Women and disabled persons are both stigmatized by today's culture. In the general population, 58 percent of females are in the labor force; among blind or visually impaired persons, only 29 percent of females are employed or looking for work. One factor in this situation is the disincentive to work built into the disability benefit programs, although women are apt to receive a lower level of benefits than men. Other factors are employer attitudes toward blindness, and sex-role stereotyping. Major strategies for overcoming barriers include timely and accurate vocational preparation, assertiveness training, and support networks.
