Affiliations: The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Jennifer L. Cmar, The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, P.O. Box 6189, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA. Tel.: +1 662 325 2778; Fax: +1 662 325 8989; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Many people who are blind or visually impaired face difficulties with transportation due to their inability to drive. Accordingly, transportation is widely considered a barrier to employment for people who are blind or visually impaired, and transportation self-efficacy is a factor that may minimize the impact of this barrier. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to examine transportation self-efficacy and its association with employment among working-age adults with visual impairments who were non-drivers. METHOD:This study included data from 327 people who participated in a national transportation survey of individuals with visual impairments. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict full-time employment based on transportation self-efficacy and other factors. RESULTS:Factors predicting full-time employment included census region, severity of vision loss, and years of education. Interaction effects indicated that odds of employment generally increased as transportation self-efficacy increased; however, the effect of self-efficacy was dependent upon age and age at onset of visual impairment. CONCLUSIONS:Transportation self-efficacy was an important predictor of employment, particularly for younger people and for those who experienced significant vision loss more recently. Vocational rehabilitation counselors and other service providers can provide support to consumers to increase their transportation self-efficacy.
