ERIC Number: EJ1311195
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2168-6653
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Road to Work: Youth with Disabilities and Their Views on Employment and the ADA
Fabian, Ellen; Havewala, Mazneen; Deschamps, Ann; Owens, Laura; Horton, Nancy
Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, v35 n2 p70-82 2021
Background: Research indicates that transition-age youth with disabilities face several obstacles with regard to finding employment. However, research on the extent to which barriers and facilitators differ across disability types and contexts is lacking. Objective: The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to understand employment-related challenges encountered by a cross-section of transition-age youth with disabilities across multiple settings. In addition, the study also examined transition-aged youth's knowledge and use of rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Methods: We adopted a focus group strategy to understand the barriers faced by transition-aged youth with disabilities; five focus groups were conducted at five community-based locations in three states (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) in Federal Region 3 (i.e., Mid-Atlantic). Participants ranged in age from 16 to 24 (53.5% male; 44.2% White). Findings: Findings indicated that youth with disabilities faced several barriers in the form of stigma, lack of workplace supports and accommodations, their disability condition, and anxiety. In addition, a very small proportion of the sample were aware about the ADA and their rights under Title I. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need to develop programs that equip transition-aged youth with disabilities with the necessary skills as they prepare to enter the work force. In addition, efforts should be targeted at addressing the barriers identified in the study, such as stigma, as well as at increase students' knowledge of the ADA by embedding information within secondary and postsecondary academic curricula.
Descriptors: Late Adolescents, Adolescent Attitudes, Employment Potential, Supported Employment, Work Environment, Barriers, Equal Opportunities (Jobs), Disability Discrimination, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Knowledge Level, Anxiety, Self Efficacy, Civil Rights Legislation, Federal Legislation, Labor Legislation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (DHHS/ACL)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland; Delaware; Virginia
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Americans with Disabilities Act 1990; Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2014
Grant or Contract Numbers: 90DP0086
Author Affiliations: N/A