left feeling that they are an expense you are grudgingly covering. Managers who forget this tend to drag their feet, and the employee notices.
It is worth knowing that Access to Work can help with some costs, such as specialist equipment and support, where the employee is eligible. GOV.UK states clearly that it does not pay for reasonable adjustments, which are the changes an employer is expected to make. So it sits alongside your own duty. It does not replace it, and waiting for a decision is not a reason to leave everything else on hold.
What to do in the days after
The conversation is the start, not the finish. A few steps keep things moving.
- Write down what was agreed and send it to the employee, so they can correct anything you misunderstood.
- Do the quick, free things first. Sending agendas and documents in advance, agreeing where someone sits, and describing what is on a screen or slide as you present cost nothing and show you meant what you said.
- Tell HR and, if you have one, occupational health, with the employee’s agreement.
- Consider a specialist workplace assessment. It looks at the person, the job and the working environment together and gives you practical, prioritised recommendations, so you are not left guessing.
- Name one person who owns each action, with a date next to it, and check progress at regular one-to-ones. Most adjustments stall because nobody is quite sure whose job it is.
What this means for HR, occupational health and case managers
If you support line managers, the most useful thing you can do is prepare them before this conversation happens. A short briefing on what to say, what to avoid and who to involve will save you far more time than dealing with a disclosure that went badly. Make sure managers know that a person’s sight can change over time, and that a single review will not be the last one.
Frequently asked questions
Does an employee have to tell their employer about sight loss?
Generally the choice is theirs. But an employer can only respond to what it knows about, so people who disclose early often find it easier to get support in place.
Do I have to tell the rest of the team?
Not unless the employee agrees. Most adjustments can be made without sharing anything personal, and what colleagues are told is the employee’s decision.
Should I wait for Access to Work before changing anything?
No. Many adjustments cost little or nothing and can start straight away. Access to Work can support some costs, but it does not pay for the changes an employer is expected to make.
How often should adjustments be reviewed?
A check a few weeks after the main items are in place is sensible, then regular reviews in one-to-ones. Sight, jobs, systems and offices all change.
Summary
Listen first, assume nothing and thank them for trusting you. Remember that the law is the minimum, not the aim. Do the free things quickly, give every action an owner and a date, and keep checking in. People rarely forget how their employer reacted on the day they were honest about their sight.
If you or someone in your team is visually impaired and would like expert, tailored support to stay productive and comfortable at work, visit our visual impairment workplace assessments page to arrange a visual impairment workplace assessment.
Sources
- Acas, Making and handling requests for reasonable adjustments
- GOV.UK, Access to Work
- Equality Act 2010, sections 20 and 21 (duty to make reasonable adjustments)