Impact of Low Vision on Employment

Mojon-Azzi, Stefania M.; Sousa‐Poza, Alfonso; Mojon, Daniel S.

doi:10.1159/000316688

Cited by 46 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…[50] In France, individuals without visual problems had a chance of having a paid job five times greater than that of blind people and twice than those with low vision. [30] In India, people without work had twice the risk of visual impairment.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social inequalities in blindness and visual impairment: A review of social determinants

Ulldemolins

Lansingh

València

et al. 2012

Indian J Ophthalmol

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Health inequities are related to social determinants based on gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, living in a specific geographic region, or having a specific health condition. Such inequities were reviewed for blindness and visual impairment by searching for studies on the subject in PubMed from 2000 to 2011 in the English and Spanish languages. The goal of this article is to provide a current review in understanding how inequities based specifically on the aforementioned social determinants on health influence the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness. With regards to gender inequality, women have a higher prevalence of visual impairment and blindness, which cannot be only reasoned based on age or access to service. Socioeconomic status measured as higher income, higher educational status, or non-manual occupational social class was inversely associated with prevalence of blindness or visual impairment. Ethnicity and race were associated with visual impairment and blindness, although there is general confusion over this socioeconomic position determinant. Geographic inequalities and visual impairment were related to income (of the region, nation or continent), living in a rural area, and an association with socioeconomic and political context was suggested. While inequalities related to blindness and visual impairment have rarely been specifically addressed in research, there is still evidence of the association of social determinants and prevalence of blindness and visual impairment. Additional research should be done on the associations with intermediary determinants and socioeconomic and political context.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social inequalities in blindness and visual impairment: A review of social determinants

Ulldemolins

Lansingh

València

et al. 2012

Indian J Ophthalmol

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“…It also exerts a significant impact on the socioeconomic development of individuals and societies. Reduced vision brings about significant consequences in relation to the individual, public health, and community, such as increased cost of education, reduced personal income and loss of productivity for those caring for the visually impaired [12,13]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baseline traits of patients presenting at a low vision clinic in Shanghai, China

et al. 2015

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BackgroundLow vision, along with cataract, trachoma, onchocerciasis, childhood blindness and refractive error, is one of the priorities in the global initiative, VISION 2020-The Right to Sight. The purpose of this study was to characterize the traits of patients presenting at a low vision clinic in China.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted of the records of 299 patients who visited the Low Vision Clinic of Eye and ENT Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from January 2009 to May 2014. Reviewed parameters included age, gender, education, occupation, cause of visual impairment and types of low vision aids (LVAs) dispensed.ResultsOf all the patients (193 male; aged from 3 to 96 years, with a mean of 29.74 ± 25.23 years), 43.48% experienced moderate visual impairment, 25.42% had severe visual impairment and 21.07% were blind. The four major causes of visual impairment were congenital cataract (14.38%), degenerative myopia (13.71%), juvenile macular degeneration (9.36%) and retinitis pigmentosa (9.36%). The most common causes of visual impairment were congenital cataract (22.67%) in 0-19-year-olds, retinitis pigmentosa (20.62%) in 20-59-year-olds, and age-related macular degeneration (36.54%) in the 60+ group. With the help of LVAs, a significant improvement of distance and/or near vision or visual field was observed in 243 patients, of whom 185 accepted LVAs and 58 patients refused due to high price, inconvenience, young age (≤6 y), clumsy appearance and ignorance. The most commonly dispensed LVAs were stand magnifiers (21.57%) followed by spectacle-type LVAs (19.21%).ConclusionsThe majority of the patients in our low vision clinic were young, the main causes of visual impairment were congenital and hereditary diseases. Stand magnifiers were the most commonly dispensed LVAs. High price was the major reason for refusing LVAs.

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“…Advances in technology and low vision rehabilitation skills training have made it easier for blind and partially sighted people to carry out many employment activities. Unfortunately, studies indicate that unemployment rates in people with limited vision are high [6]–[8] and that job satisfaction is low [9]. However, limited population-based data on the employment status of people with visual difficulties are available.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual Difficulty and Employment Status in the World

et al. 2014

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PurposeUsing a world-wide, population-based dataset, we sought to examine the relationship between visual difficulty and employment status.MethodsThe World Health Survey was conducted in 70 countries throughout the world in 2003 using a random, multi-stage, stratified, cluster sampling design. Far vision was assessed by asking about the level of difficulty in seeing and recognizing a person you know across the road (i.e. from a distance of about 20 meters). Responses included none, mild, moderate, severe, or extreme/unable. Participants were asked about their current job, and if they were not working, the reason why (unable to find job, ill health, homemaker, studies, unpaid work, other). The occupation in the last 12 months was obtained. Multinomial regression was used accounting for the complex survey design.ResultsOf those who wanted to work, 79% of those with severe visual difficulty and 64% of those with extreme visual difficulty were actually working. People who had moderate, severe, or extreme visual difficulty had a higher odds of not working due to an inability to find a job and of not working due to ill health after adjusting for demographic and health factors (P<0.05).ConclusionsAs the major causes of visual impairment in the world are uncorrected refractive error and cataract, countries are losing a great deal of labor productivity by failing to provide for the vision health needs of their citizens and failing to help them integrate into the workforce.

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Impact of Low Vision on Employment

Cited by 46 publications

References 54 publications

Social inequalities in blindness and visual impairment: A review of social determinants

Social inequalities in blindness and visual impairment: A review of social determinants

Baseline traits of patients presenting at a low vision clinic in Shanghai, China

Visual Difficulty and Employment Status in the World

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