A Fact-finding Survey of Visually Impaired Persons with Difficulty in Passing the National Licensing Examination of Massage Therapist

目的：在完成三种不同类型的盲人学校培训课程的视障人士中，厘清没有从事治疗工作（按摩、针灸及艾灸）的视障人士人数，并追查他们失业的原因；为今后改善盲校治疗工作的职业教育提供基础资料。方法：向日本60所盲人学校邮寄问卷，查询1998 - 2002年5年间在这些学校完成培训的VIP人数等；这是2003年2月进行的。有效率为85%。结果与分析：五年间毕业于高中按摩培训课程（a类）的总人数为451人，毕业于高中按摩培训课程（b类）的总人数为350人，毕业于按摩针灸治疗培训课程（c类）的总人数为1367人。截至统计调查日期，在毕业生中，没有在按摩、针灸领域就业的人数分别为C类170人（12%）、B类121人（35%）及A类172人（40%），显示A类及B类毕业生的失业率很高。因为没有任何按摩治疗牌照的百分比分别为C类18.5%、B类33%及A类60%。可以认为，低获得许可证的比率是低就业率的主要因素。此外，对于b类和A类，由于社交技能差，大量毕业生（b类19%，A类15%，c类5%）经历了对工作环境的不适应；以上提到的60%的人没有任何工作经验，即使他们有执照，仍然在家里等待被雇用。少

Purpose : To clarify the number of visually impaired persons (VIP) who have not been engaged in therapeutic works (massage, acupuncture and moxibustion) and to pursue the reasons for their unemployment, amongst those who graduated from three different types of training courses at schools for the blind ; which would provide the basic data for the future improvement of vocational education of those therapeutic works at schools for the blind.Method : To mail questionnaires to 60 schools for the blind in Japan and inquire the numbers etc. of VIP who finished training courses at those schools for the blind during 5 years (1998 to 2002); which was conducted in February of 2003. Rate of response was 85%.Result and Analysis : The total numbers of graduates in the five years period were 451 from massage training course at high school level (category A.), 350 from massage training course after high school level (category B.) and 1,367 from massage, acupuncture and moxibustion therapeutic trainin … More g course after high school level (category C.). Out of the graduates, those who were not employed in the area of massage, acupuncture and moxibustion were 170 (12%) for category C., 121 (35%) for category B., and 172 (40%) for category A. as of the date of survey, indicating the high unemployment rate amongst graduates of category A. and category B. Since the percentages of those who didn't have any license for massage therapy were 18.5% for category C., 33% for category B. and 60% for category A., it can be assumed that the low rate of acquisition of license was the major factor for the low rate of employment. In addition, for the category B. and category A., a remarkably large number of graduates (19% for category B. and 15% for category A. compared to 5% for category C.) experienced maladjustment to the working environment because of the poor social skills ; and a 60% of the above mentioned categories didn't have any working experience even if they were licensed and were still waiting at home to be employed. Less