Personal Characteristics Associated with Working After Disability Onset for People with Visual Impairments

Abstract

Introduction: This study utilized data from the 2014 Survey of Disability and Employment (SDE) to examine personal characteristics that influenced employment after disability onset for people who are visually impaired (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Method: The selected sample from the SDE data set included 131 individuals who are visually impaired, had disability onset after age 14 years, and worked before their disability onset. Logistic regression was used to examine working after disability onset associated with age at disability onset, years since disability onset, gender, race, education, receipt of government disability benefits, self-reported health, encouragement received to work, additional disabilities, and the interaction between age at disability onset and years since disability onset. Results: Persons who were female, received government benefits, and had multiple disabilities were less likely to work after disability onset; persons who had more sources of encouragement were more likely to work after disability onset. Age at disability onset interacted with time since disability onset; as age increased, odds of working after disability onset increased but only for persons who had their disability for at least 4 years. Discussion: Persons with newly acquired disabilities may need time to adjust to their disability and learn new skills that allow them to continue employment. Information about how employment may influence receipt of government benefits would be helpful to persons evaluating their options regarding continuing employment. Implications for practitioners: A person who has not worked after recent disability onset may be adjusting to life with a disability and may return to work in the future. Encouragement to work from both service providers and family members made a meaningful difference in employment retention after disability onset, and this is an area that vocational rehabilitation professionals can influence.

The Association Between Presenting Visual Impairment, Health, and Employment Status

“…The other study also documented a univariate association between health and employment, utilizing a small sample collected by the researchers (Cimarolli & Wang, 2006). However, the final study did not find a significant association between health and whether vocational rehabilitation applicants with visual impairments would continue to work (McKnight et al, 2021).…”

“…Kirchner and colleagues asserted that health had not been given enough attention when considering the employment status of this population. This remains true today, as we are aware of only three additional studies since the Kirchner et al study that included health as a predictor of employment for people with visual impairments (Cimarolli & Wang, 2006;McDonnall, 2010;McKnight et al, 2021). In one of these studies, National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 data were utilized to investigate variables that predict employment in terms of the annual number of hours worked for young adults with visual impairments (McDonnall, 2010), and self-reported health was found to be a significant predictor.…”

Out of the labor force due to health reasons? An analysis of the Survey of Income and Program Participation regarding persons with visual impairments

“…In this study, it appears that vision difficulties may be a contributing factor but were not the sole factor in their nonparticipation in the workforce. The presence of additional disabilities or health conditions has previously been associated with unemployment for persons with VI [12,19], though those studies were limited to persons participating in the VR service delivery system. Persons OLF due to health reasons appear to have limited financial resources, which, based on previous research [29], will likely translate into long-term economic insecurity.…”

Predictors for work participation of people with visual impairments: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…[19][20][21] People with a visual impairment not only experience difficulties in finding and keeping a job, they often reluctantly work fewer hours or have a job for which they are overqualified ('underemployed'). 4,19,20,[22][23][24][25] Unemployment or underemployment can cause dependent relationships and influence an individual's personality and self-esteem. [26][27][28][29] This loss in work participation and productivity also generates high economic costs.…”