The purpose of this study is to examine the degree of social integration of elderly visually impaired people and find factors affecting social integration. The data were obtained through telephone interview with visually impaired people 55 years of age or older. The final sample was consisted of 447 respondents. The data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as frequency and multiple regression.
In this study, the factors affecting social integration was divided into four dimensions : the attribution to disability, physical functioning, psychology and social characteristics.
The major findings of this study were as follows:
First, the factors affecting social integration of elderly visually impaired people were age, education, ADL, informational support, and participation of education rehabilitation program.
Second, the person losing eyesight since young adulthood tend to have more limitation of daily activities than elderly people losing eyesight before young adulthood. The factors affecting social integration of the former are sex, education, ADL, informational support, participation of education rehabilitation program but those affecting social integration of latter are education and ADL.
Finally, the factors affecting social integration of severe group are sex education, ADL, emotional supported participation of education rehabilitation program. But the factors affecting social integration of mild group are education, ADL, participation of education rehabilitation program.
The current findings suggest that intervention and policy aimed at improving social support system and formal services such as education, social rehabilitation services should be considered by rehabilitation professionals and policy makers.
Key Words: social integration, social integration, elderly visually impaired, informal resource, social support, rehabilitation.