柳川リハビリテーション病院におけるロービジョンケア．第12報．眼科医療から就労支援団体・機関への連携

Low vision care in Yanagawa Rehabilitation Hospital. Part 12. Cooperation with association and agency for the visual handicaps

要約　背景：視覚障害者の就労環境はきわめて厳しい。目的：雇用継続のために就労を支援する団体や機関との連携についての現状の報告。対象と方法：過去7年間に当院でロービジョンケアを行い，就労または雇用で問題が生じた141例を対象とした。男性104例，女性37例で，年齢は18～64歳である。原因疾患では網膜色素変性が71例で最も多かった。これら141例の連携先，ロービジョンケア前後の就労や雇用状態を検討した。結果：63例（45％）が患者団体を含む就労支援団体または機関，26例（18％）が患者団体のみと連携した。これら89例のうち，障害の受容に至っていない42例（47％）は「中途視覚障害者の復職を考える会」と連携し，28例（66％）が仕事を継続できた。連携しなかった例では在職者が減り，無職者が増えた。結論：眼科医療側の対応のみで視覚障害者の雇用の継続は困難であり，就労を支援する団体または機関と積極的に連携することが望まれる。

Abstract.　Background：It is very difficult for visually handicapped persons to remain in their jobs in present-day Japan. Purpose：To report 141 cases who received low vision care by us and who had problems related to employment during the past 7 years. The series comprised 104 males and 37 females. The age ranged from 18 to 64 years. Particular attention was paid to the support by organizations, agencies and patients' society. Results：Sixty-three visually handicapped persons（45％）received cooperation with organizations for the visually handicapped as well as with patients' association. Twenty-six cases（18％）received cooperation from the patients' association only. Out of these 89 cases, 42（47％）had not yet accepted the disabilities and contacted with“Association for Return-to-Work of the Blind and Vision-Impaired”. Twenty-eight cases（66％）remained in their prior job. Those who did not contact with the Association tended to lose their jobs. Conclusion：It is difficult for visually handicapped persons to stay in their former jobs when supported by doctors and medical institutions only. A close cooperation is desired with organizations that support or promote employment of the visually handicapped.