Unexplored strains and job satisfaction for individuals with visual and auditory impairments: an Italian study

Background: The evidence on job conditions for disabled individuals in the workplace hampers understanding of their needs and the implementation of effective interventions to support their adjustment and integration. The current study contributed to this aim by examining previously unexplored aspects of the adjustment of people with sensory disabilities (PwSD) in bank work settings in Italy. In particular, it investigated for the first time three specific job strains: technostress (TS), cognitive overload (COL), and aging (AG) in PwSD as compared with typical development (PwTD), along with job satisfaction and accessibility. Methods: A multidimensional web survey was administered across the Italian national territory to a sample of PwSD (n = 202) and a sample of PwTD (n = 2283). Descriptive statistics were used to highlight perceived satisfaction with accessibility and accommodations in the workplace. A series of linear regression models aimed to measure the association between participants’ age and final scores of the TS, COL, and AG questionnaires. A series of non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U-tests) were performed to compare the final COL, TS, and AG scores of PwSD and PwTD. Results: At a descriptive level, results highlighted that PwSD’s job satisfaction was fairly positive. However, various concerns were brought to light, revealing notable differences between the hearing-impaired and visually impaired cohorts. Moreover, while PwSD displayed reduced scores in the TS questionnaire compared to PwTD, the opposite occurred for the AG questionnaire. Increasing age was related to TS and AG in the PwTD, but only to AG in PwSD. Conclusions: Our study investigated for the first time specific job strains in PwSD, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of adjustment to work in a bank worker population. Older adults tend to show higher levels of technostress and a reduced sense of self-efficacy, and these subjective experiences bring together PwTD and PwSD. Moreover, inclusivity and job satisfaction for PwSD, although moderately satisfying, still show several criticisms. Our data can stimulate future research aimed at deepening the work adjustment in PwSD.