Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an interactive educational video of a rehabilitation professional who is blind positively affected attitudes towards, knowledge about, and intent to hire people who are blind or have low vision (B/LV). The interactive video provides the viewer with the opportunity to ask questions related to employing people who are B/LV as well as personal questions about blindness.
Project Outputs
McDonnall, M. C., Antonelli, K., & Marett, E. G. (2026). Providing exposure and education about blindness and low vision: An in-person meeting versus an interactive video. Journal of Rehabilitation, 92(1), 38-47.
McDonnall, M. C., Antonelli, K., Schultz, E. & Marett, E. G. (2026). Generational differences in attitudes and knowledge about workers who are blind or have low vision. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 120(3), 296-302.
McDonnall, M. C., Antonelli, K., & Marett, E. G. (2026). Improving knowledge and attitudes via an interactive video: A randomized controlled trial. Rehabilitation Psychology, 71(2), 295-306.
Research Questions/Hypotheses
- Viewing an interactive video of a rehabilitation professional who is blind will result in improvements in attitudes towards, knowledge about, and intent to hire people who are B/LV.
- Are changes in attitudes towards, knowledge about, and intent to hire people who are B/LV retained over time?
- Does the opportunity to ask personal questions about blindness result in greater improvements in attitudes towards and intent to hire people who are B/LV?
- Are the effect sizes of observed improvements in outcomes when utilizing an interactive educational video similar to effect sizes for improvements after one-on-one meetings?
- What questions are hiring managers most interested in asking related to employing people who are B/LV and related to blindness?
Study Summary
Long considered one of the major barriers to employment for people with B/LV, negative employer attitudes continue to be identified as a significant barrier to employment today. In a study from our 2015-2020 RRTC grant, we determined that brief, one-on-one meetings between a vocational rehabilitation professional and a hiring manager resulted in significant positive increases in attitudes towards, knowledge about, and intent to hire people who are B/LV. We wanted to determine if a less labor-intensive method to share information with employers can also be effective.
We created an interactive video featuring a blind rehabilitation professional who provides information on employing people who are B/LV. The video includes introductory information, then presents a menu of questions that the viewer can select to see the answers. Questions cover topics related to employing a person with B/LV, blindness in general, and the professional’s personal experience with blindness. We then conducted two separate efficacy studies with (a) at least 120 managers-in-training and (b) 62 hiring managers to determine whether positive changes in attitudes towards, knowledge about, and intent to hire people who are B/LV occur after viewing the video.
Expected Outcomes and Benefits
This study allowed us to determine whether a less labor-intensive method to share information with employers resulted in positive changes in attitudes toward, knowledge about, and intent to hire people who are B/LV, as one-on-one meetings with employers did. This interactive video is now available on the NRTC website to any employer interested in viewing it, as well as to vocational rehabilitation professionals who can use it with their business contacts.