Factors influencing work participation for people with a visual impairment
Duquette, J. (2013). Factors influencing work participation for people with a visual impairment : Information monitoring summary. Longueuil : INLB. 17 pages.
Although individuals who have a visual impairment have an education level comparable to that of the general population, they are proportionally much less likely to be employed. In 2006, according to the Canadian Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, only 35 % of individuals aged 15-64 who had a visual limitation reported having a job. This rate was significantly lower than that of Quebec individuals without impairments (73 %).
A number of personal and environmental factors are associated with work participation by people with a visual impairment. Some personal factors are not modifiable (e.g. severity of visual impairment, age and sex, age at onset of visual impairment, presence of one or more additional impairments). Some personal abilities and life habits, however, can be modified to increase work participation potential (e.g. behaviour, communication and mobility skills, responsibilities, education, work, job search). Several environmental factors also have an influence on the probability of obtaining and retaining employment (e.g. receiving special education, rehabilitation and career counseling services, living environment, residential location, workplace/attitudes and accessibility).
The importance of vocational rehabilitation is obvious. It increases access to and retention of employment, its interventions being focused on personal factors (e.g. work-related compensatory skills; behaviour) as well as on environmental factors of a social (e.g. employer behaviour) and physical (work-site and workstation layout) nature.
Early intervention is a key component of successful vocational rehabilitation interventions. In addition to work readiness, integration and retention phases, a preliminary phase should be provided to teenagers. It is also important to develop an integrated path between rehabilitation (including pediatric and adult articulation), education and work settings, social and governmental organizations and others.
Sujets : Intégration au travail; Adulte
Type de document : Recension des écrits
Aussi disponible en français, sous le titre : Les facteurs influençant la participation au travail des personnes ayant une déficience visuelle
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