Visual impairments and the Equality Act 2010 - World Sight Day

World Sight Day takes place annually and this year, it will take place on Thursday 09 October 2025.

In light of World Sight Day this month, it seems a pertinent time to highlight the importance of ensuring that your business or service accommodates and is accessible to individuals who live with a visual impairment.

Pursuant to Section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, ‘Disability’ is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial impact on an individual’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This means that any visual impairment may be classed as a disability, even if it has not been registered as such.

It is essential, as a business and/or service provider, that steps are taken to accommodate those who are visually impaired. This includes when communicating and corresponding with them as well as when providing access to your service, generally.

This may include, for example:

1. ensuring that correspondence, can be sent in alternative formats such as: large print, braille, audio format and/or on a coloured background.
2. providing electronic correspondence in a format compatible with Screen Reader / Dictation software.
3. offering telephone appointments to discuss written correspondence.
4. allowing access to your premises to those with guide dogs and/or assistance dogs.

However, the most efficient way of meeting an individual’s needs is to discuss any adjustments that they may require to the provision of your service with them directly, to ensure that you are able to provide the best service possible and to avoid placing them at any disadvantage.

Of course, any proposed or requested accommodations and the reasonableness of such will need to be considered on a case by case basis.

If you are a small business owner or service provider and you are unsure as to your obligations to customers under the Equality Act 2010, or you are concerned whether your current policies and procedures comply with this legislation, please contact our specialist discrimination law team on 0161 696 6170.