WORLD BLIND UNION
SURVEY ON REHABILITATION SERVICES
The following questions ask about types of rehabilitation services offered in your country to people who are blind or visually impaired. Thank you in advance for working with others around your country to collaborate in completing and returninga single survey document which describes rehabilitation services in your country. Once you have gathered all of the data for your country and completed the questions in this survey, please email your responses as an attachment to
Please send your responses as a Word (.doc/.docx) document; do not scan a written document or send a PDF. The deadline for receipt of completed surveys is March 31, 2015.
Thank you!
Definitions for this survey:
Please use the following definitions to help you complete these questions:
- Types of programs:
- Community-based rehabilitation program: services offered near the home of clients that they can travel or walk to
- In-home rehabilitation programs: services offered in the client’s home
- Residential rehabilitation program: services offered at a facility where the client lives for a period of time
- Types of services offered by rehabilitation programs:
- Activities of daily living services / Self-care or independent living skills: Services to teach and support individuals with personal management, including grooming, home management, cooking, self-advocacy and articulation skills
- Adjustment to blindness services: Services to support personal and psychological empowerment including counseling, self-awareness and confidence building, vocational and career counseling, and connecting with mentors
- Career exploration services: Services such as vocational and career evaluation and counseling, job readiness training
- Job and business development services: Services such as supported employment including setting up of business ventures, job or business search, job or business coaching
- Job training services: Services such as on-the-job training, vocational training, technical school and/or university-based training
- Low vision services: Services such as low-vision evaluation, selection of optical aids for near, intermediate, and distance viewing, training with optical aids in a variety of settings
- Technology services: Services such as selection and training on assistive technology, training on mainstream technology including computers, websites, and social media
- Travel-training services / orientation and mobility: Services to teach and support skills such as spatial orientation and concepts, travel safety, training in the use of a white cane
For the purposes of this survey, we consider “adults with blindness/visual impairment” to be people who qualify for special assistance due to vision loss and who are older than the age at which most children finish secondary school in your country.
How to complete this survey on your computer:
Example short-answer question:
Write your responses to short-answer questions in the space beneath the question.
E1. Describe the World Blind Union.
We are the Voice of the Blind, speaking to governments and international bodies on issues concerning blindness and visual impairments in conjunction with our members. WBU brings together all the major national and international organizations of blind persons and those organizations providing services to the visually impaired to work on the issues affecting the quality of life for blind people.
Example fill-in-the-blank question:
Write your responses to fill-in-the-blank questions in the space indicated.
E2. How many countries are members of the WBU?
190 countries
Example multiple-choice question:
Type the letter “X” beside your chosen response for a multiple-choice question.
E3. Where is the World Blind Union Head Office located?
- Toronto, Canada X
- Cairo, Egypt
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Tokyo, Japan
- Perth, Australia
Demographic information:
Country name:
Organization(s) participating in responding to this survey:
Contact person from organization submitting the survey:
Email address for contact person:
Estimated number of adults who are blind/visually impaired in your country:
______adults
Residential rehabilitation programs:
- Are residential rehabilitation programs offered for adults who are blind or visually impaired in your country?
No
Yes
If no: Skip to question 3.
If yes:Please continue.
a)Please estimate how many adults in your country are served each year through residential rehabilitation programs:
______adults per year
b)What proportion of residential rehabilitation programs in your country offer:
- Travel training services / orientation and mobility:
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Activities of daily living services / Self-care or independent living skills
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Adjustment to blindness services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Low vision services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Technology services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Career exploration services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Job training services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Job and business development services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
c)What other services are provided at residential rehabilitation training programs in your country?(Please describe)
d)Which of the following best describes the situation for adults who are qualified for and wish to receive residential rehabilitation training in your country?
- Most of theadults (65% or more) who are qualified for and wish to receive these services are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- About half of the adults (35-65%) who are qualified for and wish to receive these services are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- Although most people who qualify for and wish to receive these services are receiving them, some people (35% of people) are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- Everyone who qualifies for and wishes to receive these services is receiving these services.
- Other
If you chose “Other,” please describe:
e)Describe the organization or organizations which oversee and manage the residential rehabilitation programs in your country.
f)Which is most common for residential rehabilitation programs that serve adults who are blind/visually impaired in your country?
- These programs serve only people who are blind/visually impaired with no other disabilities.
- These programs serve people who are blind/visually impaired, including those with other disabilities.
- These programs serve people with different types of disabilities, including people who are blind/visually impaired and people who have other disabilities but are not blind/visually impaired.
- In the future, how do you think the number of adults who are blind/visually impaired served in residential rehabilitation training programs in your country might change?
a)The number will increase
b)The number will decrease
c)The number will stay the same
Why? (please describe)
Community-based rehabilitation programs
- Are community-based rehabilitation programs offered for adults who are blind or visually impaired in your country?
No
Yes
If no: Skip to question 5.
If yes:Please continue.
a)Please estimate how many adults in your country are served each year through community-based rehabilitation programs:
______adults per year
b)What proportion of community-based rehabilitation programs in your country offer:
- Travel training services / orientation and mobility:
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Activities of daily living services / Self-care or independent living skills
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Adjustment to blindness services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Low vision services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Technology services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Career exploration services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Job training services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Job and business development services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
c)What other services are provided at community-based rehabilitation training programs in your country? (Please describe)
d)Which of the following best describes the situation for adults who are qualified for and wish to receive community-based rehabilitation training in your country?
- Most of the adults (65% or more) who are qualified for and wish to receive these services are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- About half of the adults (35-65%) who are qualified for and wish to receive these services are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- Although most people who qualify for and wish to receive these services are receiving them, some people (35% of people) are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- Everyone who qualifies for and wishes to receive these services is receiving these services.
- Other
If you chose “Other,” please describe:
e)Describe the organization or organizations oversee and manage the community-based rehabilitation programs in your country.
f)Which is most common for community-based rehabilitation programs that serve adults who are blind/visually impaired in your country?
- These programs serve only people who are blind/visually impaired with no other disabilities.
- These programs serve only people who are blind/visually impaired, including those with other disabilities.
- These programs serve people with different types of disabilities, including people who are blind/visually impaired and people who have other disabilities but are not blind/visually impaired.
- In the future, how do you think the number of adults who are blind/visually impaired served in community-based rehabilitation training programs in your country might change?
a)The number will increase
b)The number will decrease
c)The number will stay the same
Why? (please describe)
In-home rehabilitation programs
- Are in-home rehabilitation programs offered for adults who are blind or visually impaired in your country?
No
Yes
If no: Skip to question 6.
If yes:Please continue.
a)Please estimate how many adults in your country are served each year through in-home rehabilitation programs:
______adults per year
b)What proportion of in-home rehabilitation programs in your country offer:
- Travel training services / orientation and mobility:
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Activities of daily living services / Self-care or independent living skills
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Adjustment to blindness services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Low vision services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Technology services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Career exploration services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Job training services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
- Job and business development services
- None (0%)
- A few (35% or less)
- About half (35-65%)
- Most (65% or more)
- All (100%)
c)What other services are provided at in-home rehabilitation training programs in your country? (Please describe)
d)Which of the following best describes the situation for adults who are qualified for and wish to receive community-based rehabilitation training in your country?
- Most of the adults (65% or more) who are qualified for and wish to receive these services are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- About half of the adults (35-65%) who are qualified for and wish to receive these services are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- Although most people who qualify for and wish to receive these services are receiving them, some people (35% of people) are not receiving these services because there are very long waiting lists or there are no programs in their area.
- Everyone who qualifies for and wishes to receive these services is receiving these services.
- Other
If you chose “Other,” please describe:
e)Describe the organization or organizations which oversee and manage the in-home rehabilitation programs in your country.
f)Which is most common for in-home rehabilitation programs who serve adults who are blind/visually impaired in your country?
- These programs serve only people who are blind/visually impaired with no other disabilities.
- These programs serve only people who are blind/visually impaired, including those with other disabilities.
- These programs serve people with different types of disabilities, including people who are blind/visually impaired and people who have other disabilities but are not blind/visually impaired.
- In the future, how do you think the number of adults who are blind/visually impaired served in in-home rehabilitation training programs in your country might change?
a)The number will increase
b)The number will decrease
c)The number will stay the same
Why? (please describe)
Closing questions
- Other than through residential, community-based, and in-home rehabilitation programs, are there any other ways that rehabilitation services are delivered to people who are blind or visually impaired in your country? (If so, please describe)
- What do you perceive are important barriers which prevent adults who are blind/visually impaired who would benefit from vocational rehabilitation programs from participating in these programs in your country? (Please describe)
- How have rehabilitation programs for adults who are blind or visually impaired changed in your country over the past 10 years? (Please describe)
- In the future, how do you think the types of rehabilitation programs for adults who are blind or visually impaired will change in your country, and why? (Please describe)
- Is there anything else you would like to add about rehabilitation services for adults who are blind/visually impaired in your country? (Please describe)
Once you have gathered all of the data for your country and completed the questions in this survey, please email your responses as an attachment to by March 31, 2015. Please send your responses as a Word (.doc / .docx) document; do not scan a written document or send a PDF. Thank you!