Vocational Rehabilitation Policies Research Articles

The Effects of Independent-Living Factors on Quality of Life for People with Developmental Disabilities

이 연구는 발달장애인의 자립 요인이 삶의 질에 영향을 미치며, 이 과정에서 자립을 지원하는 직업재활 관련요인들에 대한 규명은 직업재활정책의 수립이나 서비스개발 과정에서 이루어져야 할 중요한 과제 중 하나라는 것이다. 이러한 맥락에서 성인 발달장애인의 자립요인이 삶의 질에 미치는 영향과 직업재 활 특성요인의 매개효과를 알아보고자 한 연구이다. 이를 위해 발달장애인 당사자를 대상으로 자립과 삶의 질 요인을 주관적 관점에 초점을 맞추었으며, 직업재활 특성요인의 매개효과를 확인하기 위하여 직업재활시설의 장애근로자와 훈련생, 지역사회의 재활프로그램을 이용하고 있는 이용자를 대상으로 1:1 면접조사 방식으로 설문조사를 실시하였다. 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 발달장애인의 자립요 인과 삶의 질 요인, 직업재활 특성요인들은 모두 높은 상관관계가 있다. 둘째, 발달장애인의 자립요인 에서 하위요인 중 신체적 기능과 경제적 기능 수준이 삶의 질과 높은 상관관계가 있다. 셋째, 직업재활 특성요인은 발달장애인의 자립과 삶의 질의 매개효과로 작용하는 것으로 직업재활 특성요인이 증가하 면 이들의 삶의 질 요인도 긍정적으로 상승하는 것으로 분석되었다. 이 연구결과를 토대로 발달장애인 의 자립과 삶의 질 향상을 위한 실천적 제언을 제시하였다.The purpose of this study is Independent-living factors have a lot of effects on the quality of lives of people with developmental disabilities, and the investigation of factors related to vocational rehabilitation that support their independent living is one of the most important tasks that should be completed in the vocational rehabilitation policy making or in the process of service development. In this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate the mediated effect of both living-independent factors of adults with developmental disabilities and trait factor of vocational rehabilitation that seem to exercise influence on the quality of life of people with developmental disabilities. The subjective point of views such as independent-living and the factors of the quality of life was considered in the selection of participants, and this study was done in the way of face-to-face interview with participants who are workers with developmental disability and trainees working for vocational rehabilitation institutes and users of rehabilitation programs of local communities among adult people with developmental disabilities who are now experiencing trait factors of vocational rehabilitation to verify the mediated effect. The analysis results are as follows. Firstly, this study found there is a strong correlation among independent-living factors, the factors of the quality of life and the trait factors of vocational rehabilitation of people with developmental disabilities. Secondly, the levels of physical and economic function among sub factors of independent-living of people with developmental disabilities and the quality of life have a high correlation. Thirdly, vocational rehabilitation factors work as mediated effects of independent-living and the quality of life of people with developmental disabilities. That is to say, if vocational rehabilitation factors increase, their independent- living factors and their factors of the quality of life rise in a positive way. Based on the results of this study, practical suggestions were presented to improve the Independent- living and quality of life of people with developmental disabilities.

기초자치단체의 직업재활정책과 전달체계에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to present the direction of the vocational rehabilitation policy and the improvement plan of the vocational rehabilitation delivery system of local governments. To this end, the regional vocational rehabilitation policy and delivery system of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany and the vocational rehabilitation policy and delivery system of local governments in Korea were reviewed. This study thus conducted a focus group interview with 11 vocational rehabilitation experts working in local A.
 As a result of the study, vocational rehabilitation in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany focused on pursuing welfare through work, customized services considering the individual characteristics of people with disabilities, establishing an integrated service of welfare and labor, and securing accessibility and vocational rehabilitation services with rehabilitation professionals. On the other hand, the vocational rehabilitation policy in Area A did not reflect the characteristics of people with disabilities and regions, and the service system was divided, resulting in insufficient performance. In addition, it was analyzed that it is urgent to improve of disability awareness in the community and establish a control tower for vocational rehabilitation policies. It was suggested to establish an initial service provision function and an intervention role system for vocational rehabilitation services, design a customized conditional welfare system considering regional characteristics and the types of disabilities, revitalize the Welfare Committee for the Disabled, and reflect policy agendas.

A Study on the Vocational Rehabilitation Policy and Delivery System of Local Governments

본 연구는 지방자치단체 직업재활 전달체계 개선방안 및 직업재활정책 방향성 제시를 목적으로 미국과 영국 그리고 독일의 지역직업재활정책 및 전달체계와 우리나라 A지역 직업재활정책 및 전달체계를 검토하고 A지역에서 활동하는 직업재활전문가 11명을 대상으로 2회의 FGI를 진행하였다. 연구결과, 미국과 영국 그리고 독일의 직업재활은 급여, 보호가 아닌 일을 통한 복지 추구, 장애인 개별 특성에 부합하는 맞춤형 서비스, 복지와 노동의 통합적 서비스 제공을 위한 지역단위 One-Stop 서비스 체계 구축, 전문 인력배치를 통한 접근성 및 직업재활서비스의 성과 확보에 주력하고 있었다. 반면 A지역의 직업재활은 지역과 지역 내 장애인 특성을 반영하지 못했으며 서비스 체계는 분절되어 성과는 미비했다. 더불어 지역사회 인식개선 및 직업재활 컨트롤타워 설립이 시급한 것으로 분석되었다. 이를 근거로 지방자치단체 장애인 직업재활정책 및 전달체계 발전방안을 위해 지역장애인의 서비스 초입 기능과 직업재활서비스 중재 역할 체계 구축, 지역 특성을 고려한 맞춤형 조건부 복지시스템 설계, 장애인복지 위원회 활성화, 장애 유형별 지역적 특성을 고려한 정책설계와 정책의제 반영을 제언하였다.

Employed Vocational Rehabilitation Applicants with Visual Disabilities: Factors Associated with Timely Service Delivery

Introduction: Employed applicants for vocational rehabilitation need timely services to improve the likelihood of their successful job retention or career advancement. Little research exists that examines timeliness of services among employed applicants, particularly for applicants with visual disabilities. This study investigated time from vocational rehabilitation application to a signed Individualized Plan for Emplolyment (IPE) for employed applicants with visual disabilities. Method: The sample of 5,096 competitively employed vocational rehabilitation applicants from the FY2015 RSA-911 report was combined with survey responses from 51 vocational rehabilitation agencies about services to persons with visual disabilities. Multilevel modeling was used to examine effects of state-level and individual-level characteristics and cross-level interactions on the length of waiting time from vocational rehabilitation application to signed IPE. Results: The time from application to IPE was shorter for employed applicants with visual disabilities who received services from separate vocational rehabilitation agencies compared to that of combined vocational rehabilitation agencies. Employed vocational rehabilitation applicants with visual disabilities waited longer if they were younger, non-White, or received disability benefits. Official job-retention policies in state vocational rehabilitation agencies appeared to reduce the delay of IPE implementation for persons with secondary disabilities, for applicants who received disability benefits, and for persons who worked more hours per week. Discussion: Additional research to determine how vocational rehabilitation can provide services to employed persons as soon as possible after application is indicated, particularly for persons applying to combined agencies. Implications for practitioners: Vocational rehabilitation providers should explore ways to expedite service delivery, particularly for persons who are younger, non-White, or receiving disability benefits. Implementing official vocational rehabilitation policies for addressing job-retention and career-advancement cases may be one avenue to expedite services to some employed applicants.

Impact of lifetime compared to adolescent-onset mental illness on psychosocial employment quality in adulthood: analysis of a nationally representative French cohort

We investigated prospective associations between mental illness and psychosocial employment quality using a nationally representative sample of the French working population by gender, primary diagnosis, and age of onset. 6234 employed French adults (aged 20-74years) were followed from 2006 to 2010. All respondents provided data on 26 indicators of psychosocial employment quality drawn from the Job-Strain Model, other job stressors, and indicators of working time stressors (i.e., shift work, night work, and long working hours). We performed 272 statistical tests, of which 37 were significant following adjustment for age, poor socio-economic position during childhood, unemployment status at wave one, and anxiety or depression at wave two. Females with a lifetime diagnosis of any mental illness reported higher psychological and emotional demands at work, whilst males reported low decision latitude, tensions with the public, and work-life imbalance. In both genders a lifetime diagnosis of any mental illness was associated with role and ethical conflict. A lifetime diagnosis of major depression appeared to have stronger associations for females, whilst substance use disorder was associated with poorer psychosocial employment quality in males. Adolescent-onset mental illness might be associated with poorer psychosocial employment quality among men more so than among women. Results suggest that people with a history of mental illness who obtain employment tend to be employed in jobs characterized by poor psychosocial quality. Employment quality should be considered in vocational rehabilitation policies and practices aimed at optimizing employment participation in this population.

Network Measures of Collaborative Support for Young Adults With Autism.

The treatment of autism requires complex, multimodal interventions, provided by parents and providers across settings. As young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transition into adulthood, new stakeholders are added to support planning for postsecondary employment. In this article, we investigate the use of dynamic social network measures that describe the resources of young adults throughout transition. A longitudinal, dynamic social network survey (Social Dynamics of Intervention [SoDI]) was conceptualized, designed, and conducted as a feasibility test, measuring changes in collaboration among parents and school staff members who provided interventions for children with ASD in 2 urban public schools. Using the SoDI, we tracked the following over time: the team who provided interventions, their locations, the interventions they provided, the autism trainings they attended, and the density of the team's problem-solving network for the child. Using the SoDI, we successfully identified stakeholders across settings who provided interventions for each child. Results indicated variation in the density of problem-solving and trust related to ASD intervention across teams as well as variation in intervention and autism knowledge networks during the school year. Adaptations of the SoDI for mapping pre- and posttransition resources and social connectivity across stakeholders for young adults with ASD are proposed in the Discussion section. Dynamic social network approaches can be used to capture changes in intervention, autism knowledge, and social connectivity, providing informative descriptive data about how vocational rehabilitation policies might increase employment supports during the transition process for young adults with ASD.

Welfare or Workfare?: The Principle of Activation in the Finnish Post-War Disability Policy, Early 1940s to late 1980s

This article analyzes the post–Second World War Finnish discussion on disability pension and vocational rehabilitation policies. It argues that the principle of activation, which has been linked to the recent neoliberal workfare turn in social policy, has in fact remained as one of the guiding principles of disability policy during the entire post-war period. During the 1940s, the Finnish disability policy was established on the principles of compensation and activation, as the disability pension scheme was limited to those who had participated in working life and vocational rehabilitation to those who were evaluated to have the potential to do so in the future. At the turn of the 1960s, the compensation principle was overtaken by the principle of need as the newly adopted goal of constructing the Finnish welfare state materialized in the demands for a universal pension policy and extending vocational rehabilitation to those who had previously been labeled as unprofitable targets. However, the traditional disability policies began to receive criticism during the 1980s as the conception of disability changed from being viewed as an individual defect raising a need for segregated services and environments to a minority status entitling a person to supportive measures enabling him or her to participate in the normal society. This also problematized the traditional divide between the need-based and work-based systems of distribution by raising the question on disability pensioners’ entitlement to participate in the labor market.

The Direction of Vocational Rehabilitation Policy for Employment Stability on Workers with Disabilities

이 연구는 장애인 근로자의 고용안정을 위한 직업재활 정책 방향성을 모색하기 위한 연구로 의무고용제도 이후의 고용추이와 직업재활정책 변화 추이, 고용안정 실태 및 각국의 지원정책 들에 대한 문헌연구를 통해 결론을 도출하였으며 연구결과는 첫째, 근로기준법과 최저임금법에 보호고용에 대한 사업장과 근로자의 근로기준이 규정되어야 하며, 단시간 근로자에 대한 장애관점 고려, 장애인의 근로조건에 관한 보호규정, 최저임금 적용제외 규정의 개선이 필요하며, 둘째, 고용보험법의 적용제외를 위한 단시간 근로자에 장애인 보호규정과, 장애인의 고용안정과 직업능력개발을 지원하기 위한 규정, 구직급여 수급요건의 장애에 대한 고려, 직업재활시설에 대한 특례조항의 적용이 필요하며, 셋째, 장애인 고용촉진 및 직업재활법 제정목적의 고용안정 규정과, 중증장애인 직업재활서비스 우선규정, 고용안정을 위한 다양한 지원, 장애인의 근로조건과 인사과정에서의 장애인 근로자의 참여보장 등이 규정될 수 있도록 개정되어야 하며, 마지막으로 장애인차별 금지 및 권리구제에 관한 법률에서의 고용안정을 위한 정당한 편의제공에 대한 방안들이 마련되어야 한다.

Is a Penny Spent a Penny Earned? Comparing Predicted to Actual Disability Insurance Savings in the Ticket to Work Program

AbstractThis article compares Disability Insurance (DI) savings to those projected in the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate accompanying the Ticket to Work (TTW) authorizing legislation. Enacted with the goal of promoting employment among DI beneficiaries, TTW savings were close to predicted savings, but economic conditions reduced the impact. These findings suggest vocational rehabilitation policies need to incorporate strategies to address economic downtowns if they are to promote long‐term independence. This article highlights some of the challenges inherent to evaluations conducted without an experimental research design, while illustrating the potential of ex post analyses to assess whether expected savings materialize.

Policy Issues in Vocational Rehabilitation Related to Consumers with Substance Use Disorders

State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies demonstrate wide reporting variability regarding the prevalence of substance use disorders among consumers of their services. The differences do not appear to correspond with state-level data derived from the general population in national substance use/abuse studies. This study reports findings from national surveys of VR program directors and counselors in regard to policy, practice, and professional perceptions. Results indicate that there are differences in the perceptions of profossionals regarding order of selection, sobriety waiting policies, and estimates of substance abuse but no relationship between state VR policies and the variability found in SUD rates.

Disability, Employment Policy, and the Supreme Court

This essay addresses Ruth O'Brien's Justice: The History of Modern Disability Policy in the Workplace (University of Chicago Press, 2001). According to O'Brien, modern disability employment practices are influenced by vocational rehabilitation policies that only integrate disabled workers who have fully adapted themselves to the workplace. One consequence of this normative schema, which O'Brien avers is both operative and compelling, is Supreme Court resistance to disability rights, and especially the ADA's employment provisions. Crippled Justice's thesis is provocative and interesting. O'Brien proffers a novel theory in claiming that a whole man schema originated by an epistemic rehabilitation community in Cold War America continues to have a determinative effect upon the Supreme Court's ADA jurisprudence. Yet, despite the freshness of this approach, O'Brien's thesis is ultimately unconvincing. This is primarily due to her inability to demonstrate that the Justices who lived through the 1950s and 1960s were so indoctrinated into the intellectual milieu of psychoanalytic thinking that they continue to be influenced by that epistemic community's vision of disability. Nevertheless, the book provides a valuable service by raising a key question: why is the Supreme Court (as well as the lower federal courts) averse to disability-related employment claims? Many answers can, and hopefully will, be forthcoming.

Using the Delphi process to analyze social policy implementation: A post hoc case from vocational rehabilitation

This study uses a Policy Delphi to discern differences in perspective among and within groups responsible for formulating and implementing vocational rehabilitation policy. Four groups of players were chosen for our analysis: government officials, academics, directors of rehabilitation centers, and the staff who interface with program participants. Significant differences were found between the groups regarding the relative importance of possible legislative goals. This suggests that the failure of vocational rehabilitation policy to promote a work agenda may be attributed to a lack of consensus among policy implementors. The Delphi technique could help policy planners understand the different perspectives within the implementation community, and hence craft more realistic legislation.

Enhancing Opportunities in Postsecondary Education for Deaf Students by John G. Schroedel and Douglas Watson (review)

BOOK REVIEW Enhancing Opportunities in Postsecondary Education for Deaf Students. John G. Schroedel and Douglas Watson. 156 pages, soft cover. University of Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Deafness and Hearing Impairment, Little Rock, AR, 1991. This book, composed of eight chapters, reports the results of a series of national research projects that examined the impact of postsecondary education on deaf students. Specifically, the authors present the results of six studies that investigated (1) the types of programs, administration, staff, and services available to postsecondary deaf students; (2) the characteristics, aspirations, and attainments of prospective graduates; (3) the availability and use of support services; (4) a follow-up of program graduates; (5) vocational rehabilitation policies and practices; and (6) the attitudes and opinions of professionals regarding the goals, needs, and conditions in postsecondary education of deaf students. The final chapter summarizes the results of each of these studies and presents a list of 14 recommendations for policy and practice in the future. The research presented in this text suggests that many deaf and hard-of-hearing people are succeeding and benefiting from the quality of their education and rehabilitation services. The authors report that, currently, a variety of programs provide diverse career training options and support services, that students have many opportunities to interact socially, and that graduates are generally satisfied with the quality of their training programs. However, the authors also note areas that are in need of improvement. For example, they found that 40% to 50% of deaf and hardof -hearing students who begin postsecondary training programs eventually drop out. Of those who do graduate, one in every five are unemployed nearly two years after completing their postsecondary training. The authors' recommendations have important implications for professionals in the field of deaf education and rehabilitation, regardless of the age of the people that they work with. For instance, the authors point out that more than half of the new jobs in the year 2000 and beyond will require postsecondary training. As a result, it has become increasingly more important for professionals working with deaf and hard-of-hearing students to focus on helping their students and clients develop the skills, attitudes, and strategies necessary for becoming life-long learners. Simultaneously , additional research efforts such as the studies presented in this text need to be undertaken so that interventions and practices that are effective can be continued and those that are not beneficial can be eliminated. In summary, the authors of this publication have examined an important component of the development and preparation of deaf students: postsecondary education. They present the results of their research in a highly readable manner and provide suggestions for future improvements . It is my hope that research and resources such as this become more readily available for professionals in the field of education and rehabilitation of deaf and hardof -hearing people. John Luckner, Ed.D. Deaf Education Program, Division of Special Education, University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO 380 AAD Vol. 136, No. 5 ...

Social Service and Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Policies

Previous articleNext article No AccessSocial Service and Federal Vocational Rehabilitation PoliciesMary E. MacdonaldMary E. Macdonald Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Social Service Review Volume 15, Number 2Jun., 1941 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/633465 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 1941 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.