EEOC Distributes ADA Guidance for Visually Impaired

October 26, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - As part of a recently kicked-off public awareness campaign, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has put out detailed guidance about how federal anti-discrimination laws for the workplace apply to those with impaired vision.

The latest Q & A is the EEOC’s second such release about its work scheduled as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (See EEOC Raises Awareness of ADA Protections for Associates of Disabled ).

Among the issues the new Q&A document addresses are:

  • When vision impairment is a “disability” within the meaning of the Americans With Disability Act (ADA).
  • What questions employers may ask job applicants or employees about their vision impairments and when employers may conduct medical examinations that test vision?
  • What accommodations people who are blind or visually disabled may need to apply for a job, to perform a job’s essential functions, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment, such as the ability to take advantage of training and other opportunities for advancement.
  • How employers should handle safety concerns they may have about applicants or employees with vision impairments.

Genral informataion about the ADA is here .

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