Traditionally, blind and visually impaired workers have been employed primarily by government, or government-sponsored programs designed to promote affirmative action and quotas established through old and new legislation.

The Americans with Disabilities Act is another mechanism designed to help foster opportunities for disabled people to gain their rightful place in our society. Beyond legislation, employers should consider other factors -- such as technological advances -- that expand the abilities of blind or visually impaired people.

The computer has revolutionized the way we do business -- and has created new opportunities for the blind. With the use of optical character recognition technology, the artificial intelligence that converts print to speech or Braille, blind and visually impaired people are now reading print independently.

Even though there are problems with graphics and accessibility, the technology has made it possible for the blind to work independently in many new work situations. Despite these advances, many blind people may not get an opportunity to advance because employers have not revised outdated misconceptions about blindness.

At the VA Medical Center, we are proud to offer information about blindness and the capabilities of the blind.

Our program, The Eastern Blind Rehabilitation Service has been helping blinded veterans make an adjustment to blindness since 1969, and we have recently included computer access training as part of our curriculum.

As part of our mission we would like to share our knowledge with any prospective employer in the community. With increased understanding about blindness, the opportunities for increased employment among the visually impaired is advanced.