Employment Statys, Job Type and Employer Description Among Persons with a Significant Visual Impairment in New Zealand

A random sample of 150 working aged members of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind were canvassed about their employment status, the sector in which they were employed and the types of jobs they held. It was found that although 39% were currently in paid employment, 64% indicated that they 'mostly have had paid employment’ or had 'always had paid employment ' since reaching working age. When asked about the position they currently held, 46% said they worked in the private sector, 24% said they were employed in the public sector, and 25% said they were self-employed; 5% responded as 'other’. In terms of the types of jobs they were in, 29% said they were in sales or service, 23% in professional or managerial positions, 13% in clerical positions, 14% in unskilled labour, 8% in skilled labour, 2% in technical jobs; 14% responded as 'other '. When asked to rate their current position in terms of their skills or abilities, 30% rated it as either 'way too low’, or as 'a bit too low; while, 70% rated as about right. A number of demographic variables were investigated to see if they had an effect on the positions held

Employment Statys, Job Type and Employer Description Among Persons with a Significant Visual Impairment in New Zealand

A random sample of 150 working aged members of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind were canvassed about their employment status, the sector in which they were employed and the types of jobs they held. It was found that although 39% were currently in paid employment, 64% indicated that they 'mostly have had paid employment’ or had 'always had paid employment ' since reaching working age. When asked about the position they currently held, 46% said they worked in the private sector, 24% said they were employed in the public sector, and 25% said they were self-employed; 5% responded as 'other’. In terms of the types of jobs they were in, 29% said they were in sales or service, 23% in professional or managerial positions, 13% in clerical positions, 14% in unskilled labour, 8% in skilled labour, 2% in technical jobs; 14% responded as 'other '. When asked to rate their current position in terms of their skills or abilities, 30% rated it as either 'way too low’, or as 'a bit too low; while, 70% rated as about right. A number of demographic variables were investigated to see if they had an effect on the positions held

The Effectiveness of Comprehensive Low Vision Services for Older Persons with Visual Impairments in New Zealand -Rehabilitation

Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of providing comprehensive low vision services to elderly persons with visual impairments in New Zealand. The 93 participants were matched on age, gender, and visual function with 93 who did not have access to comprehensive low vision services. No significant differences were found between the groups at posttest and follow-up on the three primary dependent variables of visual function, instrumental activities of daily living, and quality of life

The guide dog as a mobility aid part 2: perceived changes to travel habits

This article describes the second of a two-part study that examined the effects of a guide dog as an aid to mobility. The first part, which is also published in this issue, showed that dogs were perceived to significantly improve travel performance, irrespective of the participants' orientation and mobility skills before receiving the dog. The second part of the study describes the changes a dog makes to travel habits. In this second part, the travel habits of 50 people who were blind or vision impaired were examined retrospectively before and after they received a dog. The results indicate that dogs were used more frequently than other mobility aids except when it was more convenient to use a human guide or a long cane, as for example on a very short journey. People travelled independently more often and went further, with greater ease and enjoyment when travelling with a dog. The use of a dog appeared to reduce problems with access and the need to avoid certain journeys. However, dogs also caused difficulties, especially in social situations where they were no/welcomed,and in crowded, cramped or dog-populated environments. More advantages than disadvantages were identified when comparing a dog to other mobility aids

Review of quantitative empirical evaluations of technology for people with visual impairments

Addressing the needs of visually impaired people is of continued interest in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research. Yet, one of the major challenges facing researchers in this field continues to be how to design adequate quantitative empirical evaluation for these users in HCI. In this paper, we analyse a corpus of 178 papers on technologies designed for people with visual impairments, published since 1988, and including at least one quantitative empirical evaluation (243 evaluations in total). To inform future research in this area, we provide an overview, historic trends and a unified terminology to design and report quantitative empirical evaluations. We identify open issues and propose a set of guidelines to address them. Our analysis aims to facilitate and stimulate future research on this topic

Nurse practitioners versus doctors diagnostic reasoning in a complex case presentation to an acute tertiary hospital: a comparative study

Background: Nurse practitioners perform a diagnostic role previously delivered by doctors. Multiple studies demonstrate nurse practitioners are as effective as doctors when managing chronic conditions and minor illnesses and injuries. No studies have focused on how nurse practitioners compare to doctors in their management of complex cases presenting for the first time.Objective: This study assessed how nurse practitioners' diagnostic reasoning abilities when managing a complex case compared to those of doctors'?Design: A comparative research design.Participants: Purposeful sampling recruited 30 nurse practitioners and 16 doctors working in multiple specialties in New Zealand. All doctors were completing postgraduate specialist training programmes. Specialties included older adults, emergency care, primary health care/general practice, cardiology, respiratory and palliative care.Methods: A complex case scenario assessed by an expert panel and think aloud protocol was used to assess diagnostic reasoning abilities. The ability of 30 nurse practitioners to determine diagnoses, identify the problem, and propose actions was compared to that of 16 doctors. Correct responses were determined by an expert panel. Data gained from the case scenario using think aloud protocol were quantified for analysis.Results: 61.9% of doctors identified the correct diagnoses, 56.3% the problem and 34.4% the actions as determined by the expert panel. This compares to 54.7% of nurse practitioners identifying the correct diagnoses, 53.3% the problem and 35.8% the actions. Analysis revealed no difference between these groups (diagnoses 95% CI: -1.76 to -0.32, p = 0.17, problem chi(2) = 0.00, p = 1.0, or actions 95% CI: -1.23 to 1.58, p = 0.80).Conclusion: Nurse practitioners' diagnostic reasoning abilities compared favourably to those of doctors in terms of diagnoses made, problems identified and action plans proposed from a complex case scenario. In times of global economic restraints this adds further support to alternative models of care. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved