Hasil untuk "Vocational rehabilitation. Employment of people with disabilities"

Iván Vázquez-Villar, Rosa Espada-Chavarria, Ricardo Moreno-Rodriguez

This study explores the educational trajectories of elderly deaf people in Spain who were educated between 1960 and 1980. The research was based on biographical-narrative methodology as a qualitative research technique. The data analysis was structural, using code identification and a system of categories and dimensions. Based on the stories and testimonies of 18 deaf people over the age of 65 living in Galicia, the stereotypes, prejudices and academic barriers in their school experience are analysed. The testimonies reveal an exclusionary education system, marked by a lack of accessibility, an absence of sign language interpreters, and the imposition of oralism as the only means of teaching. These conditions negatively affected the participants’ personal development, self-esteem, and employment opportunities. Discriminatory attitudes on the part of teachers and the school community were also identified. However, some highlighted key support and the informal use of sign language as positive elements. The study emphasises that, although there have been improvements in the education of deaf people, further progress is needed in the development of inclusive education policies that recognise sign language and promote accessibility and equity in the education of deaf people.

Xinru Tang, Jingjin Li, Shaomei Wu

Despite efforts to increase the representation of disabled people in AI datasets, accessibility datasets are often annotated by crowdworkers without disability-specific expertise, leading to inconsistent or inaccurate labels. This paper examines these annotation challenges through a case study of annotating speech data from people who stutter (PWS). Given the variability of stuttering and differing views on how it manifests, annotating and transcribing stuttered speech remains difficult, even for trained professionals. Through interviews and co-design workshops with PWS and domain experts, we identify challenges in stuttered speech annotation and develop practices that integrate the lived experiences of PWS into the annotation process. Our findings highlight the value of embodied knowledge in improving dataset quality, while revealing tensions between the complexity of disability experiences and the rigidity of static labels. We conclude with implications for disability-first and multiplicity-aware approaches to data interpretation across the AI pipeline.

Yana Rodgers, Lisa Schur, Flora Hammond et al.

Background: Many workers with disabilities face negative stereotypical attitudes, pay gaps, and a lack of respect in the workplace, contributing to substantially lower job satisfaction compared to people without disabilities. Work from home may help to increase job satisfaction for people with disabilities. Objective: This study analyzes how different measures of job satisfaction vary between people with and without disabilities, and the extent to which working from home moderates the relationship between disability and job satisfaction. Methods: We use multivariable regression analysis to examine if the ability to work from home moderates the relationship between disability and indicators related to job satisfaction. The dataset draws on a novel survey of healthcare professionals. Results: Results show that people with disabilities have relatively greater turnover intentions, lower sense of organizational commitment and support, weaker perceptions of openness and inclusion in the workplace, and worse relations with management and coworkers. Regressions indicate that working from home helps to improve most perceptions of work experiences but does so more for people without disabilities than for people with disabilities. Conclusions: The findings suggest that (a) some accommodations typically viewed as exceptions to meet the needs of people with disabilities have even greater benefits for the workforce at large and (b) because workers with and without disabilities benefit from remote work, we cannot expect those accommodations to close the gaps caused by inequities.

Yana Rodgers, Xiangmin Liu, Jingang Yi et al.

The share of construction trade jobs held by women and people with disabilities has remained stubbornly low in the face of chronic shortages of skilled labor. This study explores the potential of wearable assistive technologies to reduce these disparities. We use U.S. worker-level data to estimate employment and wage differences by gender and by mobility/strength impairments in construction and non-construction jobs. We also use occupational-level data to examine variations in workforce composition, physical skill requirements, and earnings across detailed construction occupations. Regression estimates indicate that being a woman and having strength and mobility impairments are associated with substantial employment and pay gaps in construction compared to non-construction jobs. Further analysis shows a high negative correlation between the representation of women and the ability levels required in those occupations. Finally, we discuss several wearable exoskeletons under development for people with upper-body and lower-body impairments, focusing on how these innovations could be integrated into construction jobs. These findings suggest that wearable exoskeletons that enhance manual dexterity, balance, and strength may improve the representation of women and people with disabilities in some of the higher-paying occupations in construction.

S. Peterson, Ghadah Alkhadim, M. Davis et al.

The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment is an evidenced-based practice that is highly effective at helping people with psychiatric disabilities to obtain gainful employment. Within the State Vocational Rehabilitation CVR) system, the On-the-Job Training (OJT) service supports the rapid placement, client choice, competitive work, disclosure, and follow- along support components of the IPS model. We reviewed the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) 911 data for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 to examine California’s utilization of RSA Title I funds to provide the OJT service and examined the employment outcomes for individuals with psychiatric disabilities who utilized this service. We found that OJT, although highly effective (71.4% successfully employed), was underutilized (N=14,384, n=105). Furthermore, in an analysis of individuals with serious psychiatric disabilities (as indicated by receipt of Social Security Administration [SSAJ disability benefits at application, coded as significantly or most significantly disabled, and coded with a primary psychiatric disability), 59.3% of the OJT clients were employed, compared to 15.4% of the non-OJT clients (x2 = 10.85, p < .01). We provide a number of recommendations to both enhance the use of OJT services and improve employment outcomes for this population.

Claire Flemmer, Alison McIntosh

Accessing the built environment poses many challenges for people with disabilities, severely affecting their independence and quality of life. A panel of experts with a lived experience of disabilities co-designed a survey capturing the challenges in New Zealand’s public places. There were 319 survey respondents with impairments related to mobility (66.5%), vision (18.8%), hearing (5.0%), sensory processing and cognition (8.8%). They perceived sports stadiums as the least accessible venue, followed by bars, boutique shops and public toilets. The most accessible venues were supermarkets, libraries and shopping malls. The type of disability affected the main accessibility challenges. Significant outdoor barriers included uneven and cluttered paths, inadequate provision of curb cuts, seating and accessible parking spaces, and obscure wayfinding. Entrance barriers included heavy doors, complex access control, remote ramps and narrow, obscure entrances. Interior problems included cluttered paths and poor signage. The top priorities for improvement were simplifying layouts, keeping paths clear, and providing clear, inclusive signage, communication and assistance for people with varying impairments. Providing lower counters, better colour contrast, hearing loop facilities and better control of lighting and acoustics also improve accessibility. This research contributes novel experiential data from people with disabilities that is critical to achieving an inclusive built environment.

Jerome P. Fredericks, Surona Visagie, Lana van Niekerk

Background: Accessible transport is a prerequisite for the sustainable developmental goals (SDGs). Without transport, SDGs dependent on community mobility such as health and well-being, education, work and economic growth cannot be achieved. Objectives: Presenting experience-based suggestions offered by stakeholders to facilitate accessible minibus taxi services for wheelchair users in the peri-urban setting. Method: The study setting was Paarl-East, Western Cape province of South Africa. A cooperative inquiry methodology was used. Adult wheelchair users (n = 9) and their caregivers (n = 8), minibus taxi drivers (n = 7) and stakeholders (n = 4) involved in disability matters in the setting participated. Data were collected in 16 group sessions. Inductive thematic analysis was performed. Results: Five themes emerged. Theme 1: The ideal communication platform; the need and purpose of databases of wheelchair users and minibus taxi drivers; the use of social media as a communication platform. Theme 2: Fair economical fares focus on service affordability and payment options. Theme 3: Facilitating ideal behaviour patterns discusses the development of mutual respect. Theme 4: Customised minibus taxis highlight the need for a fleet of minibus taxis with different specifications to address different wheelchair users’ needs. Theme 5: Minibus taxi service delivery considerations describes practical strategies such as home pickups and drop-offs. Conclusion: Current suggestions for solutions need further refinement. Accountability and funding are underexplored. Contribution: Presenting experience-based suggestions by stakeholders on facilitating accessible minibus taxi services for wheelchair users.

Jana York, Jan Jochmaring

This paper examines the German system of vocational rehabilitation and participation from a system- and innovation-theoretical perspective. The German system of vocational rehabilitation and participation, with its established special systems for participation in the labor market, is facing a - long overdue - reorientation. The article presents central instruments of the vocational rehabilitation system based on legal foundations, official labor market statistics, and current research findings. The authors compare the legal requirements for an inclusive work environment with the actual employment situation of people with disabilities and highlight a central dilemma of inclusion. Two modes of innovation and exnovation in the vocational rehabilitation system are proposed and critically discussed to resolve the dilemma.

RUKHSAR SARDAR, SHAKIR ULLAH, SYED ZAIN UL ABIDIN et al.

BACKGROUND: Balance issues, which are more prevalent in older persons than in younger people, are one of the obstacles that come with ageing. Falls are a major public health concern because they are a primary cause of death and functional disability in older people. Dual-task training (DTT) have been showed that have satisfying effects on older adults. OBJECTIVES: To find the effect of dual task training on balance limitations in geriatric population. METHODOLOGY: A total of 66 patients were selected based on the inclusion criteria of both male and female participants, age more than 65 years, past one year fall history and no neurological problem. 61 out of 66 completed the research, with 5 people dropping out of the study. Out of these 61 patients (28 were males and 33 were females with a mean age of 69 years±4.073). The Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores were checked pre and post exercise application for any improvement in all the 61 patients. Data of 61 participants after a period of 4 weeks was obtained. The data was analysed using SPSS version 22. Wilcoxon signed ranks test was applied to compare baseline TUGT and BBS with follow up score. RESULTS: The mean pre TUGT was 16.98 seconds and mean post TUGT was 15.77 seconds and the mean pre BBS was 41 and post BBS was 50 at 95% confidence interval. The results were clinically not significant because the effect size was very small to be noticed, but were statistically significant as was shown p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: After comparison of the results of this study with other research studies, it was concluded that though the results were statistically significant, they lacked clinical significance. KEYWORDS: Core Stability, Geriatrics, Postural balance, Treatment Effectiveness

Maxwell P. Opoku, Negmeldin Alsheikh, Daniel Miezah et al.

Background: Although trauma is one of the leading causes of behaviour problems among children with disabilities, there has been limited scholarly interest in trauma management within the discourse of implementation of inclusive education. Objectives: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) trauma management model was used to study teachers’ awareness of trauma management among students with disabilities studying in regular classrooms. Method: A total of 271 teachers were recruited from two municipalities in the central region of Ghana to complete the Teacher Trauma Management Scale developed for this study. The data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, mean scores, multivariate analysis of variances, and linear regression. Results: The results showed teachers’ uncertainty towards trauma management, and a positive correlation was also found between the tenets of the study framework. Conclusion: The study concluded with a recommendation for contextual development of the curriculum to guide teacher training in trauma management. Contribution: Studies on trauma management within the discourse of implementation of inclusive education are scarce. This study extends the literature on inclusive education to teacher development to support trauma management among students with disabilities in regular schools.

Maria Murtaza, Ghulam Saqulain, Rafaqat Ali Rao

Objectives: To determine the characteristics of tinnitus and its association with clinical and demographic variables including psychological health. Methodology: This cross-sectional study recruited N=80 tinnitus cases from ENT outpatients of District Head Quarter Hospital Chakwal from over a period of 6 months from 1st Jan 2019 to 31st June, 2019, using convenience sampling. Sample included both genders, aged 18-75 years with tinnitus for at least three months. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) & Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) were utilized for data collection & analysis done using SPSS-version 20. Anova statistics & Pearsons correlation was determined for THI and DASS-21. Chi-square was used to see any association with clinic-demographic variables. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Study revealed 30(37.5%) cases with mild, 20(25%) each with moderate and severe while least 4(5%) catastrophic tinnitus. Tinnitus severity was significant associated with gender (p=0.005), age (p=0.035), educational level (p=0.049), occupation (p=0.002), duration of tinnitus (p=0.038), site of tinnitus (P<0.001) and type of tinnitus sound (P=0.003). Duration of tinnitus was associated with anxiety (p=0.024), site of tinnitus was associated with THI (p=0.016), anxiety (p=0.021), stress (p<0.001) and depression (p=0.02) and total DASS-21 (p=0.005). A significant positive correlation was present between tinnitus handicap, Anxiety, stress, depression and DASS-21 total score (P<0.001). Conclusion: Mild tinnitus was most prevalent (37.5%) with Tinnitus severity having significant association with gender, age, educational level, occupation, duration of tinnitus, site of tinnitus, and type of tinnitus sound. Duration of tinnitus was also associated with anxiety while site of tinnitus has association with THI, anxiety, stress, depression and total DASS-21. Significant positive correlation is present between THI and Anxiety, stress, depression and DASS-21 total score.

Zahra Ahmadizadeh, Seyed Afshin Samaei, Hossein Alibakhshi et al.

Objectives: Occupational performance occurs in a dynamic interaction between the people, their occupations, and context. Stroke could affect the individual’s occupational performance, which is the basis of social life. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting stroke patients’ occupational performance. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 55 people with stroke participated. The patients completed the Canadian occupational performance measure (COPM), Barthel index, Brunnstrom stage, Montreal cognitive assessment, and a demographic questionnaire. Results: The results showed a significant correlation between occupational satisfaction and performance with cognition, the activities of daily living (ADL), and the severity of impairment in the upper and lower extremities (P <0.01). The results of linear regression show that cognition level could significantly predict occupational performance (R= 0.83, P <0.01) and satisfaction (R= 0.81, P <0.01) after stroke.  Discussion: Results show that the cognitive level could predict occupational performance in patients with stroke. Performing daily living activities and lower limb impairment could predict satisfaction with occupational performance. Therefore, it is recommended that therapists consider the cognition in stroke patients through a proper therapeutic plan to prevent participation restrictions.

Kathleen C. Sitter, Brooke Allemang, Amber P. E. Young et al.

Digital storytelling has been applied in research in varied contexts and with varied purposes. Implicit in the process of digital storytelling is the potential to develop and/or enhance a range of individual skills (e.g., multimedia, literacy, communication, etc.). However, further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the potential impact of digital storytelling on skill enhancement for disabled youth. This paper provides an overview of Phase 1 of the study “My life. My story: The Youth Digital Storytelling Project” that utilized elements of a community-based participatory action research approach to host a peer-facilitated digital storytelling workshop for young adults with developmental disabilities aimed at capturing and sharing their lived experiences with, knowledge of, and perspectives on significant life-stage transitions in the areas of education, employment, or living. The results from the pre- and post-workshop questionnaires suggest that the participants improved skills in media literacy, communication, and leadership. Additionally, the participants highlighted the importance of considering the delivery format, fostering connections, and enhancing self-confidence in the development of the workshop’s design and delivery. This research adds to the extant literature demonstrating the potential of digital storytelling as a pedagogical tool, offering implications for the design and implementation of online workshops for disabled youth.

Lauren Avellone

We are pleased to share with you an important written testimony submitted for Senator Bob Casey’s Hearing in the U.S. Senate on “All Means All: Empowering People with Disabilities in Careers and in the Workplace.” This testimony was provided by Dr. Lauren Avellone, Associate Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University –Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. This testimony took place on Thursday February 29, 2024. Her testimony focused on the positive impact of competitive integrated employment on people with high support needs working within the United States, the need to eliminate 14c certificates which enable subminimum wages to be paid to people with disabilities, and solutions for achieving greater employment outcomes for all people with disabilities who would like to obtain employment. Statement from Dr. Paul Wehman, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation

Sintip Pattanakuhar, P. Kammuang-lue, Donruedee Srisuppaphon et al.

BACKGROUND: Remunerative employment (RE) is one of the optimal rehabilitation goals for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, there has been no study systematically determine the RE status and its related factors in Thais with chronic SCI. OBJECTIVE: To cross-sectionally determine RE statuses and their influencing factors in Thais with chronic SCI. METHODS: Data from a Thai arm of the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey (InSCI) were analyzed. The prevalence of RE and related work status were described. RESULTS: Of 223 individuals with chronic SCI whose age was less than 60 years included in this study, 79 (35%) were remunerative employed. Most of them (41, 54%) were self-employed. The most common reason for unemployment was related to health conditions or disabilities. Education year, attending vocational rehabilitation service, and admission≥2 times per year were independent influencing factors of RE with an odds ratio of 1.090, 2.534, and 0.418, respectively. CONCLUSION: Since education and vocational rehabilitation were the modifiable positive influencing factor of employment, educational and vocational rehabilitation programs should be formally established and universally applied together with medical rehabilitation to increase the prevalence of RE in people with SCI in Thailand.

Reem Alrusaies, Norah Albarrak, Shooq A. Alhussaini et al.

A qualitative research design was used to explore the experience of an institution for the rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities in Riyadh. In addition to identifying the challenges the institution faces in achieving its goals. Data was collected through interviews and observations, with a sample of five vocational rehabilitation trainers, five parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities, and four individuals with intellectual disabilities. The results showed that the Vocational Rehabilitation Foundation used evidence-based practices to provide vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. However, the study identified some challenges facing the rehabilitation process. The study recommended several suggestions to improve the vocational qualification of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Mahika Phutane, Ananya Seelam, Aditya Vashistha

People with disabilities (PwD) regularly encounter ableist hate and microaggressions online. These spaces are generally moderated by machine learning models, but little is known about how effectively AI models identify ableist speech and how well their judgments align with PwD. To investigate this, we curated a first-of-its-kind dataset of 200 social media comments targeted towards PwD, and prompted state-of-the art AI models (i.e., Toxicity Classifiers, LLMs) to score toxicity and ableism for each comment, and explain their reasoning. Then, we recruited 190 participants to similarly rate and explain the harm, and evaluate LLM explanations. Our mixed-methods analysis highlighted a major disconnect: AI underestimated toxicity compared to PwD ratings, while its ableism assessments were sporadic and varied. Although LLMs identified some biases, its explanations were flawed--they lacked nuance, made incorrect assumptions, and appeared judgmental instead of educational. Going forward, we discuss challenges and opportunities in designing moderation systems for ableism, and advocate for the involvement of intersectional disabled perspectives in AI.

Carlo Weidemann, Nils Mandischer, Burkhard Corves

As labor shortage is rising at an alarming rate, it is imperative to enable all people to work, particularly people with disabilities and elderly people. Robots are often used as universal tool to assist people with disabilities. However, for such human-robot workstations universal design fails. We mitigate the challenges of selecting an individualized set of input and output devices by matching devices required by the work process and individual disabilities adhering to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities passed by the United Nations. The objective is to facilitate economically viable workstations with just the required devices, hence, lowering overall cost of corporate inclusion and during redesign of workplaces. Our work focuses on developing an efficient approach to filter input and output devices based on a person's disabilities, resulting in a tailored list of usable devices. The methodology enables an automated assessment of devices compatible with specific disabilities defined in International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. In a mock-up, we showcase the synthesis of input and output devices from disabilities, thereby providing a practical tool for selecting devices for individuals with disabilities.

Majbah Uddin, Meiyu, Pan et al.

Despite the plethora of research devoted to analyzing the impact of disability on travel behavior, not enough studies have investigated the varying impact of social and environmental factors on the mode choice of people with disabilities that restrict their ability to use transportation modes efficiently. This research gap can be addressed by investigating the factors influencing the mode choice behavior of people with travel-limiting disabilities, which can inform the development of accessible and sustainable transportation systems. Additionally, such studies can provide insights into the social and economic barriers faced by this population group, which can help policymakers to promote social inclusion and equity. This study utilized a Random Parameters Logit model to identify the individual, trip, and environmental factors that influence mode selection among people with travel-limiting disabilities. Using the 2017 National Household Travel Survey data for New York State, which included information on respondents with travel-limiting disabilities, the analysis focused on a sample of 8,016 people. In addition, climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were integrated as additional explanatory variables in the modeling process. The results revealed that people with disabilities may be inclined to travel longer distances walking in the absence of suitable accommodation facilities for other transportation modes. Furthermore, people were less inclined to walk during summer and winter, indicating a need to consider weather conditions as a significant determinant of mode choice. Moreover, low-income people with disabilities were more likely to rely on public transport or walking.

Peixuan Xiong, Yukai Zhang, Nandi Zhang et al.

Rehabilitation therapies are widely employed to assist people with motor impairments in regaining control over their affected body parts. Nevertheless, factors such as fatigue and low self-efficacy can hinder patient compliance during extensive rehabilitation processes. Utilizing hand redirection in virtual reality (VR) enables patients to accomplish seemingly more challenging tasks, thereby bolstering their motivation and confidence. While previous research has investigated user experience and hand redirection among able-bodied people, its effects on motor-impaired people remain unexplored. In this paper, we present a VR rehabilitation application that harnesses hand redirection. Through a user study and semi-structured interviews, we examine the impact of hand redirection on the rehabilitation experiences of people with motor impairments and its potential to enhance their motivation for upper limb rehabilitation. Our findings suggest that patients are not sensitive to hand movement inconsistency, and the majority express interest in incorporating hand redirection into future long-term VR rehabilitation programs.