This study was to analyze the perception of students with visual impairments, Iryo
teachers, masseurs about problems of massage occupation and its method of improvement.
The subjects of this study included 272 students with visual impairments, 111 Iryo
teachers in 12 schools for the blind nationwide and 367 masseurs. To identify differences
among groups and background variables, cross analysis and analysis of frequency per
questions were used.
The conclusions drawn from this research are as follows:
First, As for the problems of massage occupation, students with visual impairments
and Iryo teachers thought that massage occupation is a good job, and masseurs
thought that massage occupation is a average job. However, students don’t want to
be a masseur, because that massage occupation laid on depression, but Iryo teachers
and masseurs think that students want to go to university or want to work in other
occupations. As for the prevalence of illegal sighted massage shops, students had
high awareness of the deficiency of masseurs’ with visual impairments abilities, Iryo
teachers had high awareness of the deficiency of public relation and masseurs had
high awareness of the deficiency of new enterprise model. also, as for the causes of depression of masseurs’ with visual impairments massage shops, students had highest
perception about prevalence of the illegal sighted massage shops, Iryo teachers had
highest perception about deficiency of the copying method in illegal massage markets,
masseurs had highest perception about deficiency of the foundation of academy and
institutions.
Second, as for the new massage institutions, every group responded positively
about Health Keeper and Massage Voucher. And every group thinks that the incomes
of these institutions is most important. In addition, every group responded positively
about health-care school-based enterprise, students and Iryo teachers had high perception
about the successful possibility’s level is high, but masseurs had average perception
of that.
Third, as for the improvement method of massage occupation, concerning about massage
certification, students wanted to be received massage certification after finishing Iryo
curriculum in high school. But teachers and masseurs wanted to be separated two kinds
of massage certification through the national test or the three-years professional
department of Iryo course in the school for the blind. To continue the massage
occupation is only for the masseurs with visual impairments, students had high
awareness of the reinforce of Iryo education and the improvement of masseurs’
abilities. But teachers and masseurs had high awareness of the supplement of laws
and institutions. In addition, as for the improvement of massage institutions, students
had high perception of foundation of the professional research center, and Iryo
teachers had high perception of introducing various foreign massage curriculum in the
school for the blind. and also, masseurs had high perception about regulation of illegal
massage shops and permission of using acupuncture level3.