Sicherung und Förderung der beruflichen Eingliederung Blinder und Sehbehinderter auf PC-gestützen Büroarbeitsplätzen (Securing and promotion of the oc-cupational integration of the blind and the partially sighted in office workplaces with PC support)

"The blind and those with serious visual handicaps are one of the groups of disabled whose integration into the labour market is generally only possible if special assistance is provided for the initial integration and later on for safeguarding the employment relationship. These tasks are taken on by the institutions responsible for rehabilitation and - for the continued safe-guarding of the employment - the main welfare institutions. As a result of their disability the blind and those with serious visual handicaps are severely restricted with regard to the spectrum of activities they are able to perform. It is, however, possible to achieve good integration results through workplace layout and special training measures. In the area of occupational integration, however, these types of measures are among the most complicated and the most costly. It is therefore appropriate for this reason among others to evaluate the success of the measure as early as possible and if necessary to adjust it in individual cases in order to achieve the desired integration success. Modern technical development in the field of EDP has opened up considerable workplace lay-out possibilities for the blind and partially sighted in particular for office activities. Modern EDP output devices suitable for the disabled are available with a Braille line, which shows the EDP data in Braille, line by line and character-coded, as well as with diverse large print systems which enlarge sections of the screen up to about 8 times the usual size. One of the main welfare institutions has focused its advice and assistance offers for blind and partially sighted people on PC-assisted workplaces within the framework of a special programme. In this special programme a measure was implemented in which 60 office workplaces of blind people or people with serious visual handicaps were assessed by external manpower studies specialists with regard to the integration success and follow-up support. The reason for these special consultations, which although costly also provided informative results, was the considerable difficulties arising for blind people or people with serious visual handicaps with the conversion of EDP technology to graphic user interfaces. Basically in the course of these processes of technical change, extensive technical modernisation and above all a retraining programme must take place in order to safeguard the jobs of blind and partially sighted people. There are, however, also consequences for the institution and those responsible there, who are supposed to ensure the ongoing safeguarding of the jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))