The Talent Opportunity — and the Cost of Not Enabling It
The talent pool of people with disabilities is both massive and underutilized, yet workers with disabilities remain underemployed. In 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 65.5 percent of workers without disabilities were employed, compared with 22.7 percent of workers with disabilities. This gap highlights both substantial untapped workforce potential and the barriers that limit participation.
For employees with disabilities, the barrier to performance is not capability—it’s the absence of appropriate tools. Without assistive technology (AT), blind and low vision employees can struggle with routine tasks, making actions that take seconds take minutes and reducing productivity. AT transforms an historically underutilized workforce into a source of competitive advantage. Screen readers enable efficient, keyboard-driven access to enterprise software, while screen magnifiers improve clarity and reduce visual strain in dense digital environments. Together, these tools allow blind and low vision employees to work independently without sacrificing performance. For example, a social worker with Type 2 diabetes who was experiencing vision loss worked with the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) to identify productivity-preserving accommodations. Using screen-magnification software and magnification equipment, the employee was able to continue performing their job effectively without lowering performance expectations.
When productivity suffers in these scenarios, the root cause is infrastructure failure, not employee capability.
What Assistive Technology Enables: Independence, Speed, and Accuracy
Assistive technology (AT) doesn’t just remove barriers; it also unlocks a productivity engine most organizations don’t realize they already have access to. Enterprise software can easily create friction for the general workforce. Research shows that about 49% of employees report losing between one and five hours of productivity per week dealing with IT issues. Often, these inefficiencies are amplified for blind and low vision employees. However, when AT is in place, that friction disappears, resulting in a faster, more confident, and independent workforce.
Independence
AT enables blind and low vision employees to complete workflows independently, reducing reliance on colleagues and eliminating unnecessary handoffs. This minimizes escalations and removes hidden operational friction that slows teams down.
Speed
AT helps users unlock speed in different ways. Screen readers enable efficient, keyboard-driven navigation across complex enterprise systems. Screen magnifiers reduce search time, make UI elements discoverable, and allow users to scan information quickly. Faster navigation enables predictable, repeatable workflows that accelerate task completion and reduce delays common in visually dense or mouse-friendly interfaces.
Accuracy
Blind and low vision users don’t interact with digital content the same way sighted users do. Instead of visually scanning a page, they rely on AT to move through content in a structured, predictable order. Screen readers provide linear, element-by-element feedback that clarifies context, announces field labels, and confirms user input. Screen magnifiers enhance visual clarity and focus, minimizing misreads and overlooked details. By improving clarity, structure, and feedback, AT helps users catch errors earlier, reducing rework, corrections, and downstream inefficiencies.
The Business Case: Productivity, Cost Savings, and Competitive Advantage
Assistive technology (AT) is a strategic investment that produces measurable financial returns. When blind and low vision employees have the tools they need to work efficiently and independently, organizations benefit through reduced turnover, higher output, and access to a broader talent pool.
Cost Efficiency and Labor ROI
Compared to annual compensation and training costs, AT licensing represents a modest investment with outsized returns. When employees operate without friction, they complete tasks with fewer interruptions, fewer errors, and less reliance on colleagues or IT support. Even modest productivity gains compound over time, generating meaningful labor ROI at both the individual and organizational level, without increasing headcount
Retention and Turnover Cost Avoidance
Turnover remains one of the most expensive drains on operating performance. Gallup estimates that replacing an employee can cost between one-half and two times the employee’s annual salary, once recruiting, onboarding, training, and lost productivity are factored together. AT directly reduces this risk. When blind and low vision employees have tools that allow them to perform effectively, job satisfaction and engagement increase—two of the strongest predictors of retention.
Of course, retention and acquisition advantages go hand in hand. Organizations that reliably support AT have access to a broader pool of qualified candidates and face fewer barriers when onboarding them. Rather than limiting talent options, AT infrastructure expands them, reducing the friction associated with filling critical roles.
Compliance and Regulatory Risk Reduction
In addition to the operational and financial benefits, AT also supports alignment with major accessibility regulations. In the U.S., Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to ensure that employees with disabilities have equal access to workplace tools, systems, and digital resources needed to perform their jobs. Globally, expectations continue to rise. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) expands accessibility requirements across digital products and services, including workplace technologies used by employees. While compliance is not the primary reason to invest in AT, it remains a fundamental component of reducing legal and brand risk.
The Challenge of Operationalizing Assistive Technology at Scale
Organizations only unlock the full value of assistive technology (AT) when they ensure it continues to function reliably as enterprise systems evolve. Most challenges do not require sweeping accessibility initiatives, but predictable IT processes, clear ownership, and basic awareness of how AT interacts with core enterprise tools.
Common barriers that limit assistive technology effectiveness
- Inconsistent or ad hoc deployment
Blind and low vision employees should always have access to the tools they need to succeed. Enterprise readiness isn’t about restricting choices, but once AT is deployed, it needs to be updated and maintained alongside other enterprise tools.
- IT teams unfamiliar with AT configuration and troubleshooting
Most IT departments have never been trained on screen reader or magnifier behavior. Small misconfigurations (browsers, permissions, security settings, virtualization layers) can cause big disruptions.
- Software updates that inadvertently break AT compatibility
Enterprise platforms, such as CRM, ERP, HRIS, and collaboration tools, are frequently updated. When updates are pushed without AT validation, blind and low vision employees lose time navigating unexpected changes.
- A lack of broader AT compatibility
Supporting AT goes beyond purchasing a single screen reader license. Organizations should ensure that any new tools support basic keyboard or focus behavior—the foundation of AT functionality.
These challenges share a common trait: they are operational, not technical. As a result, they can be addressed through predictable processes, clear ownership, and basic AT awareness, without large-scale transformation initiatives..
Why JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion Are the Enterprise Assistive Technology Standard
Because assistive technology (AT) directly impacts productivity, retention, and workforce value, enterprises need solutions that empower employees while integrating seamlessly into existing IT environments.With more than 30 years of development and optimization, JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion set the gold standard for AT. These tools support blind and low vision employees working at home, in live, and in complex enterprise environments, ensuring they remain connected, productive, and independent.
Choice without compromise: the world’s most trusted AT products
Employees should be able to use the AT that best supports how they work. Rather than a single, one-size-fits-all solution, Vispero’s AT products support employees at every stage of vision loss, all while maintaining a consistent support and deployment model for IT teams.
- JAWS® (Job Access With Speech) Trusted by millions of users globally, JAWS enables blind and low vision users to navigate enterprise applications, documents, and web platforms efficiently with speech and Braille output.
- ZoomText® ZoomText’s magnification and screen enhancement software that helps low-vision users read text, see images, and navigate screens clearly, allowing users to work comfortably with standard enterprise applications.
- Fusion Fusion combines the power of JAWS and ZoomText to deliver both speech and magnification in one seamless package. Fusion supports employees with progressive vision loss or diverse needs, allowing continuity without disrupting tools, workflows, or IT support models.
This balance allows organizations to respect individual needs without sacrificing maintainability and enterprise-grade support.
Built for Enterprise IT Environments
Our products operate seamlessly within modern enterprise Windows environments, including major browsers, industry-standard productivity tools such as Microsoft 365 and Teams, and CRM and ERP systems. Regular update cycles align with major operating system, browser, and enterprise software releases from providers like Microsoft and Google, helping organizations avoid compatibility gaps that disrupt productivity over time.
Ready to assess your organization’s AT readiness? Connect with Vispero’s accessibility experts to evaluate integration, scalability, and long-term workforce impact.
