ERIC Number: ED649220
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 210
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3819-7137-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Inspiring Inclusivity: Enhancing Employees' Confidence in Working with Young Adults with Disabilities in Project Search Host Businesses
Kelli Ann Fenlon Wiinamaki
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northeastern University
Current workplace learning for those who work in businesses that host a Project SEARCH program (a high school transition-to-work program) is not cohesive and comprehensive enough to sufficiently promote the equity and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. Consequently, young adults with disabilities may experience implicit or explicit discrimination and are sometimes denied practical opportunities in their work interest areas that prevent them from reaching their full work-readiness potential. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve employees' confidence in supporting individuals with disabilities within Project SEARCH host business sites. The beneficiaries of this study are young adults with disabilities who participate in Project SEARCH and participants included mentors, managers, and host business liaisons in Project SEARCH host businesses. In Cycle 1, the researcher sought to identify the current benefits, accomplishments, challenges, concerns, and barriers of working with young adults with disabilities from a Project SEARCH host business employees' perspective and to identify preferred workplace learning strategies. This data informed the action steps of Cycle 2 that included the design of the microlearning series to increase participants' knowledge and confidence in working with people with disabilities. The overarching findings include: (a) the importance of building disability confidence cannot be overstated and is essential to promoting the equity and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce; (b) increasing participants' disability confidence and experience working with people with disabilities may have additional inclusion benefits to organizations; (c) utilizing asynchronous microlearning has an impact in increasing participants' confidence in working with people with disabilities and their knowledge on disability topics; and (d) engaging learners in an activity to reinforce microlearning can increase their learning and implementation. Implications for the organization include adopting the microlearning series for dissemination throughout Project SEARCH sites around the world. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Inclusion, Self Esteem, Young Adults, Disabilities, Action Research, School Business Relationship, Labor Force Development, Career Readiness, Transitional Programs, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Employer Attitudes, Social Bias, Microcredentials
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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