Survey for visually impaired young adults from their working life experiences

Abstract

This was a research developmental based thesis, which was made in cooperation with working life services of the Finnish Federation of Visually Impaired. The thesis was a survey for visually impaired young adults (18-30 years old) about their working life experiences. All the categories in a survey form were related to participation in working life and society. We wanted to find answers; how working life services of the Federation can develop their work to promote target group’s working life participation and what are biggest challenges or possible obstacles which target group has encountered related to this topic. Themes which were present in this survey were working life experiences among visually impaired young adults in general, job seeking experiences, accessibility experiences, working community experiences, possible discrimination experiences and thoughts about future’s working life. In addition, there was also a section about Federation’s working life services, how familiar respondents were with these and how satisfied they had been with these services.

In the analysis, I told the background details from respondents and observed if there can be conclusions made according to quantitative material. From the qualitative material, I found specific themes which were raised up from the responses and made tabulations from those.

In the end of the analysis, I made conclusions, how working life services of the Federation can continue their work after this survey and what could be the targets to make a possible research or development in the future. Development suggestions were found on the level of individual work and also on the level of influence work in the society.