Factors contributing to successful employment outcomes for individuals who are hard-of-hearing

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program provides rehabilitation services to people with disabilities with the intention of assisting them in securing competitive employment. The VR services offer substantial resources to help individuals who are hard-of-hearing to enhance their quality of life and employment opportunities. OBJECTIVE: The current study investigated the impact of demographic variables and the use of VR services on employment outcomes among hard-of-hearing consumers. Specific VR services that lead to successful employment among hard-of-hearing consumers were thoroughly examined. METHODS: Binary logistic regression, Chi-square, and Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector analyses were used to analyze the data extracted from the 2014 fiscal year US. Department of Education Rehabilitation Service Administration Case Service Report (RSA-911). RESULTS: Logistic regression reveals that VR services such as diagnosis and treatment of impairments (p-value 0.000), counseling, and guidance (p-value 0.000), and rehabilitation technology (p-value 0.000) were influential factors in determining the successful employment outcome among the consumers. The relative importance of the factors based on the mean decrease in accuracy in CHAID identifies rehabilitation technology (0.264), diagnosis and treatment of impairments (0.090), job placement assistance (0.016), transportation (0.016), and secondary disability (0.010) to be among the most contributing factors. CONCLUSION: Overall, rehabilitation technology services were especially beneficial, particularly for minority consumers, in achieving a successful employment outcome.