How employers can assist employees with sight or hearing loss to succeed In this episode 217 of the podcast I bring you an interview with Dan Williams who is the founder of Visualise Training and Consultancy an organisation which promotes and enables inclusion, accessibility and equality for people living with visual impairment, hearing loss and other forms of disability. Dan is an expert in assisting businesses and organisations to be more accessible. In this episode of the podcast we cover: How to encourage employees to be open about their condition or disability. Creating an inclusive culture at work. Ways in which employers can make reasonable adjustments for those with sight and hearing loss. Why it is important to give meaningful consideration to adjustments. Some examples of how employers can make a change and be more inclusive.     Dan Williams “I established Visualise in 2014 with assistance from The Prince’s Trust. As someone who experienced gradual sight loss, I wanted to advance social change for VI (visual Impairment) rights by campaigning and advocating for inclusion, accessibility, equality and diversity. As a qualified eye clinic liaison officer and rehabilitation assistant, and with the help of my guide dog, Zodiac, I carry out workplace assessments to support employees with visual impairments. I deliver training that educates staff to better assist clients or customers with VI. Visualise has worked with over 700 organisations across all sectors. When employees are ‘VI Confident’, inclusion becomes ‘business as usual’ for everyone involved, leading to increased job satisfaction and a more rewarding environment. I also deliver ‘Seeing Beyond the Eyes’ CET workshops to foster closer links between the optical and sight loss sectors to benefit patients. In a voluntary capacity, I’m on the RNIB Working Age and Transitions steering groups which assesses work-related challenges blind and partially sighted people face. I’m also a Young Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and sit on their business launch panels, helping other young people to set up enterprises. I’m a member of the College of Optometrists’ Public Patients Reference Group (PPRG), which receives input from patients and the public to improve policies, guidance and patient resources. I am also an active Trustee for The Nystagmus Network charity. In the beginning, sight loss feels like the end, but later, you realise it’s just the start of seeing differently and having a new outlook on life. Overcoming challenges has given me resilience, determination and the ambition needed to strive for success. This can also be said of other disabilities, whether they are visible or invisible. We are here to take away the confusion and myths and replace these with solid information that will give you the confidence to interact and welcome those with disabilities into your working environment.” If you’d like to know more about how your organisation can become more Disability Confident and Aware, please email me at [email protected] Or give me a call on 07472305268 Together we can make a difference.”     About Visualise Visualise Training and Consultancy ltd are on a mission to improve inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. Our Founder, Daniel Williams, has an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which means he is gradually losing his sight. Daniel established the consultancy in 2014 to share his experience and expertise with companies and organisations. This enables them to provide excellent service for customers and employees alike while meeting their legal obligations under The Equality Act 2010. What began as a laser-sharp focussed approach centred on sight-loss impairment and its associated elements has since organically grown to encompass other disabilities such as hearing loss in an ever more significant effort for Visualise to truly become a symbol of t