Vision is crucial to many jobs but requirements are seldom spelled out
Vision is a critical aspect of many jobs. Whether an employee’s occupation involves driving, visual inspection and quality control, sorting by color or making critical life and death decisions, vision can be very important to safe and effective job performance. Still, vision requirements for specific jobs are seldom specified by employers and physicians rarely utilize appropriate vision screening devices in their practices.
Until halted by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 22, 1999, vision requirements for commercial drivers, police officers and firefighters were targeted by the EEOC for discrimination lawsuits. In some cases, organizations that posted vision qualifications, such as "20/40 vision required," were pressured to eliminate these requirements. While the EEOC's activities are now limited to those persons with severe disabilities (blindness, monocular vision, etc.), you can expect continued and expanded activity by state fair employment practices departments to work toward the elimination of vision requirements.