Introduction: The Arabic Employment Barrier Questionnaire (A-EBQ) is a self-report questionnaire that aims to identify potential work environment, job task obstacles, the overall level of restriction drawn by the obstacles, and subjects’ perceptions of the possibilities to make adaptations (PPMA) that might make work more accessible.
Objectives: This study aimed to establish the reliability and validity of the newly translated A-EBQ, designed to identify obstacles faced by people with disabilities (PWDs) in securing and maintaining employment.
Methods: A total of 90 participants aged 18–64 years (mean age = 34.5 + 12.4) were recruited, comprising 60 participants without hand injuries (HI) and 30 participants with HI. The EBQ was translated into Arabic utilizing a forward-backward translation method. Reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was evaluated by comparing responses between participants with and without HI, while concurrent validity was examined by correlating the A-EBQ with the Arabic Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (A-WORQ). Results: The A-EBQ exhibited a high Cronbach’s alpha, ranging from α=0.847 to α=0.950. The ICC also indicated strong reliability, ranging from 0.795 to 0.950. Construct validity analyses revealed significant differences between the two groups: participants with HI reported higher scores on physical barriers (t(88)= -3.35, p<0.001) and physical restrictions (t(88)= -3.44, p=<0.001). In contrast, participants without HI scored higher on environmental (t(88)= -2.26, p=0.05), communication (t(88)= -2.40, p=0.01), and cognitive barriers (t(88)= -2.30, p=0.02).
Conclusion: The findings confirm that the A-EBQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing employment barriers within Arabic-speaking populations. It demonstrates strong ecological