Mary clicks through the beginning of the online job application with ease, swiftly answering questions with the help of her screen reader software that reads text aloud. But halfway through, she hits a roadblock — a question presented as a drop-down menu that her software can’t interpret. Unable to continue or submit the form, Mary’s time has been wasted on an application she can’t complete.

Mary is one of the 8 million blind and low-vision people in America who rely on assistive technologies to access information that sighted people take for granted. Thanks to text-to-speech software, braille keyboards and more, technology has transformed opportunities for the blind. But too often, these technologies falter when faced with inaccessible web and software design that blocks blind users.

The result is stark inequality in employment between sighted and blind working-age adults. Over 4 million blind Americans are of typical working age, but only half have been able to secure jobs. With digital skills now demanded across industries, technology should offer new avenues to employment. Instead, inaccessible design cuts off pathways for the blind to compete fairly.

A wealth of assistive tech, when it works

Assistive technology has vastly improved thanks to innovations like the iPhone’s VoiceOver screen reader and Windows Narrator text-to-speech. For the sighted, incorporating accessibility has become easier. Yet often assistive tech hits walls, unable to interpret graphics, documents or interfaces that don’t comply with accessibility standards.

In a research survey by Michele McDonnall, most blind professionals reported facing challenges with assistive technology at work, mainly struggling with inaccessible web and software designs. Some also mentioned that company platforms exclude blind employees.

Ross Barchacky, of Inclusively, an organization that connects disabled talent with inclusive employers, stated that inaccessible software remains a significant barrier to employing the blind. This is true even for jobs they could perform easily if technology functioned properly.

Out of sight, out of mind

With most sighted people unaware of these daily struggles, inaccessibility persists out of neglect rather than intent. The Americans with Disabilities Act and guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provide standards, but lax enforcement allows organizations to dodge compliance. Government data reveals the average website is riddled with accessibility flaws, yet consequences are rare.

Thousands of suits are filed annually against non-compliant digital services, but litigation feels akin to plugging leaks in a dam -- more sites quickly spring similar violations. Accessibility is often an afterthought rather than baked into an initial design.

Building an accessible future

Creating inclusive digital experiences would unlock vast possibilities for blind users. More accessible technologies mean expanded horizons and equal footing to compete for jobs.

Progress rests first on instilling accessibility practices into the education of every software developer and designer. Few currently receive proper training, instead deploying tools that unwittingly exclude the blind. Strict procurement standards requiring accessibility compliance could spur change. Tools like Microsoft’s accessibility checker also ease the transition.

An accessible digital world won’t be built overnight, but we must begin the work. The first step is acknowledging decades of design that have left behind millions of blind individuals wanting the same digital access sighted users enjoy seamlessly each day. From recognition comes responsibility -- and the opportunities waiting on the other side are worth the effort.

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