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

An investigation of the complexities of successful and unsuccessful guide dog matching and partnerships.

Matching a person who is blind or visually impaired with a guide dog is a process of finding the most suitable guide dog available for that individual. Not all guide dog partnerships are successful, and the consequences of an unsuccessful partnership may result in reduced mobility and quality of life for the handler (owner), and are costly in time and resources for guide dog training establishments. This study examined 50 peoples' partnerships with one or more dogs (118 pairings) to ascertain the outcome of the relationship. Forty-three of the 118 dogs were returned to the guide dog training establishment before reaching retirement age, with the majority (n = 40) being categorized as having dog-related issues. Most (n = 26) of these dogs' issues were classified as being behavioral in character, including work-related and non-work-related behavior, and 14 were due to physical causes (mainly poor health). Three dogs were returned due to matters relating to the handlers' behavior. More second dogs were returned than the handlers' first or third dogs, and dogs that had been previously used as a guide could be rematched successfully. Defining matching success is not clear-cut. Not all dogs that were returned were considered by their handlers to have been mismatched, and not all dogs retained until retirement were thought to have been good matches, suggesting that some handlers were retaining what they considered to be a poorly matched dog. Almost all the handlers who regarded a dog as being mismatched conceded that some aspects of the match were good. For example, a dog deemed mismatched for poor working behavior may have shown good home and/or other social behaviors. The same principle was true for successful matches, where few handlers claimed to have had a perfect dog. It is hoped that these results may help the guide dog industry identify important aspects of the matching process, and/or be used to identify areas where a matching problem exists

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 end of the partnership with a guide dog: emotional responses, effects on quality of life and relationships with subsequent dogs

Guide dogs are mobility aids that facilitate independent travel of people who are blind or visually impaired. Additional benefits imparted to the guide dog handler include companionship, and increased: social-function, self-esteem and confidence. Some evidence shows that the end of the guide dog partnership can result in reduced mobility, and may have profound psychosocial effects on the handler due to feelings of bereavement and loss of self-esteem. However, this evidence is limited. This study examined the experiences and feelings of 36 people across New Zealand, who experienced the ending of at least one partnership with a guide dog (77 pairings), to explore issues arising at the end of the partnership and how this may impact on relationships with subsequent dogs. Results indicate that the majority of handlers experienced a reduction in their quality of life due to a decrease in independent mobility followed by the loss of a friend and companion, curtailment of social interactions, and loss of self-esteem/confidence. The end of the partnership affected people in different ways. Most handlers “accepted” the partnership had ended, but some felt guilty or angry with the guide dog school. Most applied for another dog immediately, as the need for mobility was high, while others preferred to wait and a smaller number did not reapply. Feelings at this time also affected the handlers’ relationships with subsequent guide dogs, with over a quarter expressing a negative effect. Retiring a guide dog (for whatever reason) is not only difficult for the handler, but also for the handler’s family, friends, co-workers, and doubtlessly, the dog. The majority of handlers expressed feelings of extreme grief when the partnership ended, whether it was successful or not. Feelings of extreme grief were more common for first than subsequent dogs. The depth of emotion was compared to losing a family member or other loved one, which has been reported in some person and pet relationships. A better understanding of issues surrounding the end of the partnership, including the human-animal bond, will help inform the guide dog industry of how best to support their clients during this time and when transitioning to another dog. Findings may be applied to other service/assistance dog users and the pet owning community

An investigation of the complexities of successful and unsuccessful guide dog matching and partnerships

Matching a person who is blind or visually impaired with a guide dog is a process of finding the most suitable guide dog available for that individual. Not all guide dog partnerships are successful, and the consequences of an unsuccessful partnership may result in reduced mobility and quality of life for the handler (owner), and are costly in time and resources for guide dog training establishments. This study examined 50 peoples' partnerships with one or more dogs (118 pairings) to ascertain the outcome of the relationship. Forty-three of the 118 dogs were returned to the guide dog training establishment before reaching retirement age, with the majority (n = 40) being categorized as having dog-related issues. Most (n = 26) of these dogs' issues were classified as being behavioral in character, including work-related and non-work-related behavior, and 14 were due to physical causes (mainly poor health). Three dogs were returned due to matters relating to the handlers' behavior. More second dogs were returned than the handlers' first or third dogs, and dogs that had been previously used as a guide could be rematched successfully. Defining matching success is not clear-cut. Not all dogs that were returned were considered by their handlers to have been mismatched, and not all dogs retained until retirement were thought to have been good matches, suggesting that some handlers were retaining what they considered to be a poorly matched dog. Almost all the handlers who regarded a dog as being mismatched conceded that some aspects of the match were good. For example, a dog deemed mismatched for poor working behavior may have shown good home and/or other social behaviors. The same principle was true for successful matches, where few handlers claimed to have had a perfect dog. It is hoped that these results may help the guide dog industry identify important aspects of the matching process, and/or be used to identify areas where a matching problem exists

The Impact of Self-reported Visual Disability on Quality of Life among Older Persons in a Rural Area of Northeast Thailand: A Follow-up Study

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted to follow-up an earlier study which estimated the prevalence of self-reported visual disability and its impact on the quality of life (QOL) of older persons living in a rural area of Northeast Thailand based on a secondary analysis of data collected for another purpose. Self-reported difficulty with seeing was used to determine prevalence of visual disability. The WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-OLD were used to assess the impact of visual disability on QOL. Fifty nine percent reported having difficulty seeing to the extent that it interfered with their daily life. Those who reported having difficulty with seeing were found to be older, disproportionately female, have lower perception of health, and to score lower on QOL than those who did not. The findings of this study differed from the earlier study. It is asserted that the findings from this latter study are likely to be more representative of the situation due to the use of a more systematic and targeted sampling procedure

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

Single Atom Dynamics in Chemical Reactions

Many heterogeneous chemical reactions involve gases catalyzed over solid surfaces at elevated temperatures and play a critical role in the production of energy, healthcare, pollution control, industrial products, and food. These catalytic reactions take place at the atomic level, with active structures forming under reaction conditions. A fundamental understanding of catalysis at the single atom resolution is therefore a major advance in a rational framework upon which future catalytic processes can be built. Visualization and analysis of gas-catalyst chemical reactions at the atomic level under controlled reaction conditions are key to understanding the catalyst structural evolution and atomic scale reaction mechanisms crucial to the performance and the development of improved catalysts and chemical processes. Increasingly, dynamic single atoms and atom clusters are believed to lead to enhanced catalyst performance, but despite considerable efforts, reaction mechanisms at the single atom level under reaction conditions of gas and temperature are not well understood. The development of the atomic lattice resolution environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM) by the authors is widely used to visualize gas–solid catalyst reactions at this atomic level. It has recently been advanced to the environmental scanning TEM (ESTEM) with single atom resolution and full analytical capabilities. The ESTEM employs high-angle annular dark-field imaging where intensity is approximately proportional to the square of the atomic number (Z). In this Account, we highlight the ESTEM development also introduced by the authors for real time in situ studies to reliably discern metal atoms on lighter supports in gas and high temperature environments, evolving oxide/metal interfaces, and atomic level reaction mechanisms in heterogeneous catalysts more generally and informatively, with utilizing the wider body of literature. The highlights include platinum/carbon systems of interest in fuel cells to meet energy demands and reduce environmental pollution, in reduction/oxidation (redox) mechanisms of copper and nickel nanoparticles extensively employed in catalysis, electronics, and sensors, and in the activation of supported cobalt catalysts in Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis to produce fuels. By following the dynamic reduction process at operating temperature, we investigate Pt atom migrations from irregular nanoparticles in a carbon supported platinum catalyst and the resulting faceting. We outline the factors that govern the mechanism involved, with the discovery of single atom interactions which indicate that a primary role of the nanoparticles is to act as reservoirs of low coordination atoms and clusters. This has important implications in supported nanoparticle catalysis and nanoparticle science. In copper and nickel systems, we track the oxidation front at the atomic level as it proceeds across a nanoparticle, by directly monitoring Z-contrast changes with time and temperature. Regeneration of deactivated catalysts is key to prolong catalyst life. We discuss and review analyses of dynamic redox cycles for the redispersion of nickel nanoparticles with single atom resolution. In the FT process, pretreatment of practical cobalt/silica catalysts reveals higher low-coordination Co0 active sites for CO adsorption. Collectively, the ESTEM findings generate structural insights into catalyst dynamics important in the development of efficient catalysts and processes