Seriously, just ask them. They won't cast a spell on you and should appreciate that you care about their needs. Good boss! Take care.

As a job coach for blind and VI workers one of the hardest things I find is to get employers and co workers to

1 alway put things back in the same place
2 keep idle ways and public areas clear of boxes chairs and other trip hazards
3 office or workplace events are fun for everyone never feel hesitant to include the employee

If they use JAWS (screen reading software) be aware that some file formats are not accessible (Unsearchable PDFs for one), the same goes for a decent amount of computer programs. Best of luck to your new employee. 50% of the employees in my department are visually impaired, myself included and we're just as capable we just need a little to find our bearings.

I am glad there are such thoughtful bosses out there. Everyone should act like you are doing about this subject.
A piece of advice I can give you is: Yes, blind and sight impaired people have special needs, but they are, before anything else, people. Always remember to treat your employee remembering he's a person just like you and just like everyone else, being blind is just a characteristic he has.

Do not underestimate what he can do. If there is something you think might be problematic, keep an eye out in case he needs help, but if you see he's doing fine, then don't think too much about it. Like any other employee, he'll tell you if something in particular is an issue if he feels you're comprehensive enough, so trust in his abilities to deal with problems as well.

I am sight impaired and I tell you. The worst thing kindhearted people like you can do is to underestimate what a disabled person can do, so please, pay special attention to that. If he does something wrong (like writing a file with grammar mistakes or any other problem related to the work he's doing), let him know as you would with any other employee. Do not ever correct his mistakes without letting him know he ever made them. The sense he is there because he is useful and valuable and not part of a charity act makes all the difference. That is also what I mean when I remember you to treat him like a person, a blind person, but mainly, a person.

If he needs help, make sure he knows he can ask. If he is deliberately slacking off, act like you would with any other employee. If he does his work like the average employee, treat him like you would treat any other employee who act the same. If he does something outstanding and you feel you'd say congratulations to another employee if it was them, then congratulate him. Apart from accessibility, he needs to be treated exactly like every other person who works for you.

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Again, it makes my day to see someone as interested in helping as you are. Congratulations!

I just finished up helping our office team write up a document regarding inclusion, and points I brought up for myself as a blind employee were:

* Get into the habit of announcing yourself when coming over to talk with them. "Hi, it's Marco." is much much better than making them have to play a guessing game each time someone new shows up to talk and just says "Hi!"
* Mentioned in another post here, but ensuring walkways and work areas are clear of debris and tripping or low-hanging hazards.
* If in doubt, ask. Ask what software they prefer to use, how they'd like to be included, and have the versatility to adapt with whatever you are doing. Slack was problematic with links for months, so I'd just have coworkers email me important links and documents, etc. We all have different technical aptitutes, so skill level with assistive tech and knowing workarounds with things like Google Docs and such won't be universal.
* Do not move things on their desks, try to maintain an organized area in common spaces; put things back where you found them.
* Do not touch or grab without their explicit consent. Do not grab their cane. Do not pet or interact with service animals unless given the Ok to do so by the handler. Just offer assistance and ask how you can help if needed, follow their instructions and don't assume you know how to navigate for them.
* In in-person meetings, make sure you announce if you have to leave so they know who is still in the room if anyone has to leave before the meeting is over.
* Provide description and accessible documents at all times. Follow a11y best practices when it comes to document design and creation.

Just off the top of my head based on what I've dealt with in the office pre-pandemic and from our working document on office inclusion. :)

Don’t allow furniture to be moved around frequently and emphasize for safety keep hallways clear. It’s always nice to say Hi, Frank- it’s me Bob checking in. Hope you’re having a good day! This identifying yourself! So helpful. People think oh they will recognize my voice but if they’re are more than 5 guys interacting with him regularly it’s hard for him to know just from greeting that it was you. Of course as a visually impaired person we always reply back kindly but then ask others after you leave “ Who was that?”

Add protocols for company-wide communication, for things like emails. Make sure text is readable by a screen reader, e.g. readable as text and not as an image. Include image descriptions.

Make this stuff a standard protocol for all company communications and it will just become a habit for everyone else to make things accessible and inclusive.

I don't really have an answer for this, but I just want to express my gratitude towards you for reaching out on here and seeking knowledge from others in order to help your blind employee.

One thing I've always found help is being detailed in asking for something. 'Can you hand me the tape by the phone? It's on the right.' is so much better then 'Can you hand me that?' and point in the general direction.

The best way would be to realize he's not an alien that needs to be observed, and go ask him.

Keep the hallways and office spaces clear of clutter and always push chairs in.

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If there is team work include him on teams. Often if people get to pick groups themselves the blind one will be the last one to be picked or not picked so assign him to a group.