Presentation Transcript

1. My Consumer is Visually Impaired

2. My Consumer is Visually Impaired! What Kind of Work Can He or She Do?

   Cheryl J. Reed, O.D., COMSDirector, UDS Low Vision Services United Disability Services
3. Considerations Motivation Interests Experience Job market Support system Vision loss Other disabilities
4. Occupation Vision Requirements 1) Vision is a critical aspect in many jobs 2) Vision can be important for safe and effective job performance 3) Vision requirements for specific jobs are seldom specified 4) Physicians rarely utilize appropriate vision screening devices in a routine exam From Med-Tox Health Services, www.med-tox/vision, 2011, retrieved from website 7/29/13
5. Accommodations for Visual Impairment Must identify essential functions of a job in order to know whether an individual with a disability is qualified to perform the job Must be able to perform essential functions with or without accommodations Accommodation must not cause undue hardship for the employer. In general, it must be reasonable in cost and implementation and take into account the dynamics of the workplace
6. Data from BSVI ConsumersPrimary Disability Other visual impairment Visual impairment leading to legal blindness Legal blindness Total blindness
7. Data from BSVI ConsumersSecondary Disability Other Visual Impairments Psychosocial Impairments Other Physical Impairments Cognitive Impairments
8. Data from BSVI ConsumersOccupation-Employed & Closed Successfully 2012 Homemaker (own home) Customer Service Representative Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Office Clerks, General Retail Salesperson
9. Understanding Visual Impairment:Visual Acuity 1) Monocular distance, left and right 2) Binocular distance 3) Monocular distance, left and right 4) Binocular near 5) Other considerations- change in acuity with dim or bright lighting, dark adaption, glare recovery
10. Understanding Visual Impairment:Visual Field Peripheral field limits Central field- blind spots (location, size, etc.) Test method, target size, reliability
11. Understanding Visual Impairment:Contrast Sensitivity Vistech, Pelli Robson, Mars, or other Reduced contrast sensitivity should be labeled as normal, reduced, or severely reduced. If not, consider contacting professional who did testing and request interpretation.
12. Understanding Visual Impairment:Color Vision Farnsworth test – Most reliable test for consumer who is visually impaired, provides information on type of color vision loss and severity Ishihara plates- test for red/green color blindness and less reliable for consumer who is visually impaired (based on my experience)
13. Other Aspect of Vision Which Impact Function Presbyopia- age-related diminished focusing ability Binocularity -how the eyes work together, stereoscopic depth perception Fixation- the ability to direct and maintain gaze Lens design- how the shape of the lens, fit of the frame and design of glasses impact visual function Eye movements- rapid jumping eye movements and slow following eye movement to localize and view a target Visual perception- how the brain perceives, processes and uses visual information
14. Customer Service Representative Customer service representatives typically do the following: Listen and respond to customers’ needs and concerns Provide information about products and services Take orders, determine charges, and oversee billing or payments Review or make changes to customer accounts Handle returns or complaints Record details of customer contacts and actions taken Research answers or solutions as needed Refer customers to supervisors, managers, or others who can help From Occupational Outlook Handbook 1
15. Customer Service Representative LV Aid or Accommodation Use computer Read manuals, memos, reference materials Large print keyboard, large screen monitor, magnification or speech software, telescopic spectacles, Dragon Magnifiers, high add reading glasses, CCTV, lighting, OCR with speech or Braille output Visual Demand
16. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Hand laborers and material movers typically do the following: Manually move material from one place to another Pack or wrap material by hand Keep a record of the material they move Use signals to assist machine operators who are moving larger pieces of material, when necessary In warehouses and wholesale and retail operations, hand material movers work closely with material-moving machine operators and material recording clerks. Automatic sensors and tags are increasingly being used to track items that allow these employees to work faster. Some workers are employed in manufacturing industries in which they load material onto conveyor belts or other machines. from Occupational Outlook Handbook 1
17. Laborers and Freight, Stock and Materials Movers LV aid or accommodation See labels on boxes, shelves, or packaging Focusable bioptic telescope (small field of view, tedious and time consuming to focus, cannot be used with safety glasses) Handheld telescope ( requires one or both hands to hold and focus, time consuming) Magnifiers or compact portable CCTV Optical aids generally not effective, controlling lighting and glare may be somewhat effective Visual Demand Signal machine operators and move out of way of oncoming equipment and workers
18. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Janitors and building cleaners typically do the following: Gather and empty trash and trash bins Clean building floors by sweeping, mopping, or vacuuming them Clean bathrooms and stock them with soap, toilet paper, and other supplies Keep buildings secure by locking doors Clean spills and other hazards using sponges and squeegees Wash windows, walls, and glass Order cleaning supplies Make minor repairs to the building, such as changing light bulbs Notify managers when the building needs major repairs from Occupational Outlook Handbook 1
19. Janitors and Cleaner LV Aid or Accommodation Read labels on cleaning products See dirt, smudges, and bits of trash Change light bulb Magnifier, clip-on loupe, high add bifocal Head mounted or handheld flashlight (Must be very bright and cover wide area) Use pattern to clean and wipe For overhead bulbs, consider double D multifocal or headmounted loupe such as Optivisor Visual Demand
20. Eye Diseases Which Commonly Cause Reduces Contrast Sensitivity Glaucoma Multiple Sclerosis (recurrent optic neuritis) Other severe optic nerve and retinal diseases
21. Eye Diseases Which Commonly Cause Reduced Acuity with Central Blind Spot(s) Age related macular degeneration Diabetic retinopathy Toxoplasmosis Ocular histoplasmosis Macular hole
22. Eye Conditions Which Commonly Cause Severe Color Vision Impairment Cone dystrophy Achromatopsia Cone/rod dystrophy X-linked color deficiency
23. Double Vision Multiple sclerosis 4th nerve palsy Traumatic brain injury Grave’s disease
24. Case study Proposed vocational goal – Teaching assistant Cause of reduced vision - multiple sclerosis Discussion – demands of job, required visual tasks - visual difficulties - secondary disabilities - possible job accommodations and adaptive aids GOOD FIT? Yes or No Other options which may fit this area of interest?
25. Resources Websites www.kent.edu/career - My Plan- assessment, career description personality test, skills and values profile, regional salary calculator, videos, sample job titles, and much more www.afb.org- Career Connect- career exploration, interview skill building, resume building, job search tools, career mentoring, disclosure recommendations and discussion, and more http://www.diversityworld.com/Disability/jobseekblind.htm- finding jobs, networking, disclosure, requesting accommodations, transportation
26. Resources Books Job Search for People with Disabilities by Dr. Daniel Ryan No One is Unemployable by Debra L. Angel and Elisabeth E. Harney Job-Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped by Richard Nelson Bolles and Dale Susan Brown Quick Job Search for People with Disabilities by Michael Farr with Daniel J. Ryan, PhD I’m on Linked In – Now What??? By Jason Alba
27. ResourcesBooks cont. The Twitter Job Search Guide by Susan Britton Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan, and Deb Dib Skills for Success: A Career Education Handbook for Children and Adolescents with Visual Impairments, edited by Karen Wolff, PhD