Tips for Employment Service Agencies
Practical Tips for Employment Service Agencies
Straightforward steps that will help employers understand how your blind or partially sighted client works.
Start With the Information Employers Need Most
Before reaching out, gather simple details that help you explain how your client works and what supports their success:
How they do key tasks
screen readers, magnifiers, apps, alternate workflows
What helps them stay productive
document formats, lighting, workstation setup
Logistics
transit access, remote options, orientation needs
Where they shine
tasks or environments that bring out their strengths
This gives you what you need to answer employer questions clearly.
Connect With Employers — Even Briefly
A short conversation can make a real difference.
When an employer hasn’t worked with a blind or partially sighted professional before, even a quick meeting can:
- Reduce assumptions
- Clarify what is possible
- Build trust
- Open the door to future opportunities
This is one of the most reliable ways to shift employer understanding.
Keep First Conversations Straightforward
Employers respond well to clear, direct information. Common questions include:
- “How will they review documents?”
- “Does their screen reader work with Microsoft Office?”
- “What will onboarding look like?”
Employers often find that once they understand how the work is done, most concerns resolve quickly.
Share simple examples from your client’s real tools and routines.
Close the meeting with one clear next step—sharing a resource, reviewing a job posting, or planning a follow-up.
Follow Up in Small, Steady Ways
Interest is highest right after the first conversation. Useful follow-ups include:
- A quick email with a resource
- Offering to review an upcoming job description
- Passing along a résumé
- Light check-ins every few weeks
Small actions keep the connection active.
Make Sure Applications Get In
Research consistently shows: Employers can’t hire a candidate if an application never reaches them.
You can support this by:
- Helping jobseekers submit clear, complete applications
- Navigating inaccessible online systems
- Confirming applications were received
- Connecting with the right contact when appropriate
When employers understand the role and recognize the candidate, applications are taken more seriously.
Learn More
Insights are informed by BALANCE for Blind Adults experience supporting jobseekers and employment service providers. These tips also draw on insights from several studies, including two from the National Research & Training Center on Blindness & Low Vision (2019):
- Brief employer meeting study
McDonnall & Antonelli. The impact of a brief meeting on employer attitudes, knowledge, and intent to hire. - Hiring behavior “second look” study
McDonnall & Antonelli. A second look at factors associated with employer hiring behavior regarding people who are blind or have low vision.