Employment Situation Evaluation and Search for New Career Opportunities

National Survey into the Socioprofessional Future of Visually Impaired Persons

by Rémy LUCAS and Christian LAUBRESSAC

Apppendices
- Study context
- Survey questionnaire


A national survey into the socioprofessional future of visually impaired persons was conducted during the last quarter of 2002.

1. Presentation of the survey

This survey, entrusted to an approved survey agency, ASDO ETUDES, concerns former students of specialist and other establishments who left those establishments between June 1991 and June 2001.

The survey was implemented by four organisations in association:

    AVH: Valentin Haüy Association

    INJA: National Institute for Young Blind People,

    AGEFIPH: National Association for the Management of Funds for the Professional Integration of Handicapped Persons

    FISAF: National Federation for the Integration of the Deaf and the Blind in France

The objective of this retrospective study of school, university and professional careers is:

    to improve our knowledge of the current situation of visually impaired former students who attended specialist establishments, schools in the normal environment, professional training centres and universities,

    to define prospects and make proposals regarding the training and guidance system with a view to improving the professional integration of the visually impaired.

In an appended document you will find more details on the study context.

 

2. Composition of the survey sample

The partners, with the help of the associations and organisations backing the project, contacted more than 200 establishments and other structures to obtain the names, addresses and phone numbers of their former students.

A letter was sent out to each of the establishments and structures informing them of the objectives of the survey and asking them to write to their former students requesting their agreement before contacting them to take part in the survey.

Three types of establishment were contacted:

- specialist schools
- people in universities acting as contacts for their handicapped students
- the SAAAIS: Services for Assistance in Achieving Independence and Integration at School

All persons who responded positively to this request were either interviewed or will be contacted very shortly.

3. Data collation and final report

The survey questionnaire was prepared by the ASDO ETUDES agency and submitted to the project partners for approval.

The questionnaire hinges on the following matters:

1- Identification of the respondent
2- Information on their visual handicap
3- Independence: personal mobility, system used to access information
4- Training path
5- Previous professional experience
6- Current employment
7- Whether currently seeking employment
8-Work conditions sought
9- Suggestions for facilitating the employment of the visually impaired


An appended document contains additional information on the survey questionnaire.

Because of the difficulties encountered by many visually impaired people in accessing written information, the questionnaires were administered by telephone.

The data are being collated and analysed by the ASDO ETUDES agency.

The final report, to be remitted to the ordering establishments during the last quarter of 2003, will consist of:

- status of the file of persons to be surveyed : quantitative results of answers per establishment and per structure,

- statistical study of the characteristics of the group of people surveyed and current situation,

- detailed analysis of their individual needs and expectations,

- recommendations and suggestions to facilitate and encourage the socioprofessional integration of visually impaired persons.

4. Survey methodology and information

Information on the progress of the survey will be communicated by ASDO ETUDES agency during the PARIS conference.

The definitive results of the survey will be broadly distributed and published in the specialist publications and on Internet.

APPENDICES

Study context

Finding a job today is for many visually impaired people an obstacle course, some of whose barriers prove insurmountable without outside help. Indeed, a number of factors prove detrimental to the professional integration of this group of people.

Firstly prejudice on the part of employers often weighs heavily, forming a determinant obstacle when approached with the idea of recruiting an employee with a visual handicap.

Blind or poor-sighted individuals say they are frequently perplexed in the face of the complexity of the organisation of aid for employment and in many cases find themselves isolated as they cope with the long and rocky road towards integration.

Other penalising factors are also worthy of mention, such as for instance:

- the increasingly frequent use on the part of recruiters of temporary work contracts,

- the development of computer resources,

- the low level of qualification of some jobseekers,

- the re-organisation of work, resulting in an increasing need for multi-tasking,

- the burdensome nature of the administrative steps involved, which are particularly complex for the handicapped.


At the other end of the scale, other factors help in the integration of the visually impaired at school, university or in a profession:

- mentoring services,

- training courses matched to the needs of companies,

- the development of new technologies,

- the increasing openness of the economic world.

Lastly, phenomena specific to the nature of the handicap or specific to the individual can no doubt also be found.

Survey questionnaire

1- Identification

Family name, first name, gender

    - Date of birth
    - Civil status
    - Postal address
    - Phone, Fax number, Email
2- Information concerning the degree of sight available

    - Blind or virtually blind (less than 1/20 visual acuity after correction)
    - Visually impaired (between 1/20 and 1/10 visual acuity after correction)
    - Amblyopic (between 1/10 and 3/10 visual acuity after correction)
    - Age at which the visual impairment started
    - Stabilised / progressive visual impairment
    - Other handicap
    - Social benefits received
3- Independence
    - Fully fluent in Braille
    - Some use of Braille
    - Reading system used: Braille / voice synthesis / font enlargement
    - Use of an adaptive computer tool for the visually impaired
    - Use of Internet (messaging system)
    - Locomotion: independent / with help only
    - Accommodation: independent housing / communal structure
4- Education/Training
    - Schools attended: specialist and/or ordinary environment
    (indicate dates, qualifications obtained and career intentions on leaving) - University establishments frequented: (indicate dates, qualifications obtained,
    (career intentions on leaving)
    - Professional training establishments attended: specialist and/or ordinary
    Environment (indicate dates, qualifications obtained and career intentions on leaving)

5- Previous professional experience
    - Company internships
    - Holiday jobs
    - Employers’ names
    - Dates
    - Jobs held
6- Current employment
    - Recruitment method: job offer / spontaneous application / Employment Agency (ANPE) / specialist partners / competitive entry / courses / personal recommendation, etc.

    - Employer’s name
    - Administrative département
    - Status: public/ private / self-employed / associative / tele-working
    - Date started
    - Position held (specify most recent department you belonged to) - Professional category
    - Workstation adaptation (party responsible for the equipment)
    - Stable employment
    - Temporary employment
    - Volunteer position
    - Length of work week: full time / part time
    - Remuneration level
7- Currently seeking employment
    - Length of time unemployed
    - Position sought
    - Whether or not registered with the ANPE (employment agency)
    - Steps taken in the quest for employment
    - Whether help sought from organisations specialising in finding employment

(CAP EMPLOI network, dept. for visually impaired, etc.)
    - Difficulties encountered in the quest for employment
    - Motivation to find a job
    - Geographic mobility
8- Work conditions desired
    - Length of work week: full time / part time
    - Place of work: exterior / home / either
    - Sector: ordinary / protected environment / either
9- Suggestions to encourage employment of the visually impaired


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