Expectations and Satisfaction of Employees with Visual Impairment and Blindness: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study aims to determine the expectations of the blind employees and their job satisfaction. Herzberg’s two factor theory of motivation has been used as foundation for exploring the expectations of employees. This research adopted a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews as the main data collection tool. Visually disabled employees consisting of totally blind and severely blind persons engaged in formal sector in Sri Lanka represented the study population. A sample of fifteen blind employees representing two major employment categories selected through snowball sampling method were interviewed. Content analysis was the main mode of analysis used to examine major themes. The study observed that in comparison to past literature, there is no substantial difference in employees’ key expectations between visually disable and sighted employees. Further, the visually disable employees indicated that key expectations were mostly unmet, except the work environment. The Policy makers and employers need to take into consideration the concerns of blind employees aimed at addressing the issues related to their job satisfaction systematically. The need for public sector to adopt appropriate measures for ensuring safe working environment is highlighted in this study.