As a result of noncompliance and other operational forces (e.g., economic, political) in the world of work, handicapped adults have the lowest labor force participation rates and lowest earnings within the classifications of age, sex, race, and education. Many research studies have examined elements which contribute to this bleak picture, but none have investigated the advocacy role of organized labor for qualified handicapped adults seeking employment or the impact on labor officials' advocacy efforts by operational forces in the world of work. The purpose of this study was to identify the forces which influence labor unions' advocacy efforts for the employment of handicapped individuals. Two research questions were developed: (1) How do identified driving and restraining forces impact on labor union officials' advocacy efforts for qualified handicapped adults? (2) What are the forces which impact on employers' willingness to hire qualified handicapped adults? A case study approach and theoretical collection of data were selected. Two sites were purposefully chosen for their political and social diversities, and a third site was selected for its national perspective. Fifty nine subjects were purposely selected ii from four groups: community advocates, handicapped adults, private sector managers and labor union representatives. Data collection methods were: interviews, observations and document review. Data were inductively analyzed. The data analysis process involved the identification of categories and generalized relations among categories. Mini case studies of each subgroup at each geographical location were developed. Data were further collapsed as these mini case studies were merged to develop a case study of each geographical site. A cross site analysis then was conducted. The multiple comparisons made of the differences and similarities among groups and among communities led to the development of four substantive theories: (1) A restraining force to labor union advocacy for handicapped adults is labor union representatives' failure to recognize that the forces which impact on the handicapped applicant also affect the disabled union member. Lack of knowledge and attitudinal barriers were primary indicators. (2) Attitudinal barriers have a more direct impact on local labor union officials' advocacy efforts than do organized labor's traditional roles and one to one policy. (3) Employers' perceptions of the threat of the federal government's potential for enforcement of Sections 503 and 402 is a primary operational force which impacts on the degree to which federal contractors comply with the federal mandates. (4) Managers' fears of increases in compensation premiums and their belief that handicapped workers are not productive are primary economic and psychological restraining forces. / Ed. D.

Research studies have indicated that people with disabilities in South Africa and across the world have difficulties in securing employment. The medical approach towards disability contributes to the negative attitudes, ignorance and stereotypes employers have about people with disabilities. The aim of the study was to explore the employment experiences of students with disabilities who have studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The lack of previous research on this issue at UKZN motivated the researcher to undertake this research. Furthermore, since the researcher is a disability officer at UKZN, a number of students with disabilities had raised their employment frustrations with her which gave further motivation to investigate the underlying reasons. A qualitative research method was used to undertake this study. The sample used was an availability sample, comprising 21 interview subjects with disabilities who had graduated from UKZN in the period 2001-2006. An ecosystem perspective was used as a framework to guide the study. The major conclusion of this study is that the majority of participants interviewed had difficulties in securing employment. Employers were reluctant to employ them, apparently fearing that they would not be able to cope on the job and because there might be additional costs incurred if they were employed. Visually disabled study participants also experienced difficulty accessing job advertisements. Inaccessibility of transport to access interviews and workplaces were a further obstacle for participants. The study also discovered that the limited number of subjects offered at high school impacted on the choice of tertiary courses participants wanted to take at the university as a result this caused dissatisfaction with degrees they obtained. The findings in this study are consistent with a number of similar studies which revealed that people with disabilities are confronted with challenges in obtaining work. Regardless of established policies and programmes, unemployment among people with disabilities still persists. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Several legislative documents that promote the inclusion and economic integration of persons with disabilities have been introduced over the previous two decades in South Africa. However, it is still estimated that as many as 99% of persons with disabilities are unemployed (Dube, 2005). Employment equity quotas for persons with disabilities have not been met in either the public or the private sector (CEE Report, 2007).The reasons for this remain largely unexplored in many sectors including the hospitality sector. The hospitality sector - the focus of this study - makes a significant economic contribution to the country and is the largest most diverse labour force sector in South Africa (THETA, 2009). The aim of the study is to examine the employment of persons with disabilities in three hotels in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town. A descriptive, qualitative case study methodology was implemented for the study. Three purposively sampled hotels in Cape Town`s Victoria and Alfred Waterfront provided the study setting. Participants included managers from these hotels as well as employees with and without disabilities from each of the hotels. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and content analysis was conducted to identify emerging issues according to themes. Findings indicate a medically oriented perception of disability with a focus on physical impairments. A lack of knowledge and guidance in policy documents and from the Department of Labour perpetuate these perceptions. Participants were aware of employment equity policy, but saw it as being orientated to race and gender and did not apply it to persons with disabilities. Application was also not enforced through monitoring by the Department of Labour. Barriers to employment include discrimination and stereotyping, the physical nature and type of jobs, physical access barriers, a lack of education and skills as well as a lack of applications from persons with disabilities. Facilitators included improved Black Economic Empowerment scoring, a motivational aspect, the variety of jobs available and guests and employees with disabilities. Findings on the provision of reasonable accommodation focused mainly on the accommodation of guests and examined physical and structural aspects of the environment. One of the conclusions of the study was that legislation governing the employment of persons with disabilities was poorly implemented in the hotels examined by this study. It is recommended that hotels contract a disability consultant to run disability awareness campaigns within the hotels. In addition, the Department of Labour must monitor policy implementation with regard to persons with disabilities. Disabled people`s organisations should create a platform for communication with government departments responsible for social policy and legislation in an effort to promote and encourage the debate on disability definitions and to act as a watchdog over the implementation of policy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wetgewing met die doel om ekonomiese integrasie van persone met gestremdhede te bevorder is in die laaste twee dekades in Suid Afrika aanvaar. Ten spyte daarvan word daar beraam dat soveel soos 99% van persone met gestremdhede in Suid Afrika werkloos is (Dube, 2005). Nie die staat of die privaatsektor kon nog daarin slaag om die twee present kwota te bereik nie (CEE Verslag, 2007). Die redes daarvoor is tot `n groot mate onbekend in veskeie sektore, insluitende die gasvryheidheidsektor, waar hierdie studie gedoen is. Die gasvryheidsektor maak `n beduidende bydrae tot die Suid Afrikaanse ekonomie en het van die grootste en mees diverse arbeidsmagte in Suid Afrika (THETA, 2009). Die doel van die studie was om die situasie aangaande werk en persone met gestremdhede in drie hotelle in die Victoria en Alfred Waterfront, Kaapstad, te beskryf. `n Beskrywende, kwalitatiewe, geval studie metodologie is geimplimenteer. Drie studie hotelle is doelbewus geselekteer. Bestuurders sowel as werknemers met en sonder gestremdhede uit die drie hotelle het aan die studie deelgeneem. Data is ingesamel deur middel van semi gestruktureerde onderhoude. Ontluikende temas is geidentifiseer tydens analise van data. Deelnemers se persepsies van gestremdheid het gefokes op fisiese en mediese probleme. `n Gebrek aan kennis en te min leiding uit beleidsdokumente en van die Department van Arbeid het die persepsie versterk. Deelnemers was bekend met gelyke indiensnemingsbeleid, maar dit is net ten opsigte van ras en geslag in die studie hotelle toegepas. Toepassing van beleid is nie gemonitor deur die Department van Arbeid nie. Aanstelling van persone met gestremdhede is bemoeilik deur diskriminasie, stereotipering, die fisiese aard van die werk, die tipe werk, `n ontoeganklike fisiese omgewing, `n tekort aan opleiding en onderrig by persone met gestremdhede en geen aansoeke van persone met gestremdhede. Fasiliteerders het Swart Ekonomiese Bemagtigings punte, die verskeidenheid van werk, die motiverings aspek sowel as gaste en bestaande werknemers met gestremdhede ingesluit. Redelike Akkommodasie het meestal op gaste gefokus and was beperk tot fisiese en strukturele omgewings aspekte. Daar is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat wetgewing met betrekking tot aanstelling van persone met gestremdhede swak geimplimenteer was in die studie hotelle. Daar word aanbeveel dat die hotelle `n konsultant aanstel om `n interne bewustheidsveldtog van stapel te stuur. Die Department van Arbeid moet implementering van beleid met betrekking tot persone met gestremdhede monitor. Organisasies vir mense met gestremdhede moet `n platform skep vir kommunikasie met die regering ten opsigte van beleids implimentering en om die debat rondom sosiale insluiting en definisies van gestremheid te bevorder.

The worth of rehabilitation programs should be measured in terms of their lasting impact on long-term employment. Vocational rehabilitation programs nationally and internationally appear to be falling short of their goal of long-term gainful employment. Competitive employment options for the injured worker appear to have leveled out, the pool of unemployed disabled workers appears to be rising, litigation and adversarial relationships are beginning to dominate the rehabilitation process, and costs of vocational rehabilitation are escalating. Increasingly, interest has focused on the long-term influence of vocational rehabilitation, particularly on the costly training programs, and on the employment and economic potential of program recipients. The present study focused on the current socioeconomic and employment status of those individuals who participated in Authorized Training Programs (ATPs) in 1985 and 1986. It was hypothesized that workers who successfully participated in authorized training programs would be able to maintain long-term gainful employment at or near their wage-at-injury in the field in which they had received ATP training.

This study investigated the effect of participation in a 14-day career redirection program on the reemployment, explanations for unemployment, and levels of depression and self-esteem of 44 unemployed adults who had recently become physically disabled. The career redirection program was delivered using an extended Solomon four-group design. The subjects’ explanations for their unemployment, and their levels of depression and self-esteem were measured on at least two of four possible occasions: (a) before participating in the program, (b) after completing the program, (c) after waiting to participate in the program, or (d) eight weeks after completing the program. The researcher contacted the subjects who completed the program after eight weeks to determine their employment status and to request the completion of the final questionnaire battery. A random sample of the subjects who finished the program were also interviewed in-depth to obtain detailed information about their experiences of: (a) becoming disabled, (b) being confronted with the need to change jobs as a result of their disabilities, and (c) participating in the career redirection program. All the incidents reported by the subjects that related to their emotional reactions to these three experiences were identified from transcripts of the interviews. Incidents describing similar reactions to components of these experiences were grouped into categories. Six stages were discerned from the analysis of the categories of emotional reactions. Taken together, these six stages described a career redirection process. The results of the study demonstrated the effectiveness of the treatment program in assisting the subjects through the career redirection process. Eight weeks after finishing the program, 60.5% of the subjects were involved in reemployment activities (11.6% working; 28% independent in job search; 20.9% taking training). Contrary to the researcher’s expectations, the subjects did not exhibit the effects of long-term unemployment documented in the literature, possibly because they....

Supported employment has been shown to be an effective way to contribute to the community reintegration of persons with disabilities. Traditionally, the hiring practice for supported employment staffs has focused on individuals with social service training; however, it has been proposed that employment specialists need to possess advanced skills that tend to be emphasized in business training programs. This study uses several new measures to identify differences in attitudes toward vocational rehabilitation and readiness and aptitude for a supported employment position, of social service and business students. Results indicate that social service students possess higher levels of clinical readiness and aptitude and more favorable attitudes toward vocational rehabilitation than do business students. Nevertheless, business students' readiness, attitudes, and aptitude are above theoretical neutral points, and comparable to those of social service students, and thus, effort should be devoted to diversifying the workforce by recruiting individuals with business training. / Department of Psychological Science

No description available.

Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Penninsula University of Technology, 2005 / The construction industry contributes to the economy in terms of its labour intensive nature and status as a major employer of labour in many countries. This pivotal role is divided by its unappealing status ofbeing an industrial sector with the lowest level of employment of disabled persons. Despite the South African government's efforts to diversifY the industry's labour force, these have had little concrete effect on changing the demographics of construction especially relative to the representation of minority groups such as women and disabled persons. The industry presents both a challenging and hostile environment and attitudinal barrier for persons with disabilities. They have not been seen as part of the pool of people considered for employment, and when already employed, possible promotion. To change this negative image, conscious measures are necessary to remove barriers. These measures should include a change in leadership style and approach, fundamental change in culture, change in the negative image of the working environment, and full implementation of equal opportunity policies. This paper reports on the employment status of disabled persons within the construction industry. To achieve this, the qualitative methodology was adopted and included surveys, self-administered questionnaires and interviews as well as the quantitative methodology to validate the completeness of data

It is argued that a lack of adequate legislation in pre-1994 South Africa resulted in inequality in the workplace and in society in general. The new democracy intended to address this by promulgated legislation and today the South Africa Constitutional and legislative provisions promoting equality are viewed as amongst the most progressive in the world. Conversely, this progressive legislation aimed to protect against discrimination, still seems to fail the very people it intended to promote and protect. The new legislation created awareness of the need for equality; the right of workers to employment – or at least to decent working conditions. The right to equality is accorded to everybody through the Constitution of South Africa. The Bill of Rights is based on the notion of equality before the law, and the prohibition of discrimination on various grounds. Despite this, the perception exist that persons with disabilities as a minority group are still being marginalised and are restricted in their right to exercise the right to participate and make a meaningful contribution to the labour market. This not only seems to be in contradiction with the Constitutional right to choose an occupation, but has wider social and economic consequences. The ethos of equality legislation is to ensure that the workplace is representative of the society we live in. It is understandable that labour as a social phenomenon is not only concerned with workplace related issues but with aspects encompassing the whole of the socio-political and economic scene. South African labour legislation drafted over the last two decades strives to align with the conventions and recommendations of the International Labour Organisations and in terms of the obligations of South Africa as a member state. However, the question prevails: is this legislation adequate to address the discrimination and inequality experienced by persons with disability? If so, why do statistics indicate such high unemployment amongst this group? Yet, there is a growing awareness that persons with disabilities represent enormous, untapped economic potential. According to the ILO report on The Right to Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities (1997), much has been accomplished in the international arena in recent years to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in the workplace. This treatise will attempt to evaluate the efficacy of South African legislation in the promotion and integration of persons with disabilities in the labour market.

This study investigated the effect of participation in a 14-day career redirection program on the reemployment, explanations for unemployment, and levels of depression and self-esteem of 44 unemployed adults who had recently become physically disabled. The career redirection program was delivered using an extended Solomon four-group design. The subjects’ explanations for their unemployment, and their levels of depression and self-esteem were measured on at least two of four possible occasions: (a) before participating in the program, (b) after completing the program, (c) after waiting to participate in the program, or (d) eight weeks after completing the program. The researcher contacted the subjects who completed the program after eight weeks to determine their employment status and to request the completion of the final questionnaire battery. A random sample of the subjects who finished the program were also interviewed in-depth to obtain detailed information about their experiences of: (a) becoming disabled, (b) being confronted with the need to change jobs as a result of their disabilities, and (c) participating in the career redirection program. All the incidents reported by the subjects that related to their emotional reactions to these three experiences were identified from transcripts of the interviews. Incidents describing similar reactions to components of these experiences were grouped into categories. Six stages were discerned from the analysis of the categories of emotional reactions. Taken together, these six stages described a career redirection process. The results of the study demonstrated the effectiveness of the treatment program in assisting the subjects through the career redirection process. Eight weeks after finishing the program, 60.5% of the subjects were involved in reemployment activities (11.6% working; 28% independent in job search; 20.9% taking training). Contrary to the researcher’s expectations, the subjects did not exhibit the effects of long-term unemployment documented in the literature, possibly because they.... / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate