Case study: Adjustments for an employee with a visual impairment

On joining a new team within SOCA (www.soca.gov.uk) a number of adjustments were put in place for an officer who was registered blind. This included the following software:

• JAWS (in conjunction with speakers and headphones), and in conjunction with a Braille display).
• Open Book (in conjunction with a document scanner), to enable the officer to convert printed material into electronic documents that can be read by JAWS in a word processor.
• Software to magnify the text on the screen, to enable the officer to make use of their remaining residual vision.

The officer has also been provided with a full time PA. This PA is shared between the blind officer and one other member of the team, on the understanding that the officer's work takes priority in the event of a conflict. The PA also fills any down-time by acting as office manager and undertaking a range of administrative functions for the team as a whole.

As well as this the officer also has access to a designated outdoor area, which was free from pedestrian or vehicular traffic, was quiet and clean, for the officer's guide dog to relieve itself. The officer also has a separate office which is big enough to enable the guide dog to walk freely, rather than being confined in a single spot, and to provide room for it to lie down in a corner.  

SOCA is flexible about hours of work to enable the officer to avoid the worst excesses of rush hour travel; paying for reasonable taxi use when travelling on official business or to/from work in exceptional circumstances e.g. where public transport is seriously disrupted.

As a result of the reasonable adjustments provided, the officer performs his role effectively as an equal member of his team.