Abstract
A great deal of attention has been focused on issues surrounding the employment of persons with significant cognitive disabilities. Today there exists a vocational training technology (task analysis, prompting, reinforcement) aimed at teaching tasks and work-related skills to able-bodied persons who are challenged to learn and perform the discriminations required by tasks. This technology has been systematically evaluated and widely disseminated to rehabilitation programs and personnel. l 4 Only recently have efforts been made to address the employment challenges encountered by persons who experience significant physical disabilities.5loThis lack of attention has in part stemmed from the inadequacy of the existing training technology for these persons. The current approaches have focused on closing thegap between the requirements of a job and an individual's ability to meet these requirements by increasing the employee's skills via training. Persons with physical disabilities require another type of technology, one that is aimed at decreasing the physical demands of the job, such as assistive devices and job-site modifications. During the past decade there has been a significant growth in the development oftechnologies aimed at enhancing the ability of persons with physical disabilities to function independently. 1 1-13 However, to date the application of these technologies for the purpose of increasing these persons' employment opportunities has been limited.I416 The passage of p.L. 100-407, the Technology Related Assistance Act of 1988, provides the impetus to utilize existing technologies as well as to develop new innovations to enhance and increase the employment options afforded persons with physical disabilities. The purpose ofthis article is to provide the reader with a familiarity with technologies that currently exist that can be used to assist persons with physical disabilities to access employment. In addition, the employment challenges encountered by persons who experience severe physical and multiple disabilities and the role of technology in meeting these challenges will be addressed.
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