Turning Insight into Impact: Envision Explores What Shapes Employment Experiences for BVI Adults

At Envision, research isn’t abstract — it’s a tool for progress. That’s why the Envision Research Institute (ERI) is leading a national study aimed at better understanding the employment experiences of people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI). 

This large-scale, interview-based study explores the real-world factors that influence whether working-age BVI adults choose to engage in the workforce — or feel that they can.  

While data collection is still underway, the study represents a major step toward filling a long-standing gap in national research around employment and accessibility. 

What sets this work apart is not just the size of the study, but its focus on elevating lived experience — helping researchers, service providers and policymakers better understand the perspectives, motivations, and systemic barriers BVI individuals face. 

“This study gives voice to perspectives that have long been underrepresented in national data,” said Dr. Rakesh Babu, Lead Accessibility Scientist. “Our goal is to better understand not just what the barriers are — but how they’re experienced by people navigating them every day.” 

Final results are expected to be published in a peer-reviewed journal next year. In the meantime, ERI’s work continues to reflect Envision’s broader commitment to creating opportunity through employment, education, rehabilitation, outreach and research. 

This study is one example of how we’re turning insight into impact — and continuing to push forward on the path toward access and opportunity for all.