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Home Blog Beyond the Screen Reader: Closing the Access Gaps with Be My Eyes Workplace
95% of blind employees use third-party screen reader software in the workplace.
March 20, 2026
Yet even with powerful access technology available, barriers persist. Those who are employed still face daily productivity hurdles like inaccessible documents or hard-to-use software.
In this article, we explore the importance of screen reader software, inaccessibility in the workplace, and how Be My Eyes Workplace can complement existing tools to fill remaining access gaps.
Third-party screen reader software such as JAWS is used on the job by 95% of blind people and 33.3% of low vision employees.
Screen readers are considered an essential access technology, and users tend to favor stability and reliability in these tools over constant new features – with 67.6% preferring that screen reader developers focus on making their current features work more reliably.
Screen readers (like JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver) convert onscreen text and UI elements into speech or braille. They are the primary tool for employees who are blind and enable overall usage of computers in the workplace, including reading emails, navigating applications, and writing code or documents via keyboard commands.
Screen readers depend on the software they interact with being accessible.
But more than half (57.5%) of screen reader users report that their employer relies on software that doesn’t work properly with their screen reader. In many cases, the problem isn’t custom-built tools, it’s mainstream, off-the-shelf software used across departments.
And, when that software becomes a barrier, 70.6% of users say they rely on sighted coworkers for help.
This puts blind employees in the position of constantly asking for assistance with tools their colleagues can use without thinking. It also makes it harder to work productively or maintain privacy.
Further accessibility challenges in the workplace that impact employees even when they have tools like screen readers or magnifiers in place:
This inaccessibility means that blind employees have to use extra effort to accomplish tasks sighted colleagues take for granted. They might ask a coworker to quickly look at their screen to help fill out an inaccessible form, or forward a document to an assistant to convert it into an accessible format.
It’s not always convenient to find someone free at the right moment, and constantly asking for help can affect a person’s confidence or how others perceive their capabilities. Clearly, there is an opportunity to improve accessibility beyond what traditional screen readers and access technologies (AT) alone can cover.
This is where new solutions like Be My Eyes Workplace come in – to complement existing technology by filling gaps in access.
Be My Eyes Workplace is a new Workplace Accessibility Management (WAM) solution from Be My Eyes designed to make work tasks more accessible for blind and low vision employees.
It is not meant to replace core tools like JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, or magnifiers that provide baseline access. Instead, it’s an additional accessibility tool that’s always there when you need an extra pair of eyes or a quick interpretation of something on your screen. Think of it as a personal assistant that lives on your computer, ready at a keystroke.
What sets Workplace apart?
Workplace runs in the background and integrates seamlessly into the workflow. Employees log in with their corporate single sign-on, and the app stays ready in the system tray. Whenever help is needed, with just a few keystrokes, the user can instantly describe on-screen content or interpret a document without leaving their current application.
At the heart of Be My Eyes Workplace is an AI-powered virtual assistant Workplace AI. While mainstream AI like ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot can answer general questions, our AI is specialized for accessibility and has been fine-tuned with knowledge from 3+ years of interactions and tens of millions of visual assistance requests by blind users. The result is an assistant that understands the context of what blind users typically ask and the level of detail they need.
Sometimes AI isn’t enough, or a situation truly requires human judgment (for instance, identifying a mysterious software error or getting guidance through a complicated multi-step process). BME Workplace addresses this through Workplace Connect, which lets the user initiate a one-click video call to a colleague or professionally trained third-party source.
Companies can simply set up a group of sighted assistants who can be reached through the app. With a single keystroke, an employee can share their screen and audio with this trusted group, and the first available person can jump in to assist. This group call routing means the user doesn’t have to individually call around for help; the system will notify the group and connect to whoever is free, ensuring help is timely.
All of these features are designed to work in harmony with existing AT, not in competition. And, by providing on-demand AI descriptions and a direct line to human assistance, Workplace conveniently fills the gaps that traditional AT can’t always bridge – all without replacing those foundational tools.
Beyond the Screen ReaderWant to explore how Workplace could work in your organization? Book a demo today.
Reference: All stats/data are taken from an NRTC (National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision) 2024 report on Access Technology (AT) in the Workplace.
