A submitted thesis of Masters of Art in Social and Psychological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, School of Human and Community Development, 2017 / The career trajectory for persons with disabilities (PWDs) has largely been associated with decline and stagnation. Resilience and positive attributes have not been investigated related to graduates with disabilities (GWDs) successfully entering, adjusting to and further developing within the work environment. The aim of this study was to report on challenges, resilience and positive attributes amongst GWDs as a positive contributing factor to employment practices as well as policy. A participant sample of 6 employed GWDs (working age 26-45; 4 males and 2 females; 3 Black, 2 White and 1 Coloured) were individually interviewed. The participants’ disabilities consisted mainly of physical, hearing and visual impairments. The data was analysed using thematic and discourse analysis. Results show that despite the negative experiences encountered within the social and work environment, participants demonstrated resilience within their narratives and decision-making processes. A self-developed conceptual model of resilience and positive attributes was thus proposed to track this resilience. However, the resilience observed amongst participants did not fully reflect the existing definitions and theoretical frameworks around resilience. Critically re-examining these existing definitions and the theoretical framework showed new meanings can be derived with implications for policy and intervention. The fact that the majority of participants did not show awareness of or ownership of their resilience shows a missing key element – that they are not only making use of it, but they also do not even appear to realise its importance. / MT2018

I used a Community Psychology approach, involving Participatory Action Research with Qualitative methods, to both explore the employment interview experiences of disabled people and to effect positive change for disabled participants discriminated against in the labour market. In the opening chapters I set the action research enterprise within the socio-economic and political climate of the time. I follow this by describing the ethical, ideological, epistemological and methodological concerns that have driven my particular process of inquiry. 1 pay particular attention to the research process and reflect upon personal, social, organisational and political implications of the project. I review literature on disability, disability legislation and employment interviews and place my own work in the context of this. As well as reporting my findings on the difficulties disabled people face when seeking to enter the labour market, I describe the multiple research interventions I engaged with. These ranged from giving research participants welfare benefit advice through to consulting on the Government's Disability Discrimination Act. The main focus for the project became one of developing and marketing a Code of Practice on the recruitment and retention of disabled employees. I worked collaboratively with disabled research participants in developing and marketing this Code with four major employer organisations in order to affect change in employer staffing policies.

With the move in South Africa towards equal employment opportunities in the open labour market, schools as well as business face the challenge of preparing individuals with disabilities for successful transition from school to work. This study examined the extent to which schools and business are working towards helping with this transition process for the disabled. The study explored how individuals with physical disabilities, who have moved into the open labour market, have experienced vocational transition planning at school level, and whether or not these programmes have adequately prepared them for the workplace. The study used a qualitative research methodology. The sample comprised 5 learners who had attended a special needs school in KwaZulu-Natal. The data collection techniques used were semi-structured interviews, which were audio-taped, and transcribed. The findings indicate that the principles of human rights and social justice for all citizens enshrined in policy documents that have emerged in South Africa since 1994, have not been translated into practice. The rights of individuals with disabilities to achieve equality of opportunity and equal access to service in society and their right to full citizenship continues to be violated. The results also revealed that, although the special needs school was concerned with developing relevant curriculum for students with disabilities, very little is done to prepare students for transition from school to the work environment. The study has revealed that students with disabilities require a far more structured, needs driven vocational transition programme, that will enable them to compete more favourably with their able bodied colleagues in the work place. Legislation must be developed to protect and guarantee the vocational transition services of students with disabilities. This legislation must be augmented by an administrative framework to ensure the smooth management and running of a national vocational transition programme. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 1999.

xv, 111 p. : ill. / Despite numerous legislative and programmatic efforts, individuals with disabilities continue to experience greater difficulties gaining employment and poorer outcomes of employment than individuals without disabilities. These disparities negatively impact society. My review of the U.S. empirical research literature suggests, however, that self-employment could improve employment opportunities and outcomes for individuals with disabilities, and their success is most influenced by individual characteristics, level of supports, and accountability systems. In this dissertation study, I used a nonexperimental research design to investigate six research questions with Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) statistical analyses. Extant data on more than a million clients of vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies from the 50 states and District of Columbia for fiscal years 2003 to 2007 were obtained from the Rehabilitation Services Administration. Results of the HLM analysis indicated that among the significant (<italic>p</italic><.001) predictors of self-employment closure across the fiscal years, ethnicity had the strongest effect. The initial SEM analysis produced an inadmissible solution; the respecified model of individual characteristics, level of supports, and accountability systems produced a reasonable model fit in each fiscal year. The model invariance testing across the four U.S. Census Regions indicated a reasonable fit in each fiscal year when model parameters were freely estimated for each region, but very poor fit and significant differences were indicated when some parameters were fixed to be equal across the regions. The major limitations of this dissertation study are model misspecification in HLM and SEM and the small number of RSA fiscal years that were analyzed; causal inferences cannot be made. The primary implication of this study for researchers is using the results of the statistical analyses to develop and test theories about self-employment of individuals with disabilities through VR. The primary implication for VR is using the results to make decisions about services and agency policies. Recommendations for further research include (a) using Laplace estimation in HLM, (b) analyzing other HLM random effects and predictors, (c) testing a SEM model of different indicators and factor structure with Bayesian estimation, and (d) conducting empirical longitudinal studies given the complex developmental processes of self-employment. / Committee in charge: Richard Albin Chair; Deanne Unruh, Member; Deborah Olson, Member; Lauren Lindstrom, Member; Patricia Gwartney, Outside Member

No description available.

No description available.

Two hundred and seventy-three clients whose cases had been closed by the Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Division (OVRD) between March 1, 1976 and February 28, 1977 were interviewed by telephone. They were asked to identify the different methods they had used during their job search, whether they had obtained a job while being served by OVRD, whether they were presently employed, and if employed whether the job was the same or different from the one they had obtained while being served by OVRD. They were also asked to identify the sources of the lead which led to their jobs. Friends or relatives and direct application resulted in most of the jobs obtained. Efficiency was calculated for ten job search methods. Methods, in descending order of efficiency, were schools, friends or relatives, unions, vocational rehabilitation counselors, former employers, direct application, want ads, the state employment service, job developers, and private employment agencies. Clients changed jobs quite frequently during the year between case closure and the survey. Methods which led to retention of jobs were schools, unions, and former employers. The methods which led to unstable jobs were rehabilitation counselors, direct application, and friends or relatives. Intensity of job search was associated with job search success. The most frequently mentioned problem encountered in job search was disability imposed limitations. Job seeking skills instruction was not shown to be effective.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / There is a lack of existing research that investigates the feasibility of using consumers to evaluate the fidelity of evidence-based practices, including supported employment which is an intervention that helps people with severe mental illnesses to obtain competitive employment. Fidelity refers to the extent that the SE program adheres to the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment. The present study was a concordance study that investigated whether or not consumers’ self reports of IPS fidelity information agreed with administrative charts and employment specialists. Additionally, it was hypothesized that consumers’ program satisfaction ratings would be positively correlated with their self reported IPS fidelity scores. An additional purpose of this study was to examine what types of supported employment fidelity items consumers were able to report on. Participants included a volunteer sample of 30 consumers and 5 employment specialists from one IPS program in Indiana. Consumers in the IPS program were interviewed by telephone using a survey that included questions related to their program’s fidelity as well as their satisfaction with the program. Questions were based off of items from the IPS Fidelity Scale and were categorized into the following subscales: work incentives counseling, job search, engagement, organization, staffing, and job support. Similar questions were asked in an employment specialist survey and a chart review. All three sources (consumers, charts, and employment specialists) indicated high IPS fidelity responses on the researcher developed surveys. However, there was a low level of agreement between the sources at both the subscale level and item level. Although there was an overall low level of agreement between sources, there were several items that had a moderate or higher degree of agreement. Additionally, the present study did find a positive correlation between the consumer fidelity score percentage and consumer IPS program satisfaction ratings, supporting the researcher’s hypothesis. Among the items that consumers had difficulty answering were several tapping program level policies such as zero exclusion. Reasons for the discrepancy in agreement between sources as well as clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

For a long time the rights of disabled persons have been ignored worldwide. A major obstacle faced by disabled persons is discrimination in the workplace. Due to the development of a social approach to disability and the efforts of the Disability Rights Movement, legislation has been passed throughout the world to improve this dire situation. The thesis considers the efficacy of some of these statutes. It is concluded that stigma and negative stereotypes remain a constant hurdle in overcoming discrimination. The forthcoming UN Disability Convention is demonstrative of the recognition of the importance of the needs and rights of disabled people. The convention proposes some innovative measures to overcome stigma and stereotyping. Mental health problems constitute one of the leading causes of disability. The thesis explores how people with mental health problems fit within the concept of people with disabilities and whether they are included in anti-discrimination legislation and affirmative action measures. Special attention is given to statutory definitions of disability, the different forms of discrimination and the concept of reasonable accommodation. A comparative approach is taken to analyse how South Africa's disability law measures up against that of Britain and Australia in terms of its substantive provisions and enforcement thereof. In considering the South African position American and Canadian jurisprudence is consulted in order to aid in interpretation. It is concluded that although South Africa has a comparatively good legislative framework, it is held back by an overly restrictive and medically focused definition of disability. As a result many individuals with mental health difficulties, desirous of obtaining and retaining employment may be excluded from protection against discrimination in the workplace. It is argued that it will be necessary either to amend the Employment Equity Act or for the courts to adhere strictly to the concept of substantive equality in order to ensure that the rights and dignity of people with mental health difficulties are adequately protected.

The study took place in the Department of Health. It involved four districts and the Head Office of the human resource planning component. Its purpose was to explore the extent to which the Employment Equity Act is implemented in respect of people with disabilities by the Department of Health, KwazuluNatal. The experiences and perceptions of employment equity officers and people with disabilities were explored. In addition the document on Gap Analysis on EEA was analyzed. Qualitative methodology guided the explorative descriptive nature of the research. The sample selected for the study aimed at balancing opinions on the subject under investigation. Data was collected through structured questionnaires, in depth interviews and content analysis of the departmental Gap Report on Employment Equity. The main findings revealed that there is a wide gap between the current status quo and achieving the desired objectives of the Act. There is also a lack of awareness among People with disabilities in understanding the legal rights in terms of the Act. This situation weakens stakeholder's participation in implementation of the Employment Equity Act NO.55 of 1998. The main recommendations related to the implementation of intensive training programmes, in order to assist stakeholders to participate effectively in Employment Equity Act programmes. A bottom up approach on implementation of the Employment Equity Act was recommended. This will help to ensure equal participation of and acceptance of the process by People with disabilities and employment equity officers. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.