Abstract
There have been indications that self-employment could be a viable option for individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, the sparse empirical literature limits our understanding of the phenomenon. Thus, the present study sought to contribute new knowledge. An empirical study was conducted of individuals with disabilities who were self-employed through vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. Individual and in-depth, in-person qualitative interviews were conducted with VR counselors and clients. From our analyses emerged three predominant themes: relationship dynamics, system mechanics, and social identities. Relationship dynamics described facets of counselor–client interactions; system mechanics described facets of procedures in a self-employment case; and social identities described facets of self-employment case development. These themes highlighted and explained differences between counselors’ and clients’ perspectives on self-employment success and challenges. While tentative, the findings in the present study inform the conceptual framework in new ways while also circumscribing implications for researchers, VR counselors and administrators, and government policymakers.
Highlights
For most adults, employment—working for self or others—is a central activity and a necessary pursuit for meeting basic needs and maintaining a particular standard of living
Recruitment criteria were vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies in (a) urban and rural settings to gain insights into those differing perspectives that were noted in the literature review, and (b) at least two different states to gain insights into the different contexts in which self-employment was experienced during the Great Recession of 2007-2009
From four Western states, 11 VR counselors and 10 VR clients were identified from eight agencies and contacted for
Summary
Employment—working for self or others—is a central activity and a necessary pursuit for meeting basic needs and maintaining a particular standard of living. Lifetime employment is less prevalent than contingent or fixed-term employment, and jobs in manufacturing are outpaced by jobs in information technology and service occupations. These changes have been acutely experienced by individuals with disabilities within another historical context, of never having gained socioeconomic parity with individuals without disabilities (e.g., Newman et al, 2011; United States Census Bureau, 2008). The Act describes the government taking a central role and self-sufficiency and social integration as desired outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Despite this and other efforts and initiatives (e.g., Workforce Investment Act of 1998, P.L.105-220), employment disparities persist between individuals with disabilities and individuals without disabilities. The present study sought to contribute to a better understanding about self-employment of individuals with disabilities in the United States by analyzing their individual experiences of becoming and being self-employed in various businesses and in their communities
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