Predicting employment outcomes among former vocational rehabilitation consumers with vision impairment from customer satisfaction, acceptance of vision loss, degree of functional vision, primary source of support, and previous work experience

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of customer satisfaction, acceptance of vision loss, degree of functional vision, primary source of support, and previous work experience to employment outcomes among former Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB) customers who are visually impaired or blind by applying Livneh's (2001) psychosocial adjustment to chronic illness and disability (CID) model. One-hundred twenty-eight former MCB customers whose cases were closed as either successfully employed or unsuccessfully employed during fiscal years 2003 and 2004 were examined via mail survey. Stepwise logistic regression analysis suggested that individuals who reported a high level of customer satisfaction and who emphasized their own assets and abilities, rather than limitations, were more likely to be employed at the time of their case closure. Further, chi-square analysis indicated that MCB customers who had a previous work experience were more likely to be closed as employed than those who did not have any work experience. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between employment outcomes and the degree of functional vision, suggesting that an individual who has enough vision to read and write printed materials (with or without special aid) was not positively associated with a successful employment outcome. Similarly, no difference was found between individuals who reported public support (e.g., Social Security Disability Insurance [SSDI], Supplemental Security Income [SSI], or Temporary Assistance to Needy Family [TANF]) as their single largest source of economic support and those who reported personal income (e.g., personal earning or family support) as their single largest source of economic support regarding the employment outcome. Implications for vocational rehabilitation practice as well as suggestions for future rehabilitation research are provided.