Bhavisha Virendrakumar, Cathy Stephen, Emma Jolley
et al.
Background: To reduce stigma, there is a need to understand where stigma exists, how it affects different populations, and what interventions have proven effective in reducing stigma.
Objectives: To synthesise evidence on intervention effectiveness in reducing disability-related stigma in sub-Saharan Africa.
Method: We conducted a comprehensive search of nine databases, supplemented by grey literature, references and expert consultations. Two authors screened, extracted and appraised studies. Interventions were categorised according to the Behaviour Change Wheel framework, and synthesised narratively from those with a low and medium risk of bias.
Results: Out of 15 studies, eight studies (four each with low and medium risk of bias) reported positive effects, seven found education and training effective, either alone or with other interventions. One study observed positive effects from combining education with communication, enablement and persuasion. Of the five studies with mixed effects (medium risk of bias), four employed education and training alongside other interventions, and one combined education with modelling, persuasion, enablement and communication. Two studies (low risk of bias) reported null effects when combining education, training and service provision with other interventions.
Conclusion: High-quality research on the impact of stigma interventions in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. Challenges include defining stigma, proving intervention effectiveness, and the varied target groups, settings, intervention types and metrics used to measure stigma change.
Contribution: This study highlights the need for and provides the rationale for increased methodological rigour and theoretical grounding in the evaluation of stigma-reduction interventions, and full and transparent reporting of all results.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Communities. Classes. Races
In recent years, Japan has made significant progress in transitioning people with disabilities to competitive employment. This is because of employment quota systems and the increasing importance of special education schools in supporting the transition of persons with disabilities into society. This study demonstrated the importance of special education teachers’ skills in fostering occupational readiness. An online survey was conducted with 129 teachers from 10 special education schools in rural Japan to assess the importance of the 25 occupational readiness skills. The results showed that the teachers recognized the importance of occupational readiness skills during and after graduation. However, a significant difference was observed in the average importance scores of these skills. The teachers acknowledged the importance of adaptability to specific jobs as a crucial aspect of after-graduate support. These results highlight the difference between the emphasis on vocational education in special needs education in Japan and that perceived by vocational rehabilitation practitioners. Moreover, the survey revealed a strong recognition of the need for support in daily life and health management beyond graduation. This study highlights the importance of teaching specific skills in special education schools in Japan after graduation. Improving the educational content and strengthening collaboration with vocational rehabilitation institutions is necessary to enhance transition support.
Atef F. Hashem, Salem A. Alyami, Mohamed A. Abd Elgawad
et al.
In this article, the 2022 and 2023 Saudi disability report are used to assess the healthcare, education, and employment of people with disability in Saudi Arabia. Risk measures such as value at risk, tail value at risk, mean of order P, peaks over a random threshold mean of order P, and peaks over a random threshold value at risk can offer valuable insights into the social and economic risks faced by this demographic. These models enable policymakers to quantify the potential economic consequences of excluding a significant portion of the population from the workforce while identifying the severity and uncertainty of risks to national economic objectives, particularly within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Kamran Ahmad Awan, Ikram Ud Din, Asma Al-Huqail
et al.
In the evolving domain of disability-focused healthcare, the integration of secure digital twin technology and connected health systems emerges as a pivotal innovation. The “SecuTwin for All” framework represents a novel approach designed to transcend traditional healthcare monitoring barriers, ensuring comprehensive, real-time, and personalized health data management for individuals with disabilities. This enhanced framework is predicated on the seamless amalgamation of wearable computing devices, mobile health (mHealth) applications, and digital twin technology. At its core, SecuTwin for All incorporates dynamic digital representations of patients to facilitate tailored health insights, thereby promoting an inclusive health monitoring ecosystem that is accessible, secure, and efficient. Central to the SecuTwin for All framework is its commitment to data integrity and privacy. Employing state-of-the-art encryption methodologies alongside stringent data privacy protocols, the framework guarantees the safeguarding of sensitive health information. The design ethos of the wearable devices underscores an intuitive user experience, characterized by user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration with mobile applications. These devices are instrumental in capturing and transmitting vital health data in real time, thus enabling continuous monitoring and immediate intervention when necessary. The mHealth application, a critical conduit within the framework, supports robust data processing and incorporates advanced user authentication mechanisms. This ensures both enhanced usability and security, addressing key concerns in digital health platforms. The effectiveness of the SecuTwin for All framework was rigorously evaluated within a simulated healthcare environment tailored to replicate complex real-world scenarios. This simulation was meticulously designed to assess the framework’s proficiency in managing diverse health data types and user interactions, specifically focusing on the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. Simulation results were compelling, demonstrating the framework’s exceptional performance across multiple metrics: a 98% success rate in user experience satisfaction, a 97% compliance rate with data privacy standards, and a 99% effectiveness in thwarting cybersecurity threats.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Background: Caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP) are critical in the survival and well-being of their children. Despite the caregivers’ particularly demanding responsibilities, literature on their experiences is limited.
Objectives: This study explored the caregivers’ experiences of providing care to children with CP.
Method: An explorative qualitative study design using semi-structured interviews was employed. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed guided by Colaizzi’s seven-step methodology.
Results: Two themes emerged: the challenges in caregiving and positive experiences of providing care. Caregivers faced financial, psychological, social and physical challenges such as stigmatisation, a lack of work accommodations, time constraints due to demands of providing care, strained family relations, isolation, exclusion, emotional and physical exhaustion in their caregiving role. Despite the challenges, they also had fulfilling, positive experiences. Caregivers became more resilient, some relationships were strengthened and awareness of the CP condition increased over time.
Conclusion: Caring for a child with CP is challenging. Cerebral palsy is a permanent disability; therefore, a holistic, long-term perspective to supporting caregivers is necessary to ensure they can care for their children adequately.
Contribution: There is a need for various support structures for caregivers to lessen the burden of care. It is necessary to establish the relationships between the support structures available and the way that these structures are viewed and consequently utilised by the caregivers. This study highlights the experiences and needs of caregivers to inform stakeholders on intervention strategies.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Communities. Classes. Races
People with disabilities experience significant health inequalities and inequities compared to people without disabilities. However, there is little evidence on the frequency of health conditions and their association with disability in the prison context. The aim of this study was to compare the proportions and associations between various health conditions and different disability indicators. A secondary analysis of existing data from the Ecuador Prison Census 2022 was conducted. The variable of interest was based on three disability indicators from the six-item Washington Group Short Set on Functioning. A cross-tabulation was carried out to estimate the proportion of prisoners with different disability indicators by gender. These proportions were also calculated for different health conditions. Moreover, we analyzed the association between each of the three disability indicators and the different health conditions using multivariable logistic regression. A total of 30,612 incarcerated persons were included in the analysis, revealing that 8% had disabilities. According to gender, a higher proportion of women had disabilities (10.7% vs. 8.5%), some difficulty functioning (33.8% vs. 28.0%), and multiple disabilities (2.4% vs. 2.0%) compared to men. Furthermore, people with disabilities had a higher proportion of health conditions compared to those without a disability. Strong and very strong evidence of associations were found between different disability indicators and several health conditions, while a lower odds of drug use was observed in people with disabilities and multiple disabilities compared to their counterparts, and no evidence of association was found with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Our results reflect the health inequalities and inequities experienced by prisoners with disabilities. This highlights the need to implement targeted policies within prisons and to include prisoners with disabilities in the country’s agenda.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Mojtaba Azimian, Morteza Farazi, Reza Nilipour
et al.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate neuropsychological rehabilitation’s effectiveness on stroke patients’ cognitive status.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study examined 22 adults with ischemic stroke of the left hemisphere (with an average age of 64.31 years) before and after the intervention. The patients had fluent aphasia (10 people) and non-fluent aphasia (12 people), along with cognitive disorders such as memory or attention disorder. Medical examination and para-clinical diagnosis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with different causes, along with the Persian diagnostic aphasia battery bedside version (P-DAB-AQ1, 2016), were conducted. The severity of language disorder and type of aphasia were investigated using the Persian diagnostic aphasia battery (P-DAB-1) and Persian picture naming battery tests. Also, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) test checked the cognitive dimensions. Verb network strengthening therapy, treatment of underlying forms, Persian verb, and sentence production protocol, and semantic feature analysis (SFA) for patients were also used.
Results: Findings show that the participants’ average aphasia quotient (AQ1) score increased from 74.80 to 80.12, and the average MMSE score increased from 17 to 22.59. The main variables do not follow a normal distribution (P<0.05), but the difference between scores before and after the intervention follows a normal distribution (P<0.05). Both the AQ1 and MMSE variables significantly differ before and after the intervention, according to the Wilcoxon test. The non-fluent aphasia group has a higher increase in MMSE scores than the fluent aphasia group.
Discussion: Neuropsychological rehabilitation interventions can effectively improve AQ1 and MMSE. In addition, further research on neuropsychological rehabilitation interventions with two intervention and control groups and the treatment methods used during this study can be suggested for the treatment of stroke patients.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Background Vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs aim to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, and inclusion. While self-employment is recognized as a viable pathway to achieve these goals, it remains underutilized. One way to increase the use of self-employment is to train professionals and measure specific proficiencies related to substantive service delivery. Objective This study addresses the lack of research on vocational rehabilitation counselor (VRC) practices in self-employment implementation and is the first step to validating a VRC Self-Employment Proficiency Scale. Method The study used a qualitative, descriptive research design with participants engaged in self-employment-related activities. Participants rated proficiency scale items through a survey, interviews, and a focus group. Results Results highlight consensus and variations in perceptions across competency domains. Notably, there was a lack of consensus on some descriptors, leading to suggestions for revisions to the final scale. The findings underscore the complexity of operationalizing self-employment and the self-employment process to improve vocational outcomes. Conclusion This study provides information about competencies for VRCs who provide self-employment services. The results can be used to inform the development of comprehensive training programs and policies, advancing the broader goals of the Rehabilitation Act.
Rafia Sultana, Zohaib Shahid, Faryal Safdar
et al.
Objectives: To determine the association between cervical radiculopathy and quality of life (QoL) in patients with cervical spondylosis.
Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 273 patients in five hospitals in Lahore within 3 months from April to June 2021. The Spurling test was used to measure cervical radiculopathy. The participants were selected according to the inclusion criteria. The Spurling test was used to measure cervical radiculopathy and its symptoms. The World Health Organization quality of life scale (WHOQoL) was used to evaluate the QoL of patients suffering from cervical spondylosis.
Results: Of 273 patients, 42.9% were male and 57.1% female. Their Mean±SD age was 42±11.9 years. Also, 70.3% had positive Spurling test, and 29.7% had negative results. Their Mean±SD physical health score was 11.70±1.74 (out of a total of 20), and their Mean±SD psychological health score was 11.75±1.78 (out of a total of 20). The Mean±SD social relationships score was 11.19±2.98 (out of a total of 20), and their Mean±SD environment health score was 11.13±3.08 out of a total of 20. P indicates a significant difference in the QoL between patients with positive and negative Spurling tests. Patients with negative Spurling tests had higher QoL scores. Greater scores denote a higher QoL
Discussion: There is a significant association between cervical radiculopathy and QoL in patients with cervical spondylosis. These results will help us in the future to design educational programs or modify the lifestyle of those patients with cervical radiculopathy. This research concluded that there is a significant difference in the QoL among patients with positive and negative Spurling tests. Patients with negative Spurling tests have higher QoL scores. Hence there is a significant association between diagnosed cervical radiculopathy and QoL.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
BACKGROUND: Vocational rehabilitation (VR) aims to help people with disabilities to return to the labour market. Though, there is not much evidence on its effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: We explore the effect of vocational training programmes in VR and the VR status itself on employment outcomes. METHODS: Using two samples from administrative data by the German Federal Employment Agency, we applied propensity score matching. We followed rehabilitants commencing VR in 2009/2010 (N = 7,905) for four years (comparison I) and general training participants with and without VR status completing training in 2012/2013 (N = 21,020) for one year (comparison II). For harmonisation purposes, we only considered individuals aged between 25 and 40 and excluded those in employment at the beginning of VR or training. RESULTS: Concerning the effect of training in VR (comparison I), we observe a lock-in effect during training (p < 0.001) due to an involvement in VR; after training, participants are more likely to obtain unsubsidised employment (0.05, p < 0.05) than non-participants, but there is no statistically significant income difference after four years. Regarding the effect of the VR status (comparison II), rehabilitants are more likely to take up (un-)subsidised employment (0.04, p < 0.01; 0.02, p < 0.001) after training, exhibit longer employment durations (19 days, p < 0.001) and achieve higher average incomes (2,414 euro/year, p < 0.001) compared to non-rehabilitants. CONCLUSIONS: Training participation helps to improve employment participation of rehabilitants. However, a longer observation period is recommended. Furthermore, the VR status itself leads to more sustainable and better-paid employment. This is due to more comprehensive support and longer-term subsidised employment opportunities.
Perceived empathic and social self-efficacy are required to strengthen interpersonal relationships and receive social support, which are crucial for community participation, employment, and job retention of people with disabilities. This study investigated the factor structure and related psychometric properties of an instrument used to measure these two constructs among people with disabilities. Results confirmed the two-factor measurement structure, the Perceived Empathic Self-Efficacy and the Perceived Social Self-Efficacy factors. This scale can be used by rehabilitation professionals to assess vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers’ perceived levels of empathic and social self-efficacy. It can also be used by researchers as an outcome measure to evaluate the effectiveness of social skills training interventions for VR consumers.
Abstract This article analyses the notion of disability in Polish and EU labor law. In the first part of the study, the author characterizes the evolution of this notion based on the interpretation made by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The second part presents the process of development of the definition of disability in Polish law: from disability to the concept contained in the Act on Social and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, and the vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled people.
Aishwarya Gatty, Gopala Krishna Alaparthi, Madhav M Kamath
et al.
Objectives: Postoperative physiotherapy is routinely prescribed for patients after thoracic surgeries. There are no established guidelines for exercise prescription after pleural resection surgeries. The present study aimed to determine the effect of an individualized postoperative physiotherapy program on a patient who underwent pleurectomy.
Methods: A 19-year-old female patient was admitted to Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore in February 2019. She was diagnosed with right spontaneous pneumothorax; then, she underwent bullae repair and pleurectomy and was given a 7-day individualized postoperative physiotherapy. The severity of dyspnoea, chest expansion, and right shoulder range of motion was recorded on postoperative day 2 and the day of discharge; the six-minute walk distance was measured on postoperative day 4 and the day of discharge.
Results: Significant improvements in all the outcomes were found after the individualized post-operative physiotherapy program in the reported patient.
Discussion: The provided individualized 7-day physiotherapy program improved the chest expansion, shoulder range of motion, rating of perceived exertion scores, and functional capacity in the reported patient who underwent bullae repair and pleurectomy.
Medicine, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
This paper examines a broad set of short- and long-term impacts of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for disability benefit recipients with severe mental disabilities. IPS is a specific intervention that first aims to place an individual in employment and subsequently trains the worker on the job. We compare the outcomes for IPS-recipients to a control group that received traditional vocational rehabilitation (TVR) services. We use administrative data to apply difference-in-difference estimation on a matched sample of 513 IPS recipients and almost 23,000 TVR-recipients in the Netherlands. Our results show that from six months after the start of the treatment onwards employment probabilities of IPS participants significantly outperform those of TVR participants. The higher probability to be in competitive employment does not come at the expense of fewer work in sheltered employment or trial periods. Nor do they come at the expense of shorter working hours or lower wages. The share of people on disability benefits declines equally in both group for quite some time after the start of the intervention but there is some indication that the benefit dependency in the long run declines faster for IPS recipients. Effects regarding medical costs are not statistically significant.
BACKGROUND: An exploratory baseline study was conducted to ascertain the state of play in the field of spinal cord injury, vocational rehabilitation and employment in Queensland, Australia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish the rate of return to work and better understanding of vocational expectations and the vocational rehabilitation culture in the Queensland Spinal Injuries Unit, prior to the introduction of an early vocational rehabilitation intervention for people with spinal cord injury. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was utilised, involving administration of either an online survey tool or paper questionnaire to people who had sustained a spinal cord injury within the preceding three years. Statistical analysis of the quantitative data and thematic analysis of the qualitative free-text data was undertaken with the 34 eligible responses. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate a dramatic change in the rate of employment following spinal cord injury, and a lack of vocationally focused support whilst participants were undergoing in-patient rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates a return to work rate of approximately 35%, and provides support for an individualised vocational rehabilitation intervention, fully integrated into the multidisciplinary spinal injuries unit rehabilitation program.
DOI: 10.35940/ijrte.xxxxx.xxxxxx Abstract: After an accident or illness, returning to work can be difficult or even impossible. Although Occupational health and safety (OHS) is an important and central element of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and is included in all international CSR frameworks and standards as well as in most CSR strategies of companies, in the event that an employee becomes ill or has an accident and then needs support in returning to work or vocational rehabilitation, it is rarely a part of CSR strategies. Vocational rehabilitation as an element of CSR has also received little attention in the literature so far. The aim of this study is therefore to examine whether and to what extent vocational rehabilitation and also the employment of people with disabilities are taken into account in the popular CSR frameworks and standards. The research is based on a comprehensive search of published peer-reviewed literature. For the in-depth analysis, the most popular CSR frameworks, guidelines, firms' rating indices, management systems and certification schemes were selected and evaluated, using deductive content analysis. The results of the analysis show that although OHS is a central topic in all international CSR frameworks and standards, vocational rehabilitation and the employment of people with disabilities, or rather disability in general, are not taken into account. The conclusion suggests that the promotion of vocational rehabilitation and the employment of people with disabilities can be substantially promoted by implementation and consideration in CSR frameworks and standards. Irrespective of this, the implementation of vocational rehabilitation and the employment of people with disabilities as part of the CSR strategy and its implementation in business practice should be further investigated.
This study identifies the relationship between EI and prosocial behavior of students toward their peers with disabilities. Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) and Prosocialness Scale for Adults [PSA] were administered to 327 university students. Cluster analyses allowed identifying four different EI profiles. Also, the Groups with high general EI and high scores in emotional regulation obtained higher scores in prosocial behavior domains than the other groups. Results suggest the need of going in depth on EI knowledge and the relationship with prosocial behavior to design programs that foster prosocial behaviors toward students with disabilities.
Psychology, Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities
Temitope O. Adekunle, Gift Mheta, Maleshoane Rapeane-Mathonsi
Background: This study focuses on the positioning of gender, sexual orientation and people with disabilities in the linguistic landscapes of two selected South African universities, which are located in the Western Cape province.
Objectives: This study aims to answer the question: How are power relations depicted through linguistic landscaping in the universities?
Methods: Given that there is minimal empirical data in this field, the researcher approached this question by exploring the way in which sexual orientation and people with disabilities are perceived, via the modal resources used in the categorisation of toilet users at the institutions. Specifically, toilet signage was observed as there were only a few other signage or forms of support (such as ramps and lifts – some of which may seem disability-unfriendly in terms of space) and acknowledgement in other places at the institutions for people with disabilities. Data (signs, images, texts, billboards and posters) were collected by means of photography. The interpretive paradigm was used to determine the choice of methodology: critical discourse analysis and multimodality. These were also used to thematically analyse the collected data.
Results: Findings revealed that sexuality, as well as subtle inequality, unfortunately remain unravelled areas in South Africa’s higher institutions of learning. In addition, the degenderisation of people with disabilities appears to be prevalent at the institutions, although this may not necessarily be reflective of practices at all higher education institutions in South Africa.
Conclusion: Nonetheless, the examined results are stimulating indicators of hegemonic and preferred practices in public places. They also depict the obtainable dissimilar scales and imbalances in society, which are not addressed may impede other authentic and ongoing measures of social integration and advancement.
Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities, Communities. Classes. Races