Visual Impairment Workplace Assessments for Employees in the UK and Ireland
Virtual (phone or video) £795, face to face £995. Around two hours. A full, actionable report within ten working days.
Specialist Visual Impairment and Sight Loss Workplace Assessments for Every Kind of Role
When an employee’s sight starts to affect their work, it isn’t always obvious what will help. A bigger screen may make no difference, the right software might sit unused because nobody knows it is there, and a simple change to lighting or seating can matter more than any piece of equipment. A specialist assessment cuts through the guesswork.
Visualise carries out specialist visual impairment workplace assessments, also known as sight loss workplace assessments, for employers across the UK and Ireland. We support employees with any level of sight loss: someone newly diagnosed, someone whose sight is gradually changing, someone returning to work after a period off, or someone who has managed for years but is now finding it harder. A diagnosis or certificate isn’t needed for us to help.
If someone has both sight loss and hearing loss, see our deafblind workplace assessment.
We assess people in every kind of role, not just in offices. That includes warehouses, shops, hospitals, classrooms, call centres, people on the road, and people who work from home or split their time between home and the workplace. Whatever the job, we look at what it really involves and what would make it easier, safer and less tiring.
Our assessments are practical and non-clinical, and they are carried out by specialists, many of whom have lived experience of sensory loss as well as professional experience. The result is a clear, actionable report your organisation can put into practice straight away.
What Is a Visual Impairment Workplace Assessment?
A visual impairment or sight loss workplace assessment is a practical, non-clinical look at how an employee’s sight affects their work, and what would make it easier. It does not diagnose or grade an eye condition. It focuses on what the person can and cannot see in their working day, and what removes the barriers.
The assessment covers:
- The role in full: the employee’s duties, targets, meetings and working pattern, and the visual demands each task brings, such as reading small print or figures, long periods on screen, telling colours apart, or moving around a building or site.
- How their sight affects their work: in their own words, including the size of print or screen they need, how close they sit, the effect of glare, dim light or busy backgrounds, and whether their vision changes through the day or becomes tiring.
- Their workstation and systems: monitors, keyboard, software and the applications they use, at home, in the office or both.
- The working environment: lighting, glare, layout, signage, and getting around safely.
- What already helps, and what else might: settings, built-in accessibility features, lighting or magnification, talked through with the employee and, where possible, tried during the assessment.
- Health and safety: any concerns, with practical guidance.
From this we produce clear, practical recommendations that remove barriers and support the employee’s performance, confidence and wellbeing.
When to Refer for a Visual Impairment Workplace Assessment
HR teams and line managers are often the first to notice that sight is affecting someone’s work, along with occupational health and case managers. A referral is worth considering when an employee:
- has a new diagnosis of an eye condition, or their sight has changed
- is returning to work after sight loss, eye surgery or a period of absence
- struggles to read small print, figures or text on screen, or relies heavily on zooming in
- reports eye strain, headaches or tiredness from screen work, or problems with glare
- is finding it harder to get around the office, site or workplace safely
- has equipment or software that isn’t helping, or isn’t being used
- is falling behind on work they used to manage, or faces performance concerns that may be linked to their sight
- has had a standard DSE assessment that identified problems it could not resolve.
Employees can also try our free vision self-screening tool as a first step. It does not replace an eye test or an assessment.
Any sudden change in sight, such as sudden loss of vision, new flashes or floaters, or a shadow or curtain across the vision, needs urgent medical advice before anything else.
How It Works
- Referrals usually come from HR, occupational health or a line manager. Use the Make a Referral button to download the referral form, complete it and send it back to us. Self-employed people and individuals can also book an assessment directly. The referral form is all we need, and the employee doesn’t need to prepare anything.
- We contact the employee directly within two working days to arrange a time that suits them. Virtual assessments usually take place within two weeks of referral. Face-to-face assessments may take a little longer to arrange.
- We carry out the assessment by phone, video or in person, depending on what is needed. It usually takes around two hours.
- We write a full, actionable report and send it to you within ten working days. You can then share it with the employee.
If you have any questions once you have read the report, just get in touch.
Virtual or Face to Face?
Most of our assessments are now carried out virtually, usually by phone, or by video where that suits the employee. In our experience, a virtual assessment produces the same detailed, actionable report as a face-to-face visit in most cases, with no travel and faster booking. Face-to-face assessments remain available where a physical review of the workplace is needed.
What the Report Covers
Every specialist sight loss workplace assessment report is written to be acted on. It covers:
- the employee’s role and duties
- the barriers they face
- any health and safety concerns, with guidance
- reasonable adjustments
- equipment and assistive technology, such as screen readers and magnifiers
- changes to lighting, layout and the working environment
- anything that may help at home as well as at work
- practical advice for managers.
Every recommendation is proportionate and specific to the role.
Recommendations name specific equipment and software, with suppliers and links, so they can be acted on straight away. Visualise is fully independent. We don’t sell equipment or take commission from suppliers, so every recommendation is impartial.
Why It Matters, and What the Law Expects
England, Scotland and Wales. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees, so that they are not put at a substantial disadvantage compared with colleagues. This includes many people with sight loss.
Northern Ireland. Disability in employment is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which places a similar duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments.
Ireland. Under section 16 of the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, employers must take “appropriate measures”, often called reasonable accommodation, so that a person with a disability can do the job, unless those measures would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer.
Employers in Ireland may be able to get help with costs through the Work and Access programme. Its Workplace Needs Assessment grant can contribute towards the cost of an assessment, and the programme can also fund workplace equipment and adaptations. You can check current amounts and eligibility on gov.ie. The Department of Social Protection decides which assessments it will fund, so check with your local Intreo office before booking. Please ask us about your situation before applying. Our report sets out clearly what is needed. Approval must be in place before anything is bought.
Whichever applies, getting adjustments right early helps people stay well and productive at work, and avoids the costs of absence, lost skills and disputes. Our assessments give you:
- expert guidance to help you meet your obligations
- a more inclusive, supportive working culture
- support for employee confidence and retention.
Access to Work
Access to Work is available in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own Access to Work programme. Access to Work can help pay for support, but it will not pay for reasonable adjustments an employer is legally required to make. Its own staff guide says advisers “must take into account any previous assessments a customer has had”, and that “a further assessment may not be necessary unless the customer asks for one” or the type of work has significantly changed. Funding decisions always rest with Access to Work, and it may still arrange its own assessment.
Who Should Use This Service?
We work with:
- employers managing accessibility across varied roles
- HR teams and occupational health professionals who need specialist input
- line managers looking for practical advice
- insurers and case managers supporting a return to work
- employees, through a referral from their employer.
Whether it is an engineer, teacher, warehouse operative, call centre worker or administrator, we can help.
Assessment Cost
- Virtual assessment, by phone or video: £795
- Face-to-face assessment: £995
The price includes the assessment and the full written report. Travel costs may apply for face-to-face assessments outside our local area, and we always confirm this before booking.
Related Reading
Practical guides, condition guides and illustrative case studies about sight loss at work.
- Screen readers and magnification at work: what employers need to know
- Working with nystagmus: low-cost workplace adjustments
- Working with keratoconus: low-cost workplace adjustments
- Illustrative case study: struggling with small print
- Illustrative case study: peripheral vision loss and seeing only part of the screen
Make a Referral Today
Don’t wait until your colleague is struggling. Let us help you get it right from the start.
Have questions first?
Contact us today to discuss how we can support your team – call Dan on 07472 305 268
Or email us directly at referrals@visualisetrainingandconsultancy.co.uk
Let’s work together to create a workplace where sight loss is not a barrier to success.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visual Impairment Workplace Assessments
£795 for a virtual assessment by phone or video, and £995 face to face. The price includes the assessment and the full written report. Travel costs may apply for face-to-face assessments outside our local area, and we always confirm this before booking.
Usually around two hours, which gives time to understand the employee's role, tasks, working environment and barriers.
We contact the employee directly within two working days to arrange a time. After the assessment, the report is sent to you within ten working days.
Virtual assessments usually take place within two weeks of referral. Face-to-face assessments may take a little longer to arrange.
The referring organisation, which can then share it with the employee.
The employee's duties and barriers, any health and safety concerns, reasonable adjustments, equipment and assistive technology, changes to the working environment, anything that may help at home as well as at work, and advice for managers.
Usually not. Most of our assessments are carried out by phone, or by video where that suits the employee. In our experience, this produces the same detailed, actionable report as a face-to-face visit in most cases, with no travel and faster booking. Face to face is available where a physical review of the workplace is needed.
No. We assess people in education, healthcare, retail, operational, customer-facing and hybrid roles.
Access to Work's staff guide says advisers must take into account previous assessments a customer has had, and that a further assessment may not be necessary unless the customer asks for one or their work has significantly changed. Funding decisions always rest with Access to Work.
Yes. The employee should agree to the referral before it is made. Their information is treated in confidence, and the report is sent only to the referring organisation.
Usually the employer, or an insurer or case manager who commissions the assessment. Self-employed people and individuals can also book and pay directly.
No. The assessment looks at how the employee's sight affects their work, so a diagnosis or certificate isn't needed.
No. Visualise is fully independent. Our reports name suitable equipment, suppliers and links, but we don't sell anything or take commission, so our recommendations are impartial.
Yes. Self-employed people and individuals can book and pay for an assessment directly. Get in touch to arrange it.
Yes. We carry out assessments for employers in Ireland, by phone, video or in person, and Irish employers can commission an assessment from us directly.
Yes, if the employee agrees. The assessment is the employee's conversation, so we ask them first. With their consent a manager or HR colleague can join part or all of it, which can help when adjustments need the employer's input.
There is no scheduled follow-up, but you are welcome to contact us with questions once the report has been acted on. If the employee's role, equipment or sight changes later, a new assessment may be worth considering.
Only the completed referral form. We gather everything else, including the employee's duties, current equipment and any earlier reports, during the assessment itself.
Yes. Home workers are assessed virtually, by phone or video, and the assessment covers the home workstation and environment as well as any time spent in the workplace.
Yes, on request. Tell us what the employee needs, such as large print or a screen-reader-friendly format, and we will provide it.
Yes. Each person has their own assessment and their own report, because every role and every person is different. Contact us for a quotation for several assessments.
No. The report is advice. The employer decides, with the employee, which adjustments are reasonable in the circumstances. The report sets out the options and the reasons so that decision is an informed one.
Daniel Morgan-Williams, our Founding Director, and a small team of specialist assessors, many of whom have lived experience of sensory loss as well as professional experience.
There is no fixed period. A report remains useful for as long as the role, the workplace, the equipment and the employee's sight stay broadly the same. If any of those change, a new assessment is worth considering.
Yes, virtually. We can assess employees anywhere in the world by phone or video, and we adapt the recommendations to suppliers available locally wherever we can.
The report goes only to the referring organisation, and the employee decides what, if anything, colleagues are told. Where a recommendation involves colleagues, such as a change to how meetings are run, we word it so it can be put in place without disclosing anything the employee wants kept private.
Yes, and it often should. Assessing before the return means the adjustments can be in place on day one, which makes the return to work smoother for the employee and the manager.
We invoice the referring organisation, or the individual, when the assessment is booked, and payment is due before the assessment takes place. There is no VAT.
Yes, where it affects work. Our approach is holistic, so the commute, travel between sites and any travel for work are considered alongside the workplace itself.
Usually, yes. Tell us it is urgent when you refer and we will do our best to bring the assessment forward. Sudden sight loss also needs urgent medical advice, which comes first.
The report is a workplace adjustments report, not an expert witness report. It may be shared as part of an internal or insurance process, but it is not a legal or medical opinion and is not written as expert evidence.
No. The assessment is for the individual employee. Where awareness training for the manager or team would help, the report recommends it, and it is booked separately. See our training courses.
