The Occupational Integration of the Blind (Survey of the Blind)

Occupation and employment biography of blind persons.

Topics: 1. Visual handicap, well-being and personality: degree of
visual handicap; remaining visual acuity; additional visual handicaps;
number of impairments; ability to read black text; ability to read
writing with electronic aid; mastery of braille; further health
impairments; type of health impairments; recognized reduction in
earning capacity and amount of reduction in earning capacity; personal
dealing with and well-being in visual handicap (coping); aid available
and used with tasks in daily life; subjective certainty in eating in
public; mobility practices outside of the residence; accompanyment;
assessment of the employment situation as well as the fitness for work
of the blind (locus of control and success orientation); suitable
activities for visually handicapped.

2. Employment biography of the early blind: situation of choice of
occupation; counseling discussions about training and work
opportunities; number of counseling sessions; occupation practical
training during time in school; post as a trainee after time in school,
measure to find an occupation; work trials after time in school;
vocational training, college, retraining after time in school;
completed vocational training; vocational training specially for blind;
vocational training in a facility for blind; vocational training site
in the vicinity of place of residence; family, technical and colleague
support in vocational training; full-time employment; reasons for
non-employment; length of full-time employment; course of employment
(longer work absence due to illness, unemployment, change of job).

3. Employment biography of the late blind: employment before going
blind; reason for non-employment before going blind; length of
employment before going blind in years; occupational activity at time
of going blind; last occupational position before going blind; area of
business; company size; department; going blind (suddenly or
gradually); subjective situation, personal feelings at going blind as
well as fears for the occupational future; counseling discussions about
training and work opportunities and evaluation of occupational
counseling of selected advice centers; participation in measures after
going blind (mobility training and instruction in visual aids);
retraining after going blind and current retraining status; personnel
as well as technical support in retraining; primary occupational
activity after going blind; reasons for non-employment; change of job
after going blind and form of arranging the new job; type of company
(special facility for blind or normal company); change of activity;
usability of existing qualifications; re-equipment of the workplace;
workplace for handicapped; duration of employment after resumption of
work; course of employment after going blind.

4. Employment status and current occupation: employment status; length
of non-employment; intended employment; part-time or full-time
employment; place of work subsidized; type of company (special facility
for the blind or normal company); area of business; company size;
length of company employment; department; occupational position;
activity now exercised; gross monthly income; further education in
current employment; initiative for further education; support at work
and need for support; means of transport on the way to work and
distance between residence and place of work; foreseeable change of
situation in life regarding occupation or family; pension application
and type of pension applied for.

5. Unemployment: status as unemployed; support from the employment
office (earnings-related unemployment benefit or unemployment benefit);
compensation payment, adjustment aid; participation in employment
office measures; number of positions offered by employment office;
initiative applications in the last three months; reasons for not
bothering with applications; assessment of the chances of success in
looking for work; prospects of status change; length of unemployment;
termination of last employment (personally giving notice or by
employer); reasons for termination of last employment.

6. Pension, early retirement: reasons for retirement; type of pension
received; length of retirement; planned later employment; status before
retirement.

7. Education, retraining, further education: length of current
training; type of training; training for the blind in special facility;
participation in tests; plans for the time after training. 8. Last
employment before unemployment or retirement: full-time, part-time,
time limitation; support by the employment office or other bearers of
the costs; type of company; area of business; company size; department;
occupational position; occupational activity last exercised.
Demography: age; age at going blind; school education; type of school;
going blind before or after end of time in school; sex; citizenship;
regional origins; marital status; living together with a partner;
visual handicap of partner; occupation of partner; number of children
in household (currently and earlier); accomodation in a home; size of
household; household net income; personally available income; receipt
of welfare; amount of current welfare; form of housing; residence
costs; additional costs; membership in organizations for the blind, in
handicapped sport group or other organizations; frequency of church
attendance; social origins. Interviewer rating: presence of third
persons during interview; intervention in the interview; willingness of
respondent to answer; assessment of reliability of the information;
type of building of target household; course of interview, conversation
and cooperation; atmosphere and residential surroundings of respondent;
form of settlement; length of interview and type of survey.