QUESTIONNAIRE ICELAND

EBU Questionnaire Survey on the situation of blind and partially sighted people
across the 27 EU Member States

September 2007

 

Name: Inga Dora Gudmundsdottir

Organisation: The Icelandic Association of the Blind

Country: Iceland

e-mail address: inga blind.is

Telephone number: +354 5250008


1/ Benefits


1.1. Does your country have any form of benefits system/ allowance for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer

1.2. If yes, is this allowance sufficient or does it need to be increased ?
Answer Needs to be increased End answer


2/ Transport / Mobility

 
2.1. Does your country provide blind and partially sighted people with any form of assistance for access to public transportation?
Answer Yes End answer

2.2. If yes, in what form?
 

2.2.1. Facilities allowing a better accessibility of public transport for blind and partially sighted people:
Answer No End answer

2.2.2. Financial aid:
Answer Yes End answer

2.2.3. If yes, is this assistance available :
At reduced cost. Answer Yes End answer  
Free of charge Answer Yes End answer  
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.
 


2.3. Are there any measures facilitating the mobility of blind of partially sighted people?
Answer No End answer

 2.3.1 If yes, are they:

Financing of guide dogs.
Tactile paving.
Provision of auditory means of communication.
Provision of auditory signals at crosswalks.
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.
 

2.4. Concerning accessibility / transport in general, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
 Answer Better individual transport service by means of reduced rate of taxies.
Public transport timetables need to be made auditory.
Auditory information in busses.
Public building need mandatory rules of accessibility. End answer


3/ Employment


3.1. Are private companies under any obligation to recruit a certain number of disabled people?
Answer No End answer

3.2. Are some jobs reserved in priority for:

3.2.1. Disabled people?
Answer Yes End answer

3.2.2. Blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer


3.3. Are there any targeted wage subsidies or bonus for employers who recruit blind and partially sighted people?
Bonus.
Targeted wage subsidies. Answer  Yes End answer
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.


3.4. Does your country have sheltered workshops or any other kind of structure employing only blind and partially sighted people?
Answer  Yes End answer

3.5. Are there any other incentives in your country to facilitate blind and partially sighted people’s employment?
Answer  No  End answer


3.6. What is the situation with regard to the employment of blind and partially sighted women:
Under-employment. Answer  Yes End answer
Discrimination in recruitment.
Discrimination in wages.
Don’t know

3.7. Concerning employment in general, what kind of suggestion for improvement do you have?
Answer  Educational level of blind and partially sighted people needs to be increased, and there has to be a support system for individuals going from school to work. End answer



4/ Education


4.1. Does your country have specialized schools for blind of partially sighted children?
Answer  No End answer

4.2. Is it possible for blind of partially sighted children to attend mainstream schools?
Answer Yes End answer

4.2.1. If yes, are there any support services for blind and partially sighted children?

Provision of books in Braille. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of Braille writing devices. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of adapted electronic devices. Answer Yes End answer
Support by specially trained teachers. Answer Yes  End answer
Answer Other (explanation) Daisy books, large print books.  End answer
Don’t know.



4.3. Can blind or partially sighted students at university benefit from some form of financial aid to purchase an adapted computer?
Answer Yes End answer

4.4. With regard to education in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?
Answer Need of more professionals in the field of teaching blind and partially sighted children. Better support services with regard to books in Braille and adapted electronic devices. Social integration of blind and partially sighted children at schools also needs attention.  End answer



5. REHABILITATION CENTRES FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE


5.1. Does your country have any rehabilitation centre for blind or partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer 


5.2. Concerning rehabilitation centres, what suggestions for improvement do you have?
Increase the number of centres. Answer Yes End answer 
Improve existing centres. Answer Yes   End answer
Increase the capacity of the centre. Answer Yes   End answer
Improve the training of staff (auxiliary nursing staff, special education teacher …) Answer Yes   End answer
Modernise the methods of rehabilitation to daily life. Answer Yes  End answer
Modernise professional training. Answer Yes End answer
Other (please explain)
Don’t know.


5.3. Have you noted any progress in these areas?
Answer  Yes  End answer


5.3.1. If no, did you notice a decline in the quality of the rehabilitation measures for blind and partially sighted people?
Yes / No / Don’t know

 

6/ VOCATIONAL TRAINING


6.1. Does your country have a specialized vocational training centre for employed or unemployed blind and partially sighted people?
Answer Yes End answer

6.2. Can blind or partially sighted employed or unemployed people attend mainstream vocational training centres?
Answer Yes End answer

6.3. If yes, are there any support services for the blind and partially sighted?
Provision of books in Braille. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of Braille writing devices. Answer Yes End answer
Provision of adapted electronic devices. Answer Yes End answer
Support by specially trained teachers.
Other (please explain).
Don’t know.

6.4. Have these measures been adopted since your country’s accession to the EU or did they exist before?
Answer Don’t know End answer

6.5. With regard to vocational training in general, what kind of suggestions for improvement do you have?
 

7. ACCESSIBILITY OF ICTs


7.1. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for blind people of all age categories:
At school
At university
At work.
At home.
What kind of support ? (Please explain)



7.2. Is it possible to obtain support for ICTs for partially sighted people of all age categories ?
At school.
At university.
At work.
At home.
What kind of support ? (Please explain)
 



8/ E-GOVERNMENT

8.1. How do you evaluate the accessibility of public websites (E-government; documents, forum, services, interactive pages, etc.)
Very good.
Good.
Medium.
Bad.
Very bad.
(Please explain):


8.2. Is your government doing anything to make E-government websites accessible to blind and partially sighted people?
 


9/ EU INFLUENCE


9. Do you think that the EU has had a positive influence on the situation of blind and partially sighted people in your country ?

(Please explain):

 


10/ Finally, do you have any expectation with regard to your country’s belonging to the EU?

 

10. Do you have expectations with regard to:
Employment.                                                         Answer No End answer
Education.                                                             Answer No End answer
Vocational training.                                              Answer No End answer
Rehabilitation centres.                                         Answer No End answer                                             
Transport / mobility.                                              Answer No End answer                                                  
Accessibility of buildings and traffic lanes.        Answer Yes End answer
Access to information (accessibility of ICTs).   Answer Yes End answer
Financial support.                                                 Answer No End answer
Gender equality.                                                    Answer No End answer
Other (please explain)
 

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