National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, Mississippi State University, P. O. Box 6189, Miss. State, MS 39762, USA.
Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Criminology, Troy University, 327 MSCX, Troy, AL 36082, USA.
Disabil Health J. 2023 Jul;16(3):101438. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101438. Epub 2022 Dec 29.
Approximately half of the people who are blind or have low vision in the U.S. are not in the labor force, yet we know little about their characteristics or reasons for being out of the labor force.
OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this study was to compare people with blindness or low vision who reported being unable to work to those out of the labor force for other reasons, unemployed, and employed, and investigate characteristics that differentiate these groups.
Our sample of people with blindness or low vision was selected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare people who reported being unable to work to those in other employment groups utilizing multinomial logistic regression.
The majority of people out of the labor force reported they were unable to work. People unable to work were likely to have low income, more chronic health conditions, days with poor physical health, and functional disabilities than all other groups. They were also more likely to have access to health care than other groups and were more likely to be male and uncoupled compared to those out of the labor force for other reasons.
People who reported being unable to work had more chronic health and functional disability issues. Because being out of the labor force puts one at economic risk, further research is indicated to assess policy issues and strategies that might identify employment options that accommodate people with blindness or low vision and additional health issues and disabilities.
在美国，大约有一半的盲人和低视力人群没有参加劳动力，然而我们对他们的特征或失业原因知之甚少。
目的/假设：本研究的目的是将报告无法工作的盲人和低视力人群与其他原因失业、未就业和就业的人群进行比较，并调查区分这些人群的特征。
我们的盲人和低视力人群样本是从行为风险因素监测系统中选择的，利用多项逻辑回归比较报告无法工作的人群与其他就业群体。
大多数失业人群报告说他们无法工作。与其他所有群体相比，无法工作的人更有可能收入较低、患有更多的慢性健康状况、身体不健康的天数更多、功能残疾更多。与其他失业人群相比，他们也更有可能获得医疗保健，而且更有可能是男性和未婚。
报告无法工作的人有更多的慢性健康和功能残疾问题。由于失业会使人们面临经济风险，因此需要进一步研究评估政策问题和策略，以确定可能为有视力或低视力以及其他健康问题和残疾的人提供的就业选择。
