Towards Better Working Conditions for Visually Impaired: A Pilot Study on Occupational Risk Assessment for Visually Impaired Massage Workers in China

According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) statistics report in 2016, the Chinese visually impaired population is around 17.31 million, in which 23.5% are under age 30. The vast majority of visually impaired in China are engaged in massage job occupation. The working hours of them are usually long hours per day, and all the work is done by using both hands continuously. The visually impaired massage workers are regularly exposed to risks of occupational injuries and work-related hands' musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). With the aim of assessing the occupational risks of visually impaired massage workers, this study was conducted in one city region of China. The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was used. This paper provides recommendations according to ergonomics for mitigating the risks identified and better working conditions for visually impaired by fully considering the working environment in China.