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A systematic review of workplace disclosure and accommodation requests among youth and young adults with disabilities
Abstract
Purpose: The objective of this systematic review is to critically appraise the literature on disability disclosure and workplace accommodations for youth and young adults with disabilities.
Methods: Systematic searches of nine international databases identified 27 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. These studies were analyzed with respect to the characteristics of the participants, methodology, results of the studies and the quality of the evidence.
Results: Among the 27 studies, 18,419 participants (aged 14–33, mean 23.9 years) were represented across seven countries. Barriers to disability disclosure and requests for workplace accommodations were found at the individual (i.e., disability type, severity, poor self-concept, and advocacy skills), employment (i.e., type of industry, and working conditions, lack of supports), and societal levels (i.e., stigma/discrimination). Facilitators of disability disclosure included individual factors (i.e., knowledge of supports and workplace rights, self-advocacy skills), employment (i.e., training/supports, effective communication with employers, realizing the benefits of accommodations), and societal factors (i.e., positive attitudes toward people with disabilities). There was little consensus on the processes and timing of how disability should be discussed in the workplace among youth with disabilities.
Conclusions: Our findings highlight the complexities of disability disclosure for youth with disabilities. More studies are needed to explore issues of workplace disclosure and accommodations for young people to improve disclosure strategies and the process of providing appropriate accommodations.
• Implications for Rehabilitation
• Clinicians, educators, and parents should support youth to become self-aware and build self-advocacy skills so they can make an informed decision about how and when to disclose their condition to employers.
• Clinicians, educators, and employers should help youth with disabilities to understand the benefits of disclosing their disability, and educate them on the supports available so they can remain healthy and productive in the workplace.
• Clinicians should advocate for employers to create a positive and supportive environment where youth feel comfortable disclosing their condition.
... In Canada, for example, while employers have a legal duty to offer reasonable job accommodations for people with disabilities at all stages of the employment relationship to the point of undue hardship [16], national survey data from 2017 shows that only 59% of employees with disabilities who required accommodations had all of their needs met [14]. Other studies highlight that many people with disabilities do not disclose their condition to their employers, a prerequisite for receiving accommodations, with researchers identifying a range of individual, cultural and institutional barriers to disclosure [14,[17][18][19][20]. A systematic review on workplace disclosure among young people with disabilities, for example, found that such barriers included stigma, discrimination, and fear that disclosure would affect job performance [18]. ...
... Other studies highlight that many people with disabilities do not disclose their condition to their employers, a prerequisite for receiving accommodations, with researchers identifying a range of individual, cultural and institutional barriers to disclosure [14,[17][18][19][20]. A systematic review on workplace disclosure among young people with disabilities, for example, found that such barriers included stigma, discrimination, and fear that disclosure would affect job performance [18]. ...
... universal design principle in employment legislation [37]. Such legislation could potentially eliminate the need for disclosure among workers with disabilities who require remote work, thus removing one of the common barriers to receiving workplace accommodation that has been identified in previous studies and reviews [18,19]. As several studies in our review also observed, making these accommodations, such as working from home, universally available could potentially help improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities; jobs that were previously seen to be out of reach (e.g., due to inaccessible public transport systems) might now be viewed as attainable [38,53,55,58]. ...
Objective(s)
To examine the impact and implications of workplace accommodations during the COVID-19 pandemic for people with disabilities.
Data Sources
Systematic searches were conducted from the following
Data Sources
Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts and Google Scholar.
Study Selection
The following inclusion criteria were applied: (i) article published or early online in a peer-reviewed journal from 2019 to 2021 (without language restrictions), and explicitly addressing both (ii) workplace accommodations, adjustments, or modifications during the pandemic and (iii) the impact or implications for people with disabilities. Two reviewers screened all abstracts.
Data Extraction
Articles were selected by two reviewers, and data was abstracted in accordance with scoping review methodology.
Data Synthesis
Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were analyzed following the guidance for thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: (1) positive impacts of pandemic-related workplace accommodations on people with disabilities (e.g., improved accessibility, reduced stigma around workplace accommodations, rapid implementation of workplace accommodation, opportunities for advocacy); (2) negative impacts (e.g., worsened physical and mental health, new accommodation needs); and (3) action needed and recommendations (e.g., revisit legislation and policy on accommodations, ensure representation of people with disabilities).
Conclusions
This review identified a mixed assessment of the impacts of workplace accommodations during the pandemic on people with disabilities. However, there was a broad consensus regarding the importance of learning from the experiences of the pandemic and taking action to improve accommodation policies in the future. Further empirical research on the workplace accommodation experiences of employees with disabilities during the pandemic is needed.
Author(s) Disclosures
None.
... In Canada, for example, while employers have a legal duty to offer reasonable job accommodations for people with disabilities at all stages of the employment relationship to the point of undue hardship [16], national survey data from 2017 shows that only 59% of employees with disabilities who required accommodations had all of their needs met [14]. Other studies highlight that many people with disabilities do not disclose their condition to their employers, a prerequisite for receiving accommodations, with researchers identifying a range of individual, cultural and institutional barriers to disclosure [14,[17][18][19][20]. A systematic review on workplace disclosure among young people with disabilities, for example, found that such barriers included stigma, discrimination, and fear that disclosure would affect job performance [18]. ...
... Other studies highlight that many people with disabilities do not disclose their condition to their employers, a prerequisite for receiving accommodations, with researchers identifying a range of individual, cultural and institutional barriers to disclosure [14,[17][18][19][20]. A systematic review on workplace disclosure among young people with disabilities, for example, found that such barriers included stigma, discrimination, and fear that disclosure would affect job performance [18]. ...
... universal design principle in employment legislation [37]. Such legislation could potentially eliminate the need for disclosure among workers with disabilities who require remote work, thus removing one of the common barriers to receiving workplace accommodation that has been identified in previous studies and reviews [18,19]. As several studies in our review also observed, making these accommodations, such as working from home, universally available could potentially help improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities; jobs that were previously seen to be out of reach (e.g., due to inaccessible public transport systems) might now be viewed as attainable [38,53,55,58]. ...
Background:
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread changes in the way people work. Some of these changes represent the same kinds of work modifications or adjustments that have often been requested as workplace accommodations, and which may improve labour market and employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
Objective:
The aim of this scoping review was to examine the literature on workplace accommodations in the pandemic and their impacts and implications for people with disabilities.
Methods:
Following a search of six international databases, articles were selected by two reviewers, and data were abstracted in accordance with scoping review methodology. A thematic analysis was used to report the relevant findings.
Results:
Thirty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria, and three main themes were identified: positive impacts of pandemic-related workplace accommodations on people with disabilities (e.g., improved accessibility, reduced stigma around workplace accommodations, rapid implementation of workplace accommodations, opportunities for advocacy); negative impacts (e.g., worsened physical and mental health, new accommodation needs); and action needed and recommendations (e.g., revisit legislation and policy on accommodations, ensure representation of people with disabilities). Overall, our review identified a mixed assessment of the impacts of pandemic-related accommodations on people with disabilities. However, there was a broader consensus regarding the importance of learning from the experiences of the pandemic to improve workplace accommodation policies in the future.
Conclusions:
The pandemic may present opportunities for improving workplace accommodation policies, but our review also highlights the need for more research examining how workplace changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted people with disabilities.
... Several studies investigate disabled people's perspectives on disclosure (e.g. Allen & Carlson, 2003;Jans et al., 2012;Kaushansky et al., 2017;Lindsay et al., 2018;Lyons et al., 2018;Moloney et al., 2019;Reed et al., 2017;Santuzzi et al., 2019;Vickers, 2017), showing how it is related to certain advantages, such as suitable accommodation, and clear disadvantages, such as stigmatization and discrimination. Thus, negotiating a stigmatized identity is dependent on the response of the other powerful actor in the picture: the employer. ...
... However, how the differences in stigma and concealability are reflected in employers' expectations regarding disclosure remains underexplored. Furthermore, there is a need for theoretically informed work that examines when and how to disclose a disability (Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
... Notably, professionals with visible impairments, such as being a wheelchair user, preferred to disclose early, while those with hidden and more stigmatized impairments, such as mental illnesses, were more reluctant to disclose the same. A review by Lindsay et al. (2018) also shows considerable variation within the literature regarding the preferred timing of disclosure. ...
BACKGROUND: How to disclose an impairment during the hiring process is an important question for disabled people, yet the associated employer perspective remains overlooked in the literature. OBJECTIVE: The article investigates whether, when and how employers prefer jobseekers to disclose their impairment during the recruitment process. Stigma and impression management is used as a theoretical lens to interpret employer responses. METHODS: The article uses interview data from 38 Norwegian employers paired with behavioral data from a recruitment situation. Prior to the interviews, the employers were subjected to a field experiment wherein pairs of fictitious applications were submitted for real job listings. In these, one of the applicants disclosed either a mobility impairment or a mental health condition. RESULTS: The findings show that disability disclosure is a balancing act between appearing candid and demonstrating competence and that employers favor identity management strategies that present disability in a positive and unobtrusive manner and downplay the impairment. The employers favored disclosure but expected wheelchair users to disclose their impairment earlier than people with mental health conditions. Furthermore, employers with a relational view on disability were found to be more open to hiring disabled people. CONCLUSIONS: The article illustrates how disclosure expectations can represent a significant disability penalty, thus hampering employment advancement for disabled people.
... These findings suggest that participants in academia may feel uncomfortable disclosing and there is likely significant institutional ableism that impacted their decision to disclose. Fear of stigma and ableism is consistently one of the main reasons why people choose not to disclose [58][59][60][61]. Our findings contrast other studies describing the potential benefits to disclosing such as helping to create an atmosphere of acceptance, enhanced social integration and improved company morale, retention and productivity [62,63]. ...
... It is evident that a more transparent and efficient process is needed for obtaining workplace accommodations within academia. Research shows that being knowledgeable about the available supports and effective communication with employers can help facilitate disability disclosure [59]. Additionally, workers with disabilities who have accommodations are less likely to leave [66]. ...
... Other studies highlight that many people without disabilities are often uncomfortable around those who have a disability, regardless of the type or severity of the impairment [68]. Such discomfort can lead to discriminatory attitudes and behaviours towards people with disabilities and can be a barrier to successful workplace inclusion [59,67]. Lacking knowledge about disability can adversely impact attitudes and behaviours toward people with disabilities, perpetuating stigma and social exclusion [69]. ...
Faculty and staff with disabilities are significantly underrepresented within academia and experience alarming rates of discrimination, social exclusion and marginalization. This review aimed to understand the experiences and impact of disability discrimination (ableism) among faculty and staff. We conducted a systematic review while searching six international databases that identified 33 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. Of the 33 studies that were included in our review, they involved 1996 participants across six countries, over a 25-year period. The studies highlighted faculty and staff experiences of ableism in academia, which focused on disclosure (i.e., choosing to disclose or not), accommodations (i.e., lack of workplace accommodations and the difficult process for obtaining them) and negative attitudes (i.e., stigma, ableism and exclusion). Twenty-one studies explained the impact of ableism in academia, including a negative effect on physical and mental health, and career development. Coping mechanisms and strategies to address ableism in academia were also described. There is a critical need for more research and attention to the lived experiences of ableism among faculty and staff in academia and the impact that ableism has on their health and well-being.
... The type and severity of an individual's disability play a prominent role in the decision to self-disclose [37][38][39][40][41]. Research also shows that individuals with more stigmatized disabilities such as mental health conditions are more cautious in their disclosures [42]. ...
... Many employees who choose to self-disclose experience negative consequences and come to regret their disclosure [16,52,65,66]. Yet, for purposes of the ADA, formal disclosure is crucial to requesting accommodations [29,45], and identity concealment can inhibit workers' rightful opportunities to obtain effective accommodations and make full use of their job capabilities [37]. A non-disclosure choice, whatever the motivating reason, can also negatively affect an employee's feelings of belonging, commitment, job satisfaction, and workplace relationships [10,39,41,64,67,68]. ...
... Hence, we expect that people with visible disabilities will have higher disclosure rates. We also posit that individuals with mental health conditions will be less likely to disclose, given their invisibility and the stigma associated with such conditions [37][38][39][40][41][42]. Finally, we predict that accommodation requests will be associated with higher rates of disclosure because it is often the first formal step in requesting and receiving accommodations under the ADA [16,40,[45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. ...
Purpose
Given the training and experience of lawyers, we assumed that a study of lawyers’ willingness to disclose disability in the workplace would provide an example of the actions of a group knowledgeable about disability law. The current study accounts for the effect of visibility of disability, onset and type of disability, and whether the lawyer has made an accommodation request. We also investigate the role of other individual characteristics, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, age, and job-related characteristics, in willingness to disclose.
Methods
We use data from the first phase of a longitudinal national survey of lawyers in the USA to estimate the odds of disclosing disability to co-workers, management, and clients using proportional odds models.
Results
Lawyers with less visible disabilities, those with mental health disabilities, and those who work for smaller organizations have lower odds of disclosing to co-workers, management, and clients as compared to their counterparts. Attorneys who have requested accommodations are more willing to disclose as compared to those who have not, but only to co-workers and management. Women are less likely than men to disclose to management and clients. However, gender is not a significant determinant of disclosure to co-workers. Older attorneys are more likely to disclose to clients, whereas attorneys with children are less likely to disclose to co-workers. Lastly, lower perceived prejudice and the presence of co-workers with disabilities are associated with higher disclosure scores, but not for all groups.
Conclusions
Individuals who acquired a disability at a relatively early point in life and those with more visible disabilities are more likely to disclose. However, such willingness is affected by the intersection of disability with other individual and firm-level characteristics.
Implications for Cancer Survivors.
The findings imply that those with less visible disabilities and with health conditions acquired later in life are less likely to disclose. The relevance of the findings is heightened by the altered work conditions and demands imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic for cancer survivors.
... For example, the critical influence of the job role and related tasks, the industry/sector, and perceived job security, which are not discussed in the DD-MM and DPM. This has been highlighted in other studies [13,14,62]; for example, Gignac et al. [13] noted participants' hesitation to disclose when they felt their job was insecure, such as those in contract positions. The workplace environment and whether it is inclusive, whether colleagues and employers seem supportive, and if confidentiality and health privacy are respected, also seem to influence disclosure decisions. ...
... The pertinence of practicing and planning for disclosure is also discussed in the literature [67,68]. There was minimal consensus regarding the timing of disclosure, which has been highlighted by other researchers [62]. Deciding when to disclose is highly individualized, and seems that urgency of needs (i.e., accommodations, worsening symptoms) is related to disclosure timing, whether this is forced or voluntary, which is also suggested in the literature [9,15,69]. ...
... In our review, it was revealed that forced disclosure seemed prominent across employees with progressive and episodic disabilities and illnesses, which led to hospitalizations, sick leaves, and/or the need for enhanced workplace supports. This is also showcased in the visible disability literature [62]. Further, while disclosure strategy types did not differ across disability or illness populations, explicit content included would vary. ...
Background:
Deciding whether and how to disclose a disability at work for persons with non-visible disabilities and illnesses involve complex processes. Research has focused on antecedents and outcomes of disclosure. More research is needed to understand the lived experiences related to disclosure decision-making and actual navigation of disclosure and concealment at work.
Purpose:
To understand the experiences of persons with non-visible disabilities and illnesses regarding workplace disclosure decision-making, navigating disclosure and/or concealment, and experiential differences across disability and illness types, ages, geographic locations, and genders.
Methods:
We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis using Noblit and Hare's seven steps of meta-ethnography. Searches were conducted via six databases. Studies were analyzed to develop conceptual categories, third-order constructs (themes), and a line-of-argument with comparisons drawn from the disclosure decision making model, disclosure process model, and consideration of disability and illness types, genders, ages, and geographic locations.
Results:
Twenty-four studies were included involving 489 participants, aged 16 to 81, from nine countries, focusing on one non-visible disability or illness, or multiple. We developed four themes for the disclosure decision-making process (self- and other-focused, experiential, and environmental/workplace factors) and two themes for the disclosure/concealment event (disclosure/concealment logistics and timing) and noted emerging trends across ages, genders, disability and illness types, and geographic locations.
Conclusions:
Knowledge obtained could be used among professionals who support persons with non-visible disabilities and illnesses to help them navigate disclosure at work, and to consider the role of age, genders, disability and illness types, and geographic locations on disclosure.
... Employees with disabilities, much like their employers, have been found to lack education on the subject of when or how to request accommodations in the workplace (Lindsay et al., 2018). Price and colleagues (2017) found that out of the faculty members at a university with psychiatric disabilities, 70% had either limited or no knowledge of the workplace accommodations available to them, and even fewer used them. ...
... In addition, these employees were found to have issues regarding the ability to fully understand the definition of their particular diagnosis, as well as how this diagnosis affects them (Price et al., 2017). This lack of knowledge has been found to particularly affect young people with psychiatric disabilities as they are often unaware of their strengths and weaknesses, and thus do not even know what accommodations would help them perform their job (Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
... Poor self-concept due to the internalization of the term "disability", underdeveloped advocacy skills, and severity of one's mental illness have been identified as barriers to requesting accommodations (Lindsay et al., 2018). In a qualitative study surrounding the request and receipt of accommodations in women with various disabilities including psychiatric disabilities, Moloney et al. (2019) found that the participants experienced structural discrimination and nagivated devaluation threats in seeking workplace accommodations. ...
BACKGROUND: Employees with psychiatric disabilities experience a great amount of workplace challenges such as lacking workplace supports and job accommodations. There is a lack of research surrounding job accommodations for persons with psychiatric disabilities within the United States. Thus, research is warranted to understand how to meet the needs of this population via accommodations. OBJECTIVE: This study examined barriers and facilitators to requesting accommodations among employees with psychiatric disabilities through a qualitative approach. METHODS: This study recruited 120 participants from multiple agencies serving individuals with psychiatric disabilities in the United States. Themes regarding barriers and facilitators were identified using the conventional content analysis approach. RESULTS: The most commonly identified themes were employees’ fear and anxiety negatively impacting accommodation seeking behaviors, employer discrimination and non-inclusive workplace culture, and employers lack knowledge of disabilities and ADA. Participants also identified positive experiences in requesting accommodations. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation professionals and employers may utilize current findings, facilitate a positive and inclusive workplace environment and assist employees with disabilities to take full advantage of workplace resources and job accommodation to exert their potentials.
... In one study, although a high proportion (81.5%) of people with and without disabilities who requested accommodations were granted or partially granted them, people with disabilities were even more likely to be fully granted accommodations [30]. Nonetheless, the characteristics of impairment causing the disability [32,33], disability severity [33][34][35][36], and disability onset [37,38] are differentially associated with a differential likelihood of receiving accommodations. ...
... In one study, although a high proportion (81.5%) of people with and without disabilities who requested accommodations were granted or partially granted them, people with disabilities were even more likely to be fully granted accommodations [30]. Nonetheless, the characteristics of impairment causing the disability [32,33], disability severity [33][34][35][36], and disability onset [37,38] are differentially associated with a differential likelihood of receiving accommodations. ...
... Individuals with higher-level jobs, such as in professional and managerial positions, have an increased likelihood of requesting and receiving accommodations [26][27][28][29]. Individuals with advocacy skills [33], personal confidence [47], and knowledge of workplace rights and the ADA [26,29,33,35,47,48] also are more likely to request accommodations. ...
Purpose
This article is part of an ongoing body of investigation examining the experiences of lawyers with diverse and multiple minority identities, with particular focus on lawyers with disabilities; lawyers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (“LGBTQ+” as an overarching term); and lawyers with minority identities associated with race and ethnicity, gender, and age. The focus of this article is on discrimination and bias in their workplaces as reported by the lawyers experiencing it.
Methods
We employ survey data from the first phase of this investigation, gathered from the survey responses of 3590 lawyers located across all states in the United States and working in most types and sizes of legal venues. The data were collected between 2018 and 2019, before the 2020 pandemic. We estimate differences across three categories of discrimination reported—subtle-only discrimination, overt-only discrimination, and both subtle and overt discrimination. We estimate the nature and magnitude of associations among individual and organizational variables, and we use multinomial logistic regression to illustrate relative risks of reports of discrimination for intersecting identities.
Results
As compared to non-disabled lawyers, lawyers with disabilities show a higher likelihood of reporting both subtle and overt discrimination versus no discrimination. Similarly, lawyers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (“LGBQ”) show a higher likelihood of reporting both subtle and overtdiscrimination, and subtle-only discrimination, as compared to lawyers who identify as straight/heterosexual. Women lawyers and lawyers of color are more likely to report all three types of discrimination. In general, younger lawyers are more likely to report subtle-only discrimination when compared to older lawyers. Lawyers working at a private firm are less likely to report all types of discrimination, while working for a larger organization is associated with a higher relative risk of reporting subtle-only discrimination versus no discrimination.
Conclusions
The current study represents a next, incremental step for better understanding non-monochromatic and intersectional aspects of individual identity in the legal profession. The findings illustrate that primary individual and multiple minority identities, as identified by disability, sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and age, are associated with reports of discrimination and bias in the legal workplace.
... As numerous studies of adults with disabilities have found (Gold et al., 2012;Goldberg et al., 2005;Jans et al., 2012), this requirement can heighten the risk for job seekers and employees, who fear that disability disclosure can evoke negative stereotypes, and thus actually reduce rather than enhance their job access, opportunities, and success. Similar reluctance on the part of youth with disabilities to request workplace accommodations was found in a systematic review of 27 studies examining the patterns of workplace disclosure and accommodation requests among diverse samples of this population (Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
... Whether the obstacles to work are attributed to environmental factors, negative attitudes, or individual characteristics (Lindsay et al., 2018), it is clear that youth with disabilities continue to lag behind their peers in securing quality jobs in the community (Ruggles et al., 2019). Several studies have explored youths' perceptions of the challenges and barriers to finding and securing employment. ...
... Given that the U.S. employment landscape may be different for youth with disabilities, it is important to examine if the findings from those studies (e.g. Lindsay, 2011;Lindsay et al., 2018;Lindsay et al., 2015) can be applied to youth with disabilities in the United States. This focus group study was conducted with the purpose of exploring the perceptions of a crosssection of youth with disabilities regarding the personal, environmental, and legal circumstances that promote or curtail their access to jobs, and the extent they rely on the ADA to mitigate employment barriers. ...
Background
Research indicates that transition-age youth with disabilities face several obstacles with regard to finding employment. However, research on the extent to which barriers and facilitators differ across disability types and contexts is lacking.
Objective
The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to understand employment-related challenges encountered by a cross-section of transition-age youth with disabilities across multiple settings. In addition, the study also examined transition-aged youth's knowledge and use of rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Methods
We adopted a focus group strategy to understand the barriers faced by transition-aged youth with disabilities; five focus groups were conducted at five community-based locations in three states (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) in Federal Region 3 (i.e., Mid-Atlantic). Participants ranged in age from 16 to 24 (53.5% male; 44.2% White).
Findings
Findings indicated that youth with disabilities faced several barriers in the form of stigma, lack of workplace supports and accommodations, their disability condition, and anxiety. In addition, a very small proportion of the sample were aware about the ADA and their rights under Title I.
Conclusions
Findings highlight the need to develop programs that equip transition-aged youth with disabilities with the necessary skills as they prepare to enter the work force. In addition, efforts should be targeted at addressing the barriers identified in the study, such as stigma, as well as at increase students' knowledge of the ADA by embedding information within secondary and postsecondary academic curricula.
... Research shows that gender often shapes how people with disabilities cope with engaging in vocational training and employment [8][9][10][11][12]. For example, a recent systematic review on the role of gender in employment among youth with disabilities found that young women with disabilities continue to lag behind their male peers on several health and social outcomes, including lower employment rates and multiple forms of discrimination [8,9,13,14]. Young women with disabilities often encounter particular barriers in career development, including limited vocational training, lower family expectations, disability stereotypes, and decreased self-confidence [15,16]. ...
... Although there are several systematic reviews focusing on youth with disabilities and employment, there is very little, if any, mention of gender [13,17,[19][20][21]. Meanwhile, several studies highlight the important need for gender-specific vocational support for youth with disabilities [13,[22][23][24]. ...
... Although there are several systematic reviews focusing on youth with disabilities and employment, there is very little, if any, mention of gender [13,17,[19][20][21]. Meanwhile, several studies highlight the important need for gender-specific vocational support for youth with disabilities [13,[22][23][24]. Exploring gender within the context of vocational rehabilitation for youth with disabilities is important for decision making, enhanced communication, and engagement in programs and interventions [25]. ...
Background: Although research shows that there is a need for gender-specific vocational support to help youth with disabilities find employment, health care providers often report needing more training in this area. Currently, there are no existing educational simulations of gender-sensitive care within vocational rehabilitation for clinicians who provide care to youth with disabilities. Therefore, developing further educational tools that address gender-sensitive care could help them enhance the care they provide while optimizing patient outcomes.
Objective: This study aims to codevelop an educational simulation and identify issues relevant to providing gender-sensitive care within the context of vocational rehabilitation for youth with disabilities.
Methods: We used a qualitative co-design approach with a purposive sampling strategy that involved focus group discussions and journal reflections to understand and address issues relevant to gender-sensitive care within vocational rehabilitation for those working with youth with disabilities. A total of 10 rehabilitation providers participated in two sessions (5 participants per session) to design the web-based simulation tool. The sessions (2.5 hours each) were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically.
Results: Two main themes arose from our analysis of codeveloping a simulation focusing on gender-sensitive care. The first theme involved the relevance of gender within clinical practice; responses varied from hesitance to acknowledging but not talking about it to those who incorporated gender into their practice. The second theme focused on creating a comfortable and safe space to enable gender-sensitive care (ie, included patient-centered care, effective communication and rapport building, appropriate language and pronoun use, respecting gender identity, awareness of stereotypes, and responding to therapeutic ruptures).
Conclusions: Our web-based gender-sensitive care simulation that addressed vocational rehabilitation among youth with disabilities was cocreated with clinicians. The simulation highlights many issues relevant to clinical practice and has potential as an educational tool for those working with young people with disabilities.
... In one study, although a high proportion (81.5%) of people with and without disabilities who requested accommodations were granted or partially granted them, people with disabilities were even more likely to be fully granted accommodations [30]. Nonetheless, the characteristics of impairment causing the disability [32,33], disability severity [33][34][35][36], and disability onset [37,38] are differentially associated with a differential likelihood of receiving accommodations. ...
... In one study, although a high proportion (81.5%) of people with and without disabilities who requested accommodations were granted or partially granted them, people with disabilities were even more likely to be fully granted accommodations [30]. Nonetheless, the characteristics of impairment causing the disability [32,33], disability severity [33][34][35][36], and disability onset [37,38] are differentially associated with a differential likelihood of receiving accommodations. ...
... Individuals with higher-level jobs, such as in professional and managerial positions, have an increased likelihood of requesting and receiving accommodations [26][27][28][29]. Individuals with advocacy skills [33], personal confidence [47], and knowledge of workplace rights and the ADA [26,29,33,35,47,48] also are more likely to request accommodations. ...
Purpose:
Workplace accommodations, vital for employees with disabilities, promote diversity and inclusion efforts in organizations. This article examines who requests accommodations and who is more likely to have requests granted. We investigate the roles of individual characteristics and their intersection, including disability, sexual orientation, gender, race/ethnicity, and age.
Methods:
Using data from a national survey of U.S. lawyers, we estimate the odds of requesting accommodations and having the requests approved. We also estimate differences in odds according to individual characteristics, adjusting for control variables.
Results:
Personal identity factors, such as disability status, gender, and age, predict requests for accommodations. Odds of requesting accommodations were higher for women and people with disabilities as compared to men and those without disabilities, but lower for older individuals. Odds of requesting accommodations were higher for an older population segment-older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) lawyers-than for younger lawyers. Accommodations were granted differentially to individuals with multiple marginalized identities. Counter to predictions, being a person with a disability is negatively associated with having an accommodation granted. Older lawyers generally have higher odds of having accommodations granted, but odds for groups such as women and racial/ethnic minorities decline with age. LGBQ lawyers who are racial minorities have lower odds than White LGBQ lawyers of having their accommodations granted. Longer tenure increases the odds of requesting accommodations. Working for a private organization decreases the odds; working for a large organization generally increases the odds.
Conclusions:
Those most needing accommodations, such as lawyers with disabilities and women, are more likely to request accommodations. Disabled lawyers, older women lawyers, older racial/ethnic minority lawyers, and LGBQ minority lawyers have relatively low odds of having requests granted. The results highlight the need to consider intersectional identities in the accommodation process.
... Experiencing stigma from staff in schools is not uncommon among youth with mental illness (Moses, 2010) and the teacher-student relationship plays an important role in defining youth (Mercer & DeRosier, 2008). In addition, lack of awareness by employers about mental illness and accommodations, coupled with the vulnerable developmental period of late adolescence/ emergent adulthood, may pose additional challenges of stigma for youth with mental illness in the workforce (Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
... For youth in the workforce, stigma experiences included lack of awareness about anxiety and lack of accommodations by employers. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations in the workplace, including flexible work schedules (Livingston, 2013), is a common occurrence (Corrigan et al., 2004) and is a barrier to disclosure for employees with mental illness (Lindsay et al., 2018;Livingston, 2013). There is a lack of research on workplace stigma for youth living with anxiety. ...
... The developmental vulnerability of younger people and their lack of experience navigating the workforce may render them particularly vulnerable to mental health stigma. For young people at the beginning of their careers, addressing structural mental health stigma in the workplace-including increased awareness, resources and accommodations-may improve quality of life and work performance (Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
Anxiety disorders typically emerge in childhood and, if left untreated, can lead to poor health and social outcomes into adulthood. Stigma contributes to the burden of mental illness in youth. Mental health stigma has been conceptualized as a wicked problem and efforts to address this complexity require a greater understanding of how stigma operates in the lives of youth. Fifty-eight youth in Manitoba, Canada aged 10 to 22 years and living with anxiety took part in the study. Data collection involved in-depth interviews and arts-based methodologies. Youth living with anxiety faced stigma at three levels: (a) interpersonal, (b) intrapersonal, and (c) structural. Stigma held by others, internalized by youth and embedded in social institutions led to compromised relationships with family and peers, low self-esteem and self-efficacy, reduced help-seeking, and discrimination in school, workplace and health care settings. Implications and potential strategies for addressing these levels of stigma are discussed.
... This topic is important because gender often influences how people with disabilities are engaged within vocational training and employment [10,19]. For instance, a systematic review focusing on the role of gender in employment among youth with disabilities reported that young women with disabilities often lag behind men with disabilities on several health and social outcomes, including lower employment rates and multiple forms of discrimination [10,19,20]. Some research indicates that women vocational rehabilitation consumers are more likely to be placed with a lower starting wage and receive less job readiness training, on-the-job training, job search assistance, and job placement assistance than men [8]. ...
... Although several studies highlight a critical need for gender-specific vocational support for youth with disabilities [23][24][25], relatively little attention has been given to gender within the context of disability and employment [20,[26][27][28]. The few studies exploring gender and employment among youth with disabilities note differences in employment outcomes or pay [10,19]. ...
Background: Although there is a need for gender-specific health care, especially within the context of vocational rehabilitation for youth with disabilities, clinicians, trainees, and community service providers commonly report lacking training in gender-sensitive approaches. Therefore, an educational tool designed for clinicians working with youth, that addresses how to approach such issues, could help clinicians to augment the care they provide.
Objective: The objective of our study was to conduct a pilot evaluation of an educational simulation for health care and service providers focusing on gender-sensitive approaches within the context of supporting youth with disabilities in vocational rehabilitation.
Methods: We conducted a survey from May to September 2021 to assess the relevance of the simulation content, preliminary perceived impact on gender-sensitive knowledge and confidence, and open-ended feedback of a web-based gender-sensitive educational simulation. A total of 12 health care providers from a variety of professions who had experience working with youth in the context of vocational rehabilitation participated in the survey (11 women and 1 man).
Results: Most participants reported that the content of the simulation was relevant and comprehensive. The majority of participants reported that the simulation helped to increase their perceived knowledge or understanding of the topic, changed their perceived understanding of their intervention or approach, and informed their perceived confidence. Our qualitative findings from the open-ended questions highlighted three main themes: (1) relevance of the simulation content, (2) perceived impact for clinical practice (ie, gender-sensitive language and communication and building rapport with patients), and (3) perceived impact on organizational processes (ie, practices, policy, and privacy).
Conclusions: Our educational simulation shows preliminary potential as an educational tool for service providers working with youth who have a disability within the context of vocational rehabilitation. Further research is needed to assess the impact of the tool with larger samples.
... Lacking workplace accommodations is a factor contributing to employees leaving the workforce. Despite the known benefits of workplace accommodations [110][111][112], they continue to be difficult for many people with disabilities to obtain [113][114][115]. While previous research has shown that there are various obstacles to receiving workplace accommodations, including difficulties with disclosure due to ableism or fear of ableism [113,114,116], our review found that racial discrimination can also play a role. ...
... Despite the known benefits of workplace accommodations [110][111][112], they continue to be difficult for many people with disabilities to obtain [113][114][115]. While previous research has shown that there are various obstacles to receiving workplace accommodations, including difficulties with disclosure due to ableism or fear of ableism [113,114,116], our review found that racial discrimination can also play a role. As a step toward reducing barriers to receiving workplace accommodations, further research is needed to understand how racism interacts with ableism to shape the availability (or lack thereof) of workplace accommodations for people with disabilities. ...
Purpose: Research has shed light on the employment barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, and by racialized people. The challenges faced by people belonging to both marginalized groups are less well-understood. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine existing research on labour market and workplace experiences of racialized people with disabilities, and to identify how ableism and racism intersect to shape employment experiences and outcomes.
Methods: Seven international databases were searched, covering the period from 2000 to April 2022. Four reviewers independently conducted the screening, and data extraction and analysis were performed on 44 articles that met our inclusion criteria.
Results: The findings highlighted rates of workplace ableism and racism (including discrimination allegations and perceived discrimination); types and forms of experiences arising from the intersection of ableism and racism (including unique individual stereotyping and systemic and institutional discrimination); and the role of other demographic variables. The intersection of ableism and racism impacted labour market outcomes, well-being in the workplace, and career/professional advancement.
Conclusions: Our review highlights the need for greater in-depth research focusing explicitly on the intersection of ableism and racism (and of other forms of discrimination), to better understand and address the barriers that racialized people with disabilities face in employment.
... Summers (2014) asserts that PWDs who are employed are happier, healthier, and more productive. PWDs who maintain employment also have enhanced physical and psychological health (Coffey et al., 2014;Lindsay, Cagliostro, & Carafa, et al., 2018;Washington, 2018). The inclusion of PWDs in the workplace not only benefits PWDs, but it also benefits coworkers and employers themselves in decreasing the organizational costs of hiring and overall productivity (Hartnett et al., 2011). ...
... The finding is consistent with past research positing that a proactive behavior from the employee's end can serve as a facilitating factor in requesting accommodations (Stoddard, 2006). Additionally, an employee's ability to self-advocate and have adequate knowledge of their workplace rights have been seen as major facilitating factors in requesting accommodations (Lindsay, Cagliostro, & Carafa,et al., 2018;Lindsay, Cagliostro, Leck, et al., 2018). ...
Individuals with mobility disabilities still experience challenges in the workplace. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act protect persons with disabilities by mandating that their employers provide reasonable accommodations. Generally, workplace accommodations are beneficial to the employees and the workplace and are cost-efficient. However, there remains a lack of access to accommodations among people with mobility disabilities. This study examined types of accommodations, and barriers and facilitators for requesting workplace accommodations among 144 employees with mobility disabilities through a content analysis approach. The frequently requested accommodations include flexible schedule, assistive technology, and physical alteration to office space. The reported facilitators in requesting accommodations entail employer/supervisor support and compliance of employers with accommodation provision, disability acceptance and supportive workplace environment, and employees being knowledgeable and proactive in requesting accommodations. The top three barriers in requesting accommodations include physical and systematic barriers in the workplace, employee fear of disclosing disability or requesting accommodations due to stigma, and employee fear of cost and financial resource to cover accommodations. Therefore, rehabilitation professionals should empower employees and promote education and awareness of the accommodation needs of people with mobility disabilities in the workplace.
... Ensuring gym staff are competent in facilitating the participation of people with disability is known to encourage greater numbers of people with disability to exercise and was recognised by the study participants [9,40]. Staff valued disability inclusion training they had received, were interested in further training and recognised the need for training updates for those working in the health, recreation and leisure industries, incorporating content on potential factors that assist and hinder participation [7,12,47,48]. ...
... Physical infrastructure was regarded as key in the delivery of services with some buildings not being fully fit for purpose, precluding access and exercise participation and with the risk of psycho-emotional disablism, resulting from the signal this sent to people with disability [21,51]. As recommended, efforts should be directed at establishing and meeting universal accessibility guidelines for physical activity facilities [10, 47,48]. Our study participants noted the need to involve staff in the design process, but even more important is consultation with people with a range of disabilities to consider their needs, values and preferences [10, 52,53], aligning with empowering, user centred and inclusive design principles [54]. ...
Purpose:
To explore gym staff perspectives on the inclusion of people with disability in the gym setting.
Materials and methods:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 staff at four urban gym facilities, exploring perspectives on disability inclusion. An interpretive descriptive approach was adopted with reflexive thematic analysis of interview data and subsequent mapping of themes to the socioecological model.
Results:
Consistent with the socioecological model, the themes identified were "people with disability benefit from participation in gym settings" (personal); "positive interactions with people with disability" (interpersonal); "managing expectations of other gym users" (interpersonal); "inclusion is supported by a positive ethos, staff training and accessible facilities" (organisational); "people with disability lack awareness of inclusive exercise opportunities" (community); "desire to increase collaboration with healthcare professionals" (community); "access to transport can facilitate gym attendance" (community) and "local gym policy" (policy).
Conclusion:
Although an overall ethos of inclusion was apparent, areas identified for enhancement were: awareness of gym services in the community; inter-sectoral collaboration with healthcare and disability organisations; comprehensive disability inclusion training; transport systems and accessibility; engaging people with disability in gym service planning. Implications for rehabilitationGym staff value collaboration with healthcare and rehab professionals to support inclusion of people with disability in exercise.Standardised disability inclusion training for gym staff is recommended.Individuals with disability should be empowered to contribute to the development of inclusive gym facilities and services.Rehab professionals have a role to play in raising awareness and advocating for inclusive exercise opportunities.
... In terms of barriers and obstacles for accessing a job in the disability field, previous literature has highlighted the role of stigma, discrimination (Garrido-Cumbrera & Chacón-García, 2018;Lindsay et al., 2018;Silva et al., 2019), and disinformation (Silva et al., 2019). Other contextual barriers in the literature are non-accessible workplaces, inappropriate public transit, and challenging training (Lindsay et al., 2018;Ordóñez, 2011), difficult of diagnosis, lack of figure of support at work (Ordóñez, 2011;Silva et al., 2019), and lack of knowledge in the organizations (Silva et al., 2019). ...
... In terms of barriers and obstacles for accessing a job in the disability field, previous literature has highlighted the role of stigma, discrimination (Garrido-Cumbrera & Chacón-García, 2018;Lindsay et al., 2018;Silva et al., 2019), and disinformation (Silva et al., 2019). Other contextual barriers in the literature are non-accessible workplaces, inappropriate public transit, and challenging training (Lindsay et al., 2018;Ordóñez, 2011), difficult of diagnosis, lack of figure of support at work (Ordóñez, 2011;Silva et al., 2019), and lack of knowledge in the organizations (Silva et al., 2019). The sum of these negative aspects generates occupational segregation and marginalization mechanisms that diminish the valorization of this group of people (Quiñones & Rodríguez, 2015). ...
In Chile, labor inclusion for people in the situation of disability is low. By using the Second National Survey of Disability in Chile and running a logistic regression model (N=2,618), this study explores how sex, education, age, and level of functional dependency are associated with the probability of people in the situation of disability of having work. Findings suggest that being a woman with a disability or being older reduces the probability of having work. Besides, having more years of education increases the probability of it. Implications for critical social policies are also discussed.
... Our findings provide evidence that young workers with rheumatic disease may start their career in work environments where supports are less accessible (18,35). Results can be explained by Canadian labor market analyses which show that, when compared to older age groups, young adults are more likely to be employed precariously and in jobs where formal accommodations and extended health benefits are less likely to be provided (20,36). Additional research is required to expand on the barriers and facilitators within the work environment that may be unique to young adults with rheumatic disease and determine access to workplace supports. ...
... Additionally, having a rheumatic disease at a young age, which may be invisible to others, could be associated with unique challenges communicating health needs. Past studies have found that young adults with rheumatic disease may choose to not disclose to protect themselves from the potential of a negative reaction from a supervisor or to ensure that they are not excluded from career advancement opportunities (e.g., job upskilling, business travel) (7,36). Our results draw greater attention towards the development of resources that are directed to the unique needs of young people with rheumatic disease to understand the pros and cons of communicating health needs at work (20). ...
Background
Young adults with rheumatic disease face challenges communicating health needs, accessing workplace support and sustaining productivity. We examine whether disclosure modifies the relationship between workplace support and presenteeism.
Methods
An online survey was administered to Canadian young adults with rheumatic disease and asked about presenteeism (0=health had no effect on work; 10=health completely prevented working), workplace support need, availability and use and whether health details were disclosed to an immediate supervisor. A multivariable robust linear regression model was conducted and stratified by those who did and did not disclose the details of their health to their supervisor.
Results
306 participants completed the survey with a mean presenteeism score of 4.9 (SD = 2.3). Over 70% disclosed health details to their supervisor; those who disclosed reported greater presenteeism (mean=5.2; SD=2.5) when compared to those who did not disclose (mean=4.2; SD=2.61). Greater disease severity was associated with disclosure. Half of participants reported unmet workplace support needs (53%), 32% reported that their workplace support needs were met and 15% reported exceeded workplace support needs. The relationship between presenteeism and workplace support needs were modified by disclosure. For participants who disclosed, unmet (β= 1.59, 95% CI 0.75, 2.43) and met workplace support needs (β= 1.25, 95% CI 0.39, 2.11) were associated with greater presenteeism when compared to those with exceeded workplace support needs.
Conclusion
To address presenteeism, strategies should be developed for young adults with rheumatic disease to foster access to available workplace supports and navigate disclosure decisions.
... We will use a mixed method design in which qualitative data (ie, focus groups with a pre-post survey and mentored discussion forum) are collected to understand the contextual factors during the intervention that could affect outcomes or explain results (through pre-post questionnaires) [49,50]. The rationale, design, and content of our intervention are based on several systematic reviews that focused on the benefits of hiring people with disabilities [1], workplace disclosure and accommodation requests for youth with disabilities [51,52], the role of gender in finding and maintaining employment among youth with disabilities [53], vocational interventions for youth with disabilities [54], mentorship programs to facilitate transition to employment for youth with disabilities [55], and a review of electronic mentoring programs and interventions for youth with disabilities [56]. Needs assessments of youth with disabilities, employers (eg, disability awareness/confidence), and clinicians regarding disclosure and accommodations were also conducted in an earlier phase of this study [57][58][59][60]. ...
... Our previous systematic reviews and needs assessments revealed that youth with disabilities wanted more information about workplace rights [51,57]. Therefore, we developed an interactive tool that specifically addressed this (Multimedia Appendix 1). ...
Background: Youth with disabilities encounter many challenges during their transition to adulthood including finding employment. Jobs are often inaccessible and youth often face a lack of support, discriminatory attitudes, and sometimes low self-confidence. Therefore, it is critical to help youth to enhance their self-determination skills to advocate for their needs in the workplace.
Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe how an online toolkit, aimed to improve self-determination in advocating for youth's needs (including disability disclosure and accommodation requests to employers), was co-created with youth with disabilities.
Methods: We will use a mixed method design in which qualitative data (i.e., focus groups and mentored discussion forum) are collected to understand the contextual factors during the intervention that could affect outcomes or explain results through the pre-post questionnaires. Fifty youth with disabilities, aged 15-24, will be recruited.
Results: Data collection is in progress. Planned analysis include focus groups and pre-post surveys to determine the impact of the intervention on self-determination. A qualitative content analysis of the focus groups and all the open-ended survey questions will be conducted to understand the impact of the toolkit.
Conclusions: Our online toolkit includes evidence-informed content that was co-created with youth who have a disability. It has potential for educational and vocational programming for youth with disabilities.
... In the analyses, only employers who are aware of having employed a young person with mental health challenges are represented as having such an experience. People with invisible disabilities such as mental health problems can choose whether and when to disclose such information to their employers (Lindsay, Cagliostro, & Carafa, 2018;Norstedt, 2019;Prince, 2017). The employers who report that they have hired someone with mental health problems are possibly more preoccupied with creating an inclusive working environment, which is an important factor for disclosure. ...
... Furthermore, research indicates that employers who have experience in hiring disabled people are less uncertain about their work capacity and health-related absence (Svalund & Skog Hansen, 2013). As discussed, however, unless employees disclose their mental health problems, which often also presuppose that enterprises are attentive to creating an inclusive working environment, employers will most likely be unaware of having hired someone with such problems (Lindsay et al., 2018;Prince, 2017). Nonetheless, the association between experience and inclusiveness towards young people with mental health problems suggests potential positive effects of the initial employment of persons with such problems (cf. ...
People with mental health problems face barriers to labour market inclusion. In this study, we investigate the extent to which employers are attentive and willing to include young people with mental health problems. The study contributes to existing knowledge by exploring contextual factors that shape employers’ hiring behaviour. The findings show that taking on a social responsibility to contribute to an inclusive working life (as indicated by having entered the Norwegian Inclusive Working Life Agreement) and the degree to which recruitment practices are formalised (as indicated by labour market sector) is positively associated with enterprises’ inclusiveness towards young people with mental health problems. However, the general tendency is that few enterprises focus on including young people with mental health problems. Likewise, only a few enterprises would invite a qualified applicant with such problems to a job interview. Thus, our study supports research suggesting that employer reluctance towards hiring persons with mental health problems contributes to the latter's labour market disadvantages.
... Research illustrates that the process of disclosing a disability is complex, and many people with disabilities are often hesitant to do so (Lindsay et al., 2018b;Santuzzi et al., 2019). Barriers to disability disclosure often relate to the type and severity of disability, lack of self-advocacy skills, fear of stigma and discrimination and employers' lack of knowledge about disability (Lindsay et al., 2018c;Lyons et al., 2018). Studies focusing on the perspectives of people with disabilities highlight that they encounter many barriers in the workplace, including negative attitudes, discrimination and exclusionary environments (Fevre et al., 2013;Ren et al., 2008). ...
... The initial discussion with participants (before the development of the simulation content) was informed by a needs assessments and systematic reviews conducted by our team, which focused on disability disclosure among people with disabilities (i.e. first-hand experiences) and employer perspectives of including people with disabilities in the workplace (Lindsay et al., 2018d(Lindsay et al., , 2019aLindsay et al., 2018c;Lindsay and Cancelliere, 2018). Specifically, our Disability disclosure simulation discussion addressed research evidence about disability awareness, initiating disclosure discussions, creating inclusive environments and the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. ...
Purpose: Many employers struggle with how to have a disability disclosure discussion with their employees and job candidates. The primary purpose of this study was to identify issues relevant to disability disclosure discussions. In addition, we explored how simulations, as an educational tool, may help employers and managers.
Design/methodology/approach: Seven participants (4 employers and 3 human resource professionals) took part in this study. We used a qualitative design that involved two focus group discussions to understand participants’ experiences of building a simulation training scenario that focused on how to have a disability disclosure discussion. The simulation sessions were audio-recorded and analyzed using an open-coding thematic approach.
Findings: Four main themes emerged from our analysis. Three themes focused on issues that participants identified as relevant to the disability disclosure process including: (1) creating a comfortable and safe space for employees to disclose; (2) how to ask employees or job candidates about disability; and (3) how to respond to employees disability disclosure. A fourth theme focused on how simulations could be relevant as an educational tool.
Originality/value: Developing a simulation on disability disclosure discussions is a novel approach to educating employers and managers that has the potential to help enhance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Further, the process that we followed can be used as a model for other researchers seeking to develop educational training scenarios on sensitive diversity and inclusion topics.
... While formal requests for job accommodation are the standard procedure for employers to adjudicate necessary adjustments for workers with disabilities, this formal administrative process can be cumbersome when needs are intermittent or episodic [15], when accommodations involve changes to organizational processes or occasional co-worker assistance [9], or when symptoms do not translate easily into discrete physical workload alterations [17]. There is also evidence that some workers fail to request accommodations because of negative experiences or concerns related to privacy, stigma, or disclosure [18,19]. In one study of 408 US workers with disabilities, informal accommodation strategies were more frequently reported (52.7%) than were formal requests for accommodation under the regulatory provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) [9]. ...
Purpose Evidence suggests that workers manage health-related challenges at work, in part, by using available leeway to perform work differently. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Job Leeway Scale (JLS), a new 18-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess worker perceptions of available flexibility and latitude to manage health-related challenges at work. Methods Workers seeking assistance for workplace difficulties due to chronic medical conditions (n = 119, 83% female, median age = 49) completed the JLS along with other workplace and health measures. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and concurrent validity was assessed by associations with related measures. Results Mean item scores ranged from 2.13 to 4.16 within a possible range of 0–6. The EFA supported three underlying factors: organizational leeway (9 items), task leeway (6 items), and staffing leeway (3 items). Internal consistency (alpha) ranged from 0.78 to 0.91 for subscale scores and 0.94 for the total score. The JLS showed moderate correlations with other work outcome measures including work fatigue, self-efficacy, engagement, and productivity. Conclusion The JLS is a promising new measure with initial support for its reliability and validity to assess worker beliefs of available flexibility to manage health symptoms at work, and this construct may have organizational implications for worker support and accommodation.
... These findings complement previous studies in fibromyalgia and chronic illness that found healthy workplace relationships and positive workplace culture increased an individual's self-efficacy to reveal their condition and to discuss required support and workplace accommodations (Lindsay et al., 2018;Munir et al., 2005;Oldfield et al., 2016). Thus, more should be done through educating employers and employees to improve workplace relationships and increase individual's self-efficacy to disclose their conditions and receive support and workplace accommodations. ...
Background:
Working people with osteoarthritis (OA) can experience difficulties at work due to pain and activity limitation.
Objective:
To explore the impact of biopsychosocial factors on work participation in employed people with OA.
Methods:
An explorative, qualitative, semi-structured one-to-one telephone interview study. Employed people living with OA were recruited through an arthritis volunteer database and social media. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis.
Findings:
Participants (n = 15) included people with OA in any joints from mixture of careers. Themes were: (1) Effects of OA on work participation, (2) Impact of workplace support and accommodations on employment, and (3) Importance of clinical support and management.
Conclusion:
Impact of OA on people's work productivity results in a spill over into their home lives. Work transitions and adaptations are not always available. Employers need to be educated to support employees to create a positive work environment and promote available workplace support.
... Moreover, self-advocacy and asking for needed workplace accommodations can help improve job participation and productivity while supporting self-efficacy perception and welfare [14,15]. The literature further showed that individuals with ASD have challenges disclosing their condition and requesting workplace adjustments [16]. However, it provided less information about how individuals with ASD perceive their autism. ...
Finding and retaining employment significantly challenges individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The employment rates of individuals with ASD are described as extremely low, barred by various environmental, occupational, and personal factors. Illness identity is how a person's health condition integrates with their identity and daily life and relates to self-esteem, employment, and quality of life. Adults with ASD may experience challenges developing positive identities within social and work environments, but illness identity has not been studied among this population. This study examines the autism identity of adults with ASD and the relationships to their self-reported work-related self-efficacy and quality of life. Seventeen participants aged 19-47 years diagnosed with ASD completed the Illness Identity Questionnaire, Work-Related Self-Efficacy Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment. Participants reported significantly higher autism acceptance feelings. Negative feelings about living with autism were significantly correlated to lower work-related self-efficacy. Higher levels of enrichment feelings were significantly associated with a higher quality of life. These findings highlight the effect of illness identity on the work-related self-efficacy and quality of life among individuals with ASD. Allied health professionals and educators can assist these individuals in raising their awareness of how they perceive their autism, and in promoting its positive perception.
... In regards to educational supervisors, there is a need for greater recognition and appreciation of trainees with disabilities as belonging to a minority group that faces ongoing bias and discrimination. Previous research indicates that having more knowledge about people with disabilities could help to reduce stereotypes while improving positive attitudes, empathy and social inclusion [83,85]. More support at an institutional and senior leadership level is needed to enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities and particularly engage managers and coworkers to be less discriminatory [86]. ...
Objective(s)
To systematically explore the experiences and impact of workplace discrimination and ableism among healthcare providers and trainees with disabilities.
Data Sources
Systematic searches of seven databases (Ovid Medline, Embase, Healthstar, PsychInfo, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science) were conducted.
Study Selection
Inclusion criteria involved: a sample of healthcare providers or trainees with a disability, an empirical study with an outcome related to discrimination or ableism, published in a peer-reviewed journal from 2000-2021 (without language restrictions). Five reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria and rated the study quality.
Data Extraction
Data were extracted by the first author using a standardized template that aligned with our research objective. Four additional authors reviewed the data table for accuracy.
Data Synthesis
Studies were analyzed following the guidelines for narrative synthesis. Forty-eight studies met our inclusion criteria, representing 13,815 participants across six countries over a 21-year period. The findings highlighted rates and types of workplace ableism, which occurred at the institutional (i.e., inaccessible environments, physical barriers and unsupportive work environments) and individual-level (i.e., negative attitudes, bullying, harassment). The impact of ableism on healthcare providers included difficulty disclosing their condition due to fear of stigma, and effects on well-being and career development.
Conclusions
Our findings revealed a critical need for more research on the experiences of ableism amongst healthcare providers and the impact it has on their well-being. Further efforts should explore mechanisms for including and welcoming people with disabilities in healthcare professions.
Author(s) Disclosures
None.
... Furthermore, increased awareness of LDs by educators and parents/guardians may aid in the attainment of accommodations, which would likely contribute to academic success and in turn prevent or mitigate the potential mental health impacts of academic challenges. Within school or work environments, increased awareness of LDs may also help reduce stigma and disability discrimination and create supportive environments, and thus help prevent mental illness in those with LDs [48][49][50]. Since more individuals with LDs are pursuing higher education than in the past, these measures are paramount in ensuring that they are well-supported in the transition out of secondary school in order to avoid unintentional negative impacts on mental health in emerging adulthood [51,52]. Prevention of and support for mental illness in emerging adults with LDs relies on improved educational and psychosocial resources, policies, and practice within post-secondary institutions and the workplace that adequately prepare and support individuals with LDs. ...
Individuals with learning disabilities (LDs) are more likely to have a mental illness, yet few studies explore this association in emerging adulthood, a developmental period with an increased risk for mental illness. The purpose of the current study was to investigate psychological distress in emerging adults (15–29 years) with and without LDs. The 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health was used (n = 5630), and multiple and logistic regression models with survey weights were computed. Adjusting for demographic, psychosocial, and health covariates, there was no evidence for significant differences in psychological distress among emerging adults with vs. without LDs. However, age and sex were significant effect modifiers. Among emerging adults with LDs, both males (OR = 2.39 [1.01, 5.67]) and those aged 25–29 years (OR = 3.87 [1.05, 14.30]) had an increased odds of clinically relevant psychological distress in comparison to those without LDs. These findings suggest a need for improved awareness and support for prevention of psychological distress among emerging adults with LDs, especially for males and those in later emerging adulthood.
... In regards to educational supervisors, there is a need for greater recognition and appreciation of trainees with disabilities as belonging to a minority group that faces ongoing bias and discrimination. Previous research indicates that having more knowledge about people with disabilities could help to reduce stereotypes while improving positive attitudes, empathy and social inclusion [83,85]. More support at an institutional and senior leadership level is needed to enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities and particularly engage managers and coworkers to be less discriminatory [86]. ...
Purpose: People with disabilities experience concerning rates of ableism and are significantly under-represented within healthcare education and professions. Focusing on healthcare professions is important for enhancing the diversity and inclusion of equity-deserving groups within the workforce. The objective of this review was to explore the experiences and impact of workplace discrimination and ableism among healthcare providers and trainees with disabilities.
Methods: Systematic searches of seven databases from 2000 to January 2022 were conducted. Five reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria, extracted the data and rated the study quality. Results: 48 studies met our inclusion criteria, representing 13,815 participants across six countries over a 21-year period. The findings highlighted rates and types of workplace ableism, which occurred at the institutional (i.e., inaccessible environments, physical barriers and unsupportive work environments) and individual level (i.e., negative attitudes, bullying, harassment). The impact of ableism on healthcare pro- viders included difficulty disclosing due to fear of stigma, and effects on well-being and career development.
Conclusions: Our findings revealed a critical need for more research on the experiences of ableism amongst healthcare providers and the impact it has on their well-being. Further efforts should explore mechanisms for including and welcoming people with disabilities in healthcare professions.
... Konselor karir dalam hal ini dapat membantu pegawai disabilitas dalam hal menekankan pada kekuatan/ kelebihan pegawai, menggunakan jejaring rekan, dan membantu pegawai melakukan pendekatan lain agar peluang karirnya berkembang (Jans et al., 2012) membantu pegawai lebih resilien (Bimrose & Hearne, 2012), membantu pegawai untuk menerima keadaan dan memberikan advokasi agar pegawai dapat tetap dalam keadaan sehat dan produktif dalam lingkungan kerja (Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
The purpose of this article is to describe several forms of career counseling services that can be adopted in the implications of civil servant management in central and local government agencies considering that career development is one form of civil servant management as regulated in Law Number 11 of 2017 concerning Civil Servant Management. However, career development does not always go well, various problems faced by employees can be an obstacle to career development. Career counseling as a service that aims to overcome employee problems is expected to be able to help so that the mandate of the Law can be achieved. Counseling aims not only to address pathological problems and provide interventions for those with mental health challenges but also includes the goals of promoting health, personal growth, education, and career development. The method used in this article is to use a Systematic Literature Review involving 15 documents from 2012 to 2018 and to identify 3 forms of career counseling services that are relevant to the management of civil servants, including civil servant career transition counseling, counseling for civil servants with disabilities, counseling for elderly civil servants.
... Further, participants were asked to choose someone they have not yet told, but would like to disclosure to, meaning the chosen disclosure confidant was often someone they already have a personal relationship with, even within the professional context. Future research should aim to understand how psychological and cognitive states are embodied across different professional contexts, including the degree to which the organisational culture is inclusive and welcoming of all identities (Lindsay et al., 2018), whether identity-specific non-discrimination policies are in place (Tejeda, 2006), and the quality of the relationship between the source (employee) and target (supervisor) of the disclosure (Goldberg and McKay, 2015). As this research used novel methods to simulate a disclosure event, the opportunity for testing further research questions that were previously unattainable are ample. ...
A concealable stigmatised identity (CSI) is any identity that can be hidden but, if revealed, can be potentially socially devaluing (e.g., sexual minority). Those living with a CSI have opportunities to disclose their identities to friends and family members or within professional contexts. According to the disclosure processes model, people adopt either approach-oriented or avoidance-oriented goals when self disclosing. The current study sought to identify how antecedent goals and relationship context are embodied in the dynamics of unintentional behaviours during disclosure. Participants simulated a disclosure event to both close other and professional other targets and were primed with either approach or avoidance-motivations. Postural activity and language were analysed using detrended fluctuation analysis and recurrence quantification analysis. Results revealed that the movement dynamics of participants who were motivated by approach goals exhibited more complex and flexible behaviour compared to those who were motivated by avoidance goals. In addition, there was more recurrent word use towards close others compared to professional others. These results support the supposition of the disclosure processes model that approach-avoidance motivation impacts behaviour and sheds light on the functional differences between relationship contexts on a CSI disclosure experience.
... Recent evidence suggests that employers are less likely to hire people with disabilities compared to those without (Shamshiri-Petersen and Krogh, 2020;Bjørnshagen and Ugreninov, 2021). Even when a candidate with a disability is successful in gaining employment, they still risk facing issues such as reluctance to accommodation requests, workplace discrimination, and inflexible workplace practices (Erickson et al., 2014;Darcy et al., 2016;Telwatte et al., 2017;Lindsay et al., 2018). ...
Despite legislation promoting equal opportunities for people with disabilities in education and employment, evidence suggests that these environments are far from inclusive. While there is a wealth of evidence on the barriers that people with disabilities face in both higher education and the workplace, there is currently a lack of literature that summarizes knowledge on the transition between these two settings. As such, this rapid systematic literature review aimed to identify barriers and facilitators in the transition from higher education to employment for students and graduates with disabilities. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search across three databases (PsycINFO, ERIC, and Web of Science) and included 59 studies for review. The included studies reported on research conducted across 20 countries, reporting on various types of disabilities and on different subject areas and professions. In addition to a quality appraisal, we performed a narrative synthesis on the included studies. From the synthesis, we identified numerous barriers and facilitators, and grouped them into seven themes: disclosure; attitudinal barriers and facilitators; accommodations, accessibility; institutional and organizational barriers and facilitators; discipline-specific barriers and facilitators; and disability-specific barriers and facilitators. Overall, findings suggest that students with disabilities must often work beyond their capacity in order to succeed in higher education and access opportunities for meaningful employment. Findings also suggest there is still much to be done in creating inclusive education and employment environments on an international level. Recommendations from this review include developing inclusive disclosure processes and providing education on disabilities for staff in both the education and labor sectors. Finally, we call for collaboration between higher education institutions, employment sectors, and students with disabilities.
... Prospective, longitudinal research shows that only 23% of high school SWD who attend college receive accommodations (Newman & Madaus, 2015). One barrier to accommodations is students' lack of awareness that services are available in college and the means to go about acquiring them (Lindsay et al., 2018;Toutain, 2019). Many SWD who are accustomed to automatically receiving accommodations in high school may be unaware that support is available in college or they lack experience navigating their college's system to acquire services (Bolt et al., 2011;Marshak et al., 2010). ...
Changes in disability law and professional practice were designed to give individuals with disabilities greater access to protections and services by emphasizing functional limitations and self-reported problems over a formal diagnosis and third-party documentation. It is not known if these changes are associated with increased access to accommodations among college students with disabilities, most of whom struggle academically yet never receive formal support. We examined college students’ access to accommodations as a function of institutional type, selectivity, and cost over time. Although access to accommodations increased from 2.8 to 5.2% over the past 12 years, this change was largely driven by students attending America’s most selective and expensive private institutions. Access to accommodations was significantly lower and remained relatively stable among students attending 2-year public colleges. These findings suggest a Matthew effect in higher education in which students most in need of academic support are increasingly least likely to receive it. We suggest four ways to reduce this access inequality: (1) encourage universal design, (2) facilitate access for students with disabilities from disadvantaged backgrounds, (3) critically evaluate documentation from students without real-world limitations, and (4) insist on evidence of symptom or performance validity before granting accommodations.
... In correspondence studies, it is essential to signal the characteristic of interest in a realistic way that does not compromise external validity (Lahey and Beasley, 2018). For persons with disabilities, the question of whether to disclose their disability is a challenge when applying for work (Lindsay, Cagliostro and Carafa, 2018). Actual applicants might not mention their disabilities in the application to avoid discrimination. ...
Disability is associated with persistent labour market disadvantages. What is not clear is the extent to which these disadvantages result from employers’ discriminatory hiring decisions. Although observational research and laboratory experiments provide indicative evidence of its existence, few studies have used randomized field experiments such as correspondence studies to investigate the occurrence of disability discrimination. This article extends current knowledge by presenting the results of a correspondence study used to measure discrimination against wheelchair users in a new context: the Norwegian labour market. In the experiment, 1,200 fictitious applications with randomly assigned information about the applicants’ disability status were sent in pairs to 600 private sector employers with job openings. The experiment documents negative effects of disability on callbacks from employers across various occupations. The findings suggest that discrimination in hiring processes is a mechanism through which disability-related inequality in employment outcomes is perpetuated.
... I hate making requests for 'reasonable adjustments', despite being within my rights to do so, under the Equality Act 2010. It is not uncommon for disabled people to be reluctant to disclose an impairment or to ask for accommodations within the workplace (Lindsay et al., 2018). For me, this reluctance stems from negative experiences of doing so in my previous workplace, and internalised ableism that tells me that I need to be at least as good as, if not better than, my non-disabled workmates to 'make up' for any instances of perceived inconvenience I place on my workplace or colleagues. ...
COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused dramatic changes in all aspects of daily life. As the British public was ordered to stay at home, non-essential businesses shut their doors, resulting in an abrupt shift in working practices towards home working. In higher education, university campuses closed to students and staff. In this article, two disabled lecturers working in higher education in the UK reflect on their experiences during this rapid shift in working practices. With a particular focus on how their different impairments intersected with the changes occurring during this time, they employ autoethnography as an emancipatory method to consider the ways in which their working lives were impacted by the decisions made during this period. As well as illuminating their own individual experiences, they use these accounts to consider the wider implications for disabled students and academics. They conclude that, whilst this has been a period of challenge, uncertainty and rapid change, there are also lessons to be learnt regarding accessibility and the possibility for adaptation going forward, for staff and students alike. They suggest that as we emerge from this period of crisis, we need to use these experiences as leverage for positive change; for designing ways of teaching and learning that accommodate everyone, rather than getting swept up in an unthinking pursuit of returning to ‘business as usual’.
... A key social barrier affecting people with disabilities is stigma (Garrido-Cumbrera & Chacón-García, 2018; Lindsay, Cagliostro, & Carafa, 2018). People with disabilities are a part of a socially excluded demographic group in the world (Mulligan & Gooding, 2009). ...
This article identifies the barriers that people with disabilities face in their daily lives and in their surroundings. Using data from the 2017 National Discrimination Survey, we performed a multinomial logit regression model. Our results reveal that people in situations of disability are less likely to access social services and educational opportunities, and to participate fully in work; therefore, they are more prone to earn a lower income to cover their basic needs. One of the main barriers to these individuals is the design of the urban infrastructure, such as streets and sidewalks, and the lack of adequate urban transport, which facilitates or deters transportation. Similarly, our study indicates that this vulnerable group has difficulties covering expenses related to care, therapies, and treatments, so performing basic activities such as bathing, dressing, or eating is difficult for them. In addition, the findings indicate that they perceive economic insecurity and discrimination. For this reason, it is necessary to generate inclusive policies that improve significantly the well-being of people with disabilities.
... Although there has been much written on disclosure of disability in general (e.g. Lindsay, Cagliostro, and Carafa 2018;Lyons et al. 2017;Ryan, Kramer, and Cohn 2016), less is known about disclosure of students with disabilities in higher education (De Cesarei 2015). This is particularly the case with disclosure of invisible disabilities, such as psychosocial disabilities, which may be highly stigmatised and even the existence of which may be contested by certain individuals in the university. ...
Despite there being much research on students with more visible disabilities, this is not the case with students with invisible disabilities such as psychosocial disabilities – especially in university postgraduate settings. Students with psychosocial disabilities have the decision to disclose their status to their research supervisors and this has implications on their relationship. This was a qualitative study interviewing 15 postgraduate students, from two universities in the Western Cape, South Africa, with diagnosed psychological disabilities and who are being supervised by university staff members. Issues of disclosure about their psychosocial disabilities were explored. Nine out of the 15 (60%) respondents disclosed their disability to their supervisor. Discussion of the responses of participants in terms of reasons for not disclosing, positive consequences of disclosing and negative consequences of disclosing are explored. It is argued that this complex issue needs to be addressed on three levels: individual, staff and university levels.
• Points of interest
• The decision to disclose a mental illness is complex in that there are positive and negative consequences to disclosure depending on the context
• Disclosure issues need to be addressed on three levels - individual, staff and university.
• On the individual level it needs to be clear that individuals have a choice to disclose or not and that a one-size-fits all approach in disclosure is not applicable.
• On the staff level it is encouraged that coping skills of supervisors be developed while on the university level it is believed a cultural change to disability needs to be addressed.
• These research findings can begin to inform policy and initiate practical change in the supervision process of students with psychosocial disabilities
INTRODUCTION- Disability is associated with stereotypes that are detrimental in a work context and may explained disabled difficulties to find and keep a job.
OBJECTIVE- This paper’s aim is to posit and test a model of judgment about disabled people that enhanced classical two-dimensional models (Abele & Wojciszke, 2007; Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002)investigating specific stereotypes about disability.
METHODS- Workers (N= 397) had to evaluate a disabled person presented in a hypothetical vignette on 21 stereotypes generally associated with disability. The disability disclosed in the vignette variates between experimental conditions (i.e. depression, HIV, obesity, hearing problems, chronic low back pain, and dyslexia).
RESULTS- An exploratory factor analysis based on the 21 stereotypes revealed a three-dimensional model (i.e. warmth, competence, and contextual performance). When exploring differences between disabilities, depression was systematically perceived more negatively than the other disabilities tested.
CONCLUSIONS- In addition to competence and warmth dimensions, stereotypes about disabled people articulates on a third dimension: contextual performance. This specific preoccupation about disabled workers is important to consider when trying to understand recruiters’ reluctance when hiring a disabled person. Moreover, this study showed that depression is particularly discriminate even when compared to other stereotyped disabilities.
Evidence reveals that disabled people face discrimination during the hiring process. Nonetheless, knowledge is scarce about how employers and disabled applicants relate to the phenomenon of disability in job interviews. This article explores the understandings of disability emerging from actual job interviews for a company with an expressed diversity policy. By combining the analytical concepts of ‘dialogism’ and ‘staring’, the article illustrates the tendency to use an individualised understanding of disability, thus blocking affirmative understanding and the candidates’ limited agency to perform the role of ‘staree’ in the job interview setting (i.e. advocating for disability as an asset). To facilitate more inclusive hiring practices, employers could explicitly link the diversity statements in their job listings to their inclusion policies in practice to show their concern about staff diversity and work-life inclusion to their candidates.
Disability is a common component of human diversity, yet people with disabilities (PWD) are underrepresented in the workplace despite known benefits to PWD and companies alike. There is an urgent need to promote inclusion of PWD in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to explore employer-perceived challenges and strategies for employing, retaining, and promoting people with physical disabilities (PWPD) and to describe the policies, supports, and job accommodations they provide to PWPD. We administered a cross-sectional, online survey to employers in the Midwestern United States ( n = 53). Employers had an average of 8.5 years of experience in their job roles and represented diverse industries and company sizes. Employers provide a range of job accommodations; however, many reported lacking comprehensive disability policies such as training managers on how to support PWPD, providing employee resource groups for PWPD, and having a specific job accommodation fund. Major challenges reported by employers were related to lacking competencies in supporting employees with physical disabilities. However, employers endorsed the utility of strategies to address these challenges, including providing education and training and increasing buy-in from leadership. Study findings inform employers on ways to best support PWPD and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Autistic adults face alarmingly high rates of unemployment and underemployment. There is limited research regarding employers’ capacity to support autistic persons, how to better understand employers’ needs and their key role in employment processes. In this employer‐focused qualitative study, 14 Australian employers and nine professional experts were interviewed in depth. The identified themes were 1) Employer awareness and knowledge of autism; 2) Autism is a strength rather than a deficit, disorder or disability; 3) Employer empowerment is a key facilitator of change and 4) Autism tools for the employer. These findings highlight the need for ongoing education of employers to strengthen knowledge in the workplace about autism and addressing workplace environmental variables directly. Novel findings were the critical importance of employer self‐care and treating all employees the same.
Purpose:
Little is known about how young adults (YA) with developmental disabilities (DD) and co-occurring mental health conditions navigate workplace disclosure of their mental health condition(s). We sought to understand the guidance professionals provide regarding disclosure and the decisions YA makes about disclosure of mental health conditions.
Methods:
We conducted focus groups with professionals who support YA with DD to attain and maintain employment (n = 17) and individual interviews with YA with DD and co-occurring mental health conditions (n = 12; DD diagnoses: autism, n = 9, other DD, n = 3). We conducted content analysis to identify why, when, what, and to whom YA disclose their mental health condition and guidance provided regarding disclosure.
Results:
YA and professionals described disclosure decisions as largely influenced by perceived needs (i.e., need for accommodations) and anticipated positive (e.g., support) and negative (e.g., stigma, not being hired) outcomes. They largely constrained disclosure to work-relevant content. Many YA disclosed to coworkers with whom they were comfortable, though both YA and professionals agreed that initial disclosure should be limited to supervisors and/or human resources.
Conclusions:
Workplaces may support disclosure-a necessity for the provision of accommodations-by cultivating an inclusive environment and openly demonstrating familiarity and comfort with employees with disabilities.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONProfessionals who support young adults with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions should be well-versed in current laws and regulations on disclosure and reasonable workplace accommodations.Workplace culture is one major factor impacting how disclosure is handled, including whether the disclosure is required at all.Individuals with disabilities and professionals should recognize that timing, content, and decisions to disclose may vary by individuals' needs and workplace supports, and that change may occur over time.
Purpose
There is an increase in medical students with long term conditions applying for accommodations in assessment. Medical school responses to such applications appear inconsistent, possibly reflecting insufficient guidance for policy. We aimed to inform an approach by developing guidance.
Methods
Within a New Zealand and Australian context, we used a four-stage action research methodology: discussion with medical educators and survey of all 21 medical schools, including responding to 22 hypothetical scenarios; developing an approach; applying the approach to the hypothetical scenarios; and seeking feedback from stakeholders on the proposed approach.
Results
Current practice varied among the 13 responding medical schools. Medical schools were consistent in their responses for 10 hypothetical scenarios but inconsistent in 12. An approach based on a matrix of authenticity to practice, including regulatory and employment factors, and feasibility to educational institutions was developed. This was applied to the hypothetical scenarios and highlighted how consistency could be better achieved, and where further discussion between regulators and employers might be needed.
Conclusion
This approach and the matrix based on authenticity and feasibility provides guidance to consider assessment accommodation applications. It highlights the need for discussions among regulators, employers, educational institutions and the disability sector.
To understand the experiences of the disabled in academia, a fully accessible and inclusive workshop conference was held in March 2018. Grounded in critical disability studies within a constructivist inquiry analytical approach, this article provides a contextualisation of ableism in academia garnered through creative data generation. The nuanced experiences of disabled academics in higher education as well as their collective understandings of these experiences as constructed through normalisation and able-bodiedness are presented. We show that disabled academics are marginalised and othered in academic institutions; that the neoliberalisation of higher education has created productivity expectations, which contribute to the silencing of the disabled academics’ perspectives and experiences due to constructions of normality and stigmatisation; and that it is important to enact policies, procedures, and practices that value disabled academics and bring about cultural and institutional changes in favour of equality and inclusion.
(ENG)This study examined the application of social-cognitive career theory(SCCT) to investigate the career preparation process for people with physical disabilities, Specifically, the mediating effect of job self-efficacy on the relationships between degree of disability and career preparation behaviors were investigated. This study analyzed the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled(PSED) data set gathered from 320 unemployed individuals with physical disabilities, aged 19 to 49 years, who were currently looking for a job. Using structural equation modeling(SEM), the results indicated that degree of disability was significantly and negatively associated with levels of job self-efficacy, but had no direct impact on career preparation behaviors. In addition, the relationships between degree of disability and career preparation behaviors were fully mediated by job self-efficacy. These results suggest that it is important to consider levels of job self-efficacy in facilitating the career preparation behaviors for people with physical disabilities.
(KOR)본 연구의 목적은 사회인지진로이론을 바탕으로 신체적 장애를 가진 미취업자의 진로 준비 과정을 탐구하는 것이다. 구체적으로 장애의 정도가 직무기술에 대한 효능감을 거쳐 진로행동에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 이를 위하여 장애인고용 패널조사(Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled: PSED) 참여자 중에서 지체장애나 뇌병변장애를 가진 만 19세부터 49세 이하의 미취업자 중에서 취업을 희망한다고 응답한 320명의 자료를 분석하였으며, 변인 간 관계를 분석하기 위해 구조방정식을 실시하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 장애의 정도가 심할수록 직무기술 효능감에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 장애의 정도가 진로행동에 미치는 직접효과는 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 그리고 장애의 정도가 직무기술 효능감을 매개로 하여 진로행동에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 신체적 장애를 가진 사람들의 진로행동을 촉진하고자 할 때, 이들의 직업적 효능감의 영향을 고려하여 개입하는 것이 보다 효과적일 수 있음을 시사한다고 여겨진다.
While the healthcare aspects of chronic conditions have been well researched, the issues experienced in the workplace for emerging adults with chronic conditions are less understood. With the increase in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and changing technology for self-management, such research is essential. This qualitative study integrates Arnett’s features of emerging adulthood with a social-ecological approach to explore the workplace environment and workplace relationships on T1D management among emerging adults. Participants (n = 12) were assigned into two focus groups that were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were 24 ± 2.24 years old with a mean hemoglobin A1c of 7.9 ± 2.65. Using a thematic analysis four themes were identified: sharing information about their T1D in the workplace, dealing with workplace T1D discrimination, keeping up workplace appearances, and receiving and accepting support in the workplace. Creating an inclusive workplace environment with protective policies may open communication and improve the well-being of those with T1D.
Objective
The aim of this review was to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise evidence on work-related outcomes experienced by younger to middle-aged adults (aged 16–50 years) with arthritis.
Methods
Eligible studies were identified in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL in January 2020. Quantitative and qualitative studies containing self-reported data on work-related outcomes on younger/middle-aged adults with arthritis were included. Quality assessment was undertaken using validated quality appraisal tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute.
Results
Thirty-four studies were identified for inclusion. Work outcomes were organised around five themes: (1) arthritis-related work productivity outcomes, (2) arthritis-related work participation outcomes, (3) other arthritis-related workplace outcomes, (4) barriers to work participation associated with arthritis and (5) enablers to work participation associated with arthritis. Arthritis was associated with work limitations on the Workplace Activity Limitations Scale (average scores ranging from 5.9 (indicating moderate workplace difficulty) to 9.8 (considerable workplace difficulty)), and higher work disability prevalence rates (range: 6%–80%) relative to healthy populations. Arthritis was not associated with decreased absenteeism on the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (mean (SD) 7.9% (14.0%)), indicating low levels of absenteeism, similar to healthy populations. As work outcomes were commonly binary, person-centred (qualitative) perspectives on barriers and enablers augmented the quantitative findings.
Conclusion
Arthritis is commonly associated with poorer work outcomes for younger/middle-aged adults relative to healthy populations. Additional research focusing solely on the workplace needs of younger/middle-aged population groups is required to inform tailored interventions and workplace support initiatives to maximise productive working years.
Purpose
The Government of Canada is adopting the pedagogical practice of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) to help youth develop the career ready skills needed to transition from school to work. As a result, colleges and universities are receiving funding to grow academic programs that link theoretical learning with practical work experience. However, there is limited research about the resources available to students with disabilities who engage in WIL. From an environmental scan of disability supports for WIL on 55 Canadian post-secondary institutions’ websites and survey results from WIL professionals we ask: Do post-secondary institutions in Canada help students with disabilities become career ready? The data reveals that 40% of schools have no reference to disability services for any career related activities and only 18% refer to disability supports for WIL. Survey respondents report they are not being trained nor have access to resources to support students with disabilities in WIL. The authors therefore recommend changes to public policy and resource allocation to ensure colleges and universities provide disability services for all WIL programs, train practitioners about career related disability management, and hire professionals who specialize in supporting students with disabilities in WIL.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an environmental scan of 55 Canadian post-secondary schools with a student population of 10,000 or more and identified services and resources publicly advertised online for students with disabilities in relation to employment and/or WIL activities. From this broad search, codes were developed based on general themes found in the recorded information, such as the location of information and the type of resources and services advertised for students with disabilities. During the environmental scan, the authors also collected names and emails of people listed as working in career and/or WIL departments who received an anonymous survey about their experiences working with students with disabilities.
Findings
As the Government of Canada expands WIL to improve labour market outcomes for youth, the research findings of the authors provide valuable evidence that post-secondary institutions are not supporting youth with disabilities to become career ready. Surprisingly, 40% of post-secondary institutions have no reference to disability supports for career related activities and only 18% reference supports available for engaging in WIL on their websites. In addition, WIL practitioners are not receiving the resources nor training to support this demographic to transition from school to work. This research can provide direction on resource allocation; specifically, the need for disability related supports and dedicated professionals for students who engage in WIL programs in higher education.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of the methodology in scanning public sites is that universities and colleges could have services or supports advertised on sites that can only be viewed by the faculty, staff and students from that school. Thus, it is possible that employment information for students with disabilities is available for those with login privileges. The authors attempted to mitigate this limitation by collecting survey responses about programs and services from WIL practitioners who work at the schools. The authors also did not measure marketing of services on social media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram). Another limitation is that the WIL practitioner survey results are based on their perceptions. The sample size was not randomized, nor can the authors confirm it is a representative sample of all WIL practitioners in Canada.
Practical implications
As countries continue to grapple with how to deal with the intersectionality of disability on an already disadvantaged demographic in the labour market, they must ensure that students with disabilities have access to career ready activities while in school. The authors therefore recommend public policy and resource allocation, not only in Canada but at a global level, that ensures post-secondary institutions: (1) create disability management programs and resources for all WIL and career activities; (2) hire dedicated professionals who specialize in working with students with disabilities in WIL; and (3) provide mandatory training for WIL practitioners on how to support students with disabilities in programs that develop their career ready skills.
Social implications
Preparing students with disabilities to be career ready when they graduate will benefit the Canadian economy. This wasted human capital not only negatively impacts a labour market with an aging demographic, it affects social service programs as Canadians with disabilities are one-third times more likely to live in poverty compared to Canadians without disabilities (Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017). The G20 report also stated that if employment rates for people with disabilities who are able to work were the same as for people without disabilities, economies around the world could increase their GDP by 3–7% (ILO and OECD, 2018).
Originality/value
There is no research in Canada to date that provides a national overview of the services in higher education advertised to support students with disabilities in WIL.
Labor market data indicate that there is a need for skilled employees in several areas. Given the right supports, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can help to fill these positions. This chapter outlines the importance of understanding and integrating the employers’ perspective when improving employment outcomes for individuals’ with ASD. Potential barriers and facilitators to hiring individuals with disabilities are highlighted in this chapter. Current employment practices are presented, as well as employers’ perspectives on hiring individuals with ASD. A summary of employers’ training and support needs in order to successfully improve their employment practices and increase the employment rate of individuals with ASD is presented.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become increasingly important in health care. Clinicians read them to keep up to date with their field [1],[2], and they are often used as a starting point for developing clinical practice guidelines. Granting agencies may require a systematic review to ensure there is justification for further research [3], and some health care journals are moving in this direction [4]. As with all research, the value of a systematic review depends on what was done, what was found, and the clarity of reporting. As with other publications, the reporting quality of systematic reviews varies, limiting readers' ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of those reviews.
Several early studies evaluated the quality of review reports. In 1987, Mulrow examined 50 review articles published in four leading medical journals in 1985 and 1986 and found that none met all eight explicit scientific criteria, such as a quality assessment of included studies [5]. In 1987, Sacks and colleagues [6] evaluated the adequacy of reporting of 83 meta-analyses on 23 characteristics in six domains. Reporting was generally poor; between one and 14 characteristics were adequately reported (mean = 7.7; standard deviation = 2.7). A 1996 update of this study found little improvement [7].
In 1996, to address the suboptimal reporting of meta-analyses, an international group developed a guidance called the QUOROM Statement (QUality Of Reporting Of Meta-analyses), which focused on the reporting of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials [8]. In this article, we summarize a revision of these guidelines, renamed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses), which have been updated to address several conceptual and practical advances in the science of systematic reviews (Box 1).
Box 1: Conceptual Issues in the Evolution from QUOROM to PRISMA
Completing a Systematic Review Is an Iterative Process
The conduct of a systematic review depends heavily on the scope and quality of included studies: thus systematic reviewers may need to modify their original review protocol during its conduct. Any systematic review reporting guideline should recommend that such changes can be reported and explained without suggesting that they are inappropriate. The PRISMA Statement (Items 5, 11, 16, and 23) acknowledges this iterative process. Aside from Cochrane reviews, all of which should have a protocol, only about 10% of systematic reviewers report working from a protocol [22]. Without a protocol that is publicly accessible, it is difficult to judge between appropriate and inappropriate modifications.
This review of 37 studies found that employers continue to express positive global attitudes toward workers with disabilities. However, they tend to be more negative when specific attitudes toward these workers are assessed. Although employers are supportive of the ADA as a whole, the employment provisions evoke concern. When appropriate supports are provided, employers express positive attitudes toward workers with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. Affirming earlier reviews, employers with prior positive contact hold favorable attitudes toward workers with disabilities. Employers' expressed willingness to hire applicants with disabilities still exceeds their actual hiring, although this gap is narrowing. Workers with physical disabilities continue to be viewed more positively than workers with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities.
Although summer offers a natural context for adolescents to gain community-based work experience, little is known about the extent to which youth with disabilities are accessing these transition-related opportunities. We examined the summer employment experiences of 220 youth with high-incidence disabilities at two time points. Although more than half of all youth were employed at some point during the summer, youth with emotional/behavioral disorders and intellectual disabilities worked at significantly lower rates than youth with learning disabilities, and all received limited formal support related to finding and maintaining their jobs. Skill-related factors and spring work experience emerged as prominent predictors of summer employment outcomes. We present recommendations for schools, families, and communities to expand summer employment opportunities for youth with disabilities as an avenue for promoting career development.
This paper is concerned with workplace accommodation and the extent to which people feel able to disclose disabilities at work. Disclosure is central to accommodation in the sense that workers must feel comfortable describing their needs to employers. Where this is not the case � for example, where workers are concerned about the precariousness of their position and the fact that disclosure may result in dismissal � legal requirements for accommodation can be ineffective. To explore this issue, the paper uses qualitative data from interviews with fifty-nine people with physical, learning, psychiatric and sensory disabilities in the Hamilton labour market. Analysis indicates that most respondents viewed disclosure as a risky endeavour, and a significant minority did not disclose due to concerns about not being hired or being dismissed. The conclusion discusses the need for �accommodating workplaces� and the implications for the labour movement.
Background
The percentage of older and chronically ill workers is increasing rapidly in the US and in many other countries, but few interventions are available to help employees overcome the workplace challenges of chronic pain and other physical health conditions. While most workers are eligible for job accommodation and disability compensation benefits, other workplace strategies might improve individual-level coping and problem solving to prevent work disability. In this study, we hypothesize that an employer-sponsored group intervention program employing self-management principles may improve worker engagement and reduce functional limitation associated with chronic disorders.
Methods
In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), workers participating in an employer-sponsored self-management group intervention will be compared with a no-treatment (wait list) control condition. Volunteer employees (n = 300) will be recruited from five participating employers and randomly assigned to intervention or control. Participants in the intervention arm will attend facilitated group workshop sessions at work (10 hours total) to explore methods for improving comfort, adjusting work habits, communicating needs effectively, applying systematic problem solving, and dealing with negative thoughts and emotions about work. Work engagement and work limitation are the principal outcomes. Secondary outcomes include fatigue, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, turnover intention, sickness absence, and health care utilization. Measurements will be taken at baseline, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. A process evaluation will be performed alongside the randomized trial.
Discussion
This study will be most relevant for organizations and occupational settings where some degree of job flexibility, leeway, and decision-making autonomy can be afforded to affected workers. The study design will provide initial assessment of a novel workplace approach and to understand factors affecting its feasibility and effectiveness.
Trial registration
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01978392 (Issued November 6, 2013)
Transition age youth and young adults (TAYYAs) diagnosed with serious mental health conditions (SMHCs) are at greater risk of being unemployed compared to their peers without SMHCs. Job counseling and job placement services are the greatest predictor of competitive employment, yet we have limited knowledge about what TAYYAs believe they need to obtain gainful employment. In person, qualitative interviews were conducted with 57 non-Hispanic and Hispanic TAYYAs with SMHCs enrolled in three vocational support programs in MA (Vocational Rehabilitation, Individual Placement and Support; the Clubhouse Model as described by the International Center for Clubhouse Development). Six themes emerged from the data: three themes were identified as social capital (supportive relationships, readily available workplace supports, and vocational preparation), two themes related to human capital (effective educational supports and work experience), and one theme related to cultural capital (social skills training). Unique features (Spanish-speaking staff and/or familiar in Latino culture, familial-like staff support) were frequently noted by Hispanic TAYYAs.
The PATHS (Postschool Achievement Through Higher Skills) curriculum is designed to address the career development needs of young women with disabilities and other barriers. Participants (N = 110) in a pilot test of the curriculum showed increases in vocational self-efficacy, social efficacy, and awareness of disability/gender issues related to career planning, whereas those in the comparison group did not make similar gains. Qualitative findings from focus groups (N = 68) revealed that PATHS participants improved in self-confidence, self-awareness, ability to identify strengths, knowledge of multiple career options, and the capacity to set goals and plan for future careers.
There are few quantitative studies that show the workplace is experienced in a different way by employees with disabilities. This article fills this gap using data from the British Workplace Behaviour Survey, which found that employees with disabilities and long-term illnesses were more likely to suffer ill-treatment in the workplace and experienced a broader range of ill-treatment. Different types of disability were associated with different types of ill-treatment. The survey also showed who employees with disabilities blamed for their ill-treatment and why they believed the ill-treatment had occurred. Drawing on the existing literature, four possible explanations for ill-treatment are considered: negative affect raises perceptions of ill-treatment; ill-treatment leads to health effects; ill-treatment results from stigma or discrimination; ill-treatment is a consequence of workplace social relations. Although some of these explanations are stronger than others, the discussion shows that more research is required in order to decide between them.
Job accommodation is a multifaceted and interactive process. Stakeholder groups (i.e., employees with disabilities, employers, and in some cases service providers) make decisions about requesting or providing job accommodations based on multiple factors in this process. An understanding of stakeholder differences in their perceptions of these factors may mitigate the myths and misconceptions about accommodations, and facilitate the accommodation process. Stakeholder perspectives on the importance of factors involved in the accommodation process are compared. How these perceptions may affect the likelihood of requesting or providing accommodations is discussed, along with the implications for rehabilitation professionals.
This article provides data from the National EEOC ADA Research Project comparing several aspects of employment discrimination experienced by individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) to that of a group of individuals with other physical, sensory or neurological impairments (GENDIS). Compared with GENDIS, the SCI group was younger with more males and fewer minorities. The SCI group had a significantly higher proportion of resolved complaints involving Hiring, Promotion and Reinstatement and a lower proportion of issues involving Discharge, Reasonable Accommodation, Harassment, Discipline and Intimidation. Allegations of discrimination against people with SCI occurred more often in the Services and Public Administration industries, more often among small employers, and more often among employers located in the South. EEOC findings of "No Cause" in which full investigation fails to support the alleged violation are significantly less common in SCI than in GENDIS. SCI employers were more likely to accept those remedies proposed by the EEOC. Implications and recommendations regarding these findings are provided.
Many people with arthritis become work disabled, but little is known about (a) the types of work barriers they experience and (b) their use of job accommodations. Our objectives were to describe work barriers and use of accommodations and to examine factors associated with accommodation use in persons with arthritis at risk for work disability. Barrier assessment was conducted using the Work Experience Survey. Factors associated with accommodation use were analyzed by logistic regression. The overwhelming majority of the 121 participants (98%) reported having one or more barriers, and 68% reported 10 or more barriers; 38% used an accommodation. Greater functional limitations and self-efficacy for accommodation request were each associated with accommodation use. Even though these employed persons with arthritis faced multiple barriers at work, only a small number used any form of job accommodation.
Introduction:
A qualitative study was carried out to understand how people with a slow progressive adult type neuromuscular disease (NMD) perceive employment participation.
Methods:
16 paid employed persons with NMD were interviewed in open, in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method.
Results:
Four themes were identified in the analyses: (1) Experiences regarding the meaning of work; (2) Solving problems oneself; (3) Reaching a turning point; and (4) Taking into account environmental aspects. Persons with NMD highlighted benefits of staying at work as well as the tension they felt how to shape decisions to handle progressive physical hindrances in job retention. This study shows how participants at work with NMD were challenged to keep up appearances at work and at home, the tension felt around when and if to disclose, the effect of their condition on colleagues and work reorganisation challenges. Participants experienced that disclosure did not always make things better. With increasing disability participants' focus shifted from the importance of assistive products towards considerate colleague, in particular superior's willingness in supporting job retention.
Conclusions:
Implications for health professionals might include awareness of the significant impact of changes in physical condition on employment. Timely communication and if appropriate referral to a health or occupational professional may empower employees with NMD to handle employment issues at a for themselves appropriate way. Assistive products and a supportive superior might enhance employment participation.
Disclosure is recognised as an issue for people of working age with a mental illness. Disclosure may also be an issue for people of working age with physical disabilities and chronic illness who are endeavouring to obtain and retain employment within their diminished work capacity in the open labour market. This paper is based on qualitative research into the employment transition of 13 participants with a range of disabling conditions. The conditions included rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, cancer, depression, HIV/AIDS, fracture of the wrist, traumatic head injury, and intervertebral lumbar disc prolapse. Despite loss of work capacity resulting in loss of employment, the participants secured durable employment within their capacities after periods of time sometimes extending to many years. Participants were interviewed to gain insight into the disability-to-employment transition experience regardless of their diagnosis. Of the 11 psychosocial themes that emerged from the data, concealment was one that was frequently and spontaneously identified by participants. In this paper the theme of concealment in the disability-to-employment transition is explored in detail. Relevant implications are identified for vocational rehabilitation professionals.
Objectives: Determine effects of volunteering with children with disabilities on attitudes toward adults with disabilities; examine predictors of social distance. Setting: Pediatric educational-rehabilitation center. Method: Seventy-one adult volunteers completed measures before and after volunteering for 4 to 10 months with children with physical or hearing impairments. Main outcome variables: Questionnaire measures of social distance, self- and other-focused attitudes, thoughts, and affect toward adults with disabilities. Results: Volunteering decreased social distance and had the greatest impact on comfort and ease, regardless of the group with which participants volunteered. There was little change in thoughts and beliefs about people with disabilities. Social distance was best predicted by an other-focused variable: thoughts about the person with a disability. Conclusions: Working with children with disabilities diminished social distance and improved self-focused aspects of attitudes, thoughts, and feelings. This experience generally did not affect other-focused views, which are important for interaction with peers with disabilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In the UK, the ‘fitness to practice’ criteria that allow regulatory bodies to use health standards to restrict entry to the human professions have resulted in some disabled people being excluded from this workforce. Disclosure of disability is therefore a risky process for those aiming to practice or train in nursing, social work and teaching. This research, commissioned to inform the Disability Rights Commission's Formal Investigation into fitness standards in the professions, was undertaken in 2006–07 and explored experiences of disability disclosure amongst professionals. Interviews with 60 practitioners and students, most of whom had unseen disabilities, revealed considerable variations in the extent of disclosure. Disclosure was perceived as having the potential to exclude participants from their chosen profession. Two overlapping models of disability disclosure emerged from data analysis. The study concludes that abolishing health standards for the professions would increase disability disclosure and decrease the stigma associated with disability.
ABSTRACT—This article asserts that the theory of emerging adulthood is a useful way of conceptualizing the lives of people from their late teens to their mid- to late 20s in industrialized societies. The place of emerging adulthood within the adult life course is discussed. The weaknesses of previous terms for this age period are examined, and emerging adulthood is argued to be preferable as a new term for a new phenomenon. With respect to the question of whether emerging adulthood is experienced positively or negatively by most people, it is argued that it is positive for most people but entails developmental challenges that may be difficult and there is great heterogeneity, with some emerging adults experiencing serious problems. With respect to the question of whether or not emerging adulthood is good for society, it is argued that claims of the dangers of emerging adulthood are overblown, but emerging adulthood is probably a mixed blessing for society.
Purpose:
This study explored whether attitudes towards disability in second year undergraduate physiotherapy students could be enhanced by an on-campus integrated curriculum program.
Methods:
A pre-post design was used. Year 2 (pre-clinical) students participated in a 12-week program focused on optimising attitudes towards people with acquired or developmental neurological disability. The Discomfort subscale of the Interaction with Disabled Persons scale, rated on a six-point Likert scale, was applied prior to and at completion of the 12-week program, and compared to year 4 students, just prior to graduation. Qualitative data from year 2 reflective narratives was also gathered.
Results:
Forty-seven second year and 45 fourth year physiotherapy students participated. The difference in Discomfort subscale scores between weeks 1 and 12 of year 2 was statistically significant (p = 0.0016). The difference in Discomfort subscale scores between year 2 week 1 and year 4 students was also statistically significant (p = 0.040). There was no significant difference in attitudes between students at the end of year 2 and the end of year 4 (p = 0.703). Qualitative data supported the development of more positive attitudes towards neurological disability across the 12 week year 2 pre-clinical program.
Conclusion:
Student attitudes towards people with acquired and/or developmental neurological disabilities can be enhanced through an on campus integrated curriculum program.
We systematically reviewed the literature on the impact of returning to work on health among working-aged adults.
We searched 6 electronic databases in 2005. We selected longitudinal studies that documented a transition from unemployment to employment and included a comparison group. Two reviewers independently appraised the retrieved literature for potential relevance and methodological quality.
Eighteen studies met our inclusion criteria, including 1 randomized controlled trial. Fifteen studies revealed a beneficial effect of returning to work on health, either demonstrating a significant improvement in health after reemployment or a significant decline in health attributed to continued unemployment. We also found evidence for health selection, suggesting that poor health interferes with people's ability to go back to work. Some evidence suggested that earlier reemployment may be associated with better health.
Beneficial health effects of returning to work have been documented in a variety of populations, times, and settings. Return-to-work programs may improve not only financial situations but also health.
Stigma and discrimination present an important barrier to finding and keeping work for individuals with a mental health problem. This paper reviews evidence on: 1) employment-related disclosure beliefs and behaviours of people with a mental health problem; 2) factors associated with the disclosure of a mental health problem in the employment setting; 3) whether employers are less likely to hire applicants who disclose a mental health problem; and 4) factors influencing employers' hiring beliefs and behaviours towards job applicants with a mental health problem.
A systematic review was conducted for the period 1990-2010, using eight bibliographic databases. Meta-ethnography was used to provide a thematic understanding of the disclosure beliefs and behaviours of individuals with mental health problem.
The searches yielded 8,971 items which was systematically reduced to 48 included studies. Sixteen qualitative, one mixed methods and seven quantitative studies were located containing evidence on the disclosure beliefs and behaviours of people with a mental health problem, and the factors associated with these beliefs and behaviours. In the meta-ethnography four super-ordinate themes were generated: 1) expectations and experiences of discrimination; 2) other reasons for non-disclosure; 3) reasons for disclosure; and 4) disclosure dimensions. Two qualitative, one mixed methods and 22 quantitative studies provided data to address the remaining two questions on the employers perspective.
By presenting evidence from the perspective of individuals on both sides of the employment interaction, this review provides integrated perspective on the impact of disclosure of a mental health problem on employment outcomes.
This paper explores the role of supervisors in the process of return to work and job maintenance of workers with disabilities and the implications of this role for the work of rehabilitation counselors. To evaluate the role of supervisors in the adjustment process a comprehensive disability management effort at one worksite was studied in-depth. Surveys were completed by 25 workers with disabilities and their supervisors about the functional limitations caused by the disabling conditions and responsiveness of the supervisors to these limitations. Results show that successful adjustment to work is affected by the ability of supervisors to make accurate assessments of when conditions interfere with job performance, identify problems caused by disabling conditions, develop appropriate accommodations, monitor accommodation effectiveness and facilitate communication between workers with disabilities and their co-workers. Rehabilitation counselors can help to prepare the worksite for client return, assist with the communication and accommodation processes and provide ongoing support for the workers with disabilities.
This paper examines the experiences of graduates with learning disabilities (GLD) transitioning into knowledge-based work in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the messiness in the university-to-work transition for GLD. To do so, this paper draws from interviews conducted with GLD in university and in the labour market. This paper first discusses the rise of the smart worker standard, a standard sensitive to socio-culture norms, in recruitment of knowledge workers. The analysis of this paper examines three key stages of transition, namely: interviewing, employment testing and probationary period. This study’s analysis demonstrates a ‘catch-22’ for GLD where they fear stigmatization through either disclosing their disability and non-disclosure where they risk being perceived as ‘lazy’ or ‘incompetent’. The conclusion provides recommendations to support the transition experiences of GLD.
Background:
Finding and maintaining employment is a major challenge for young adults with physical disabilities and their work participation rate is lower than that of healthy peers. This paper is about a program that supports work participation amongst young adults with chronic physical disabilities. The study aims to explore their experienced barriers and facilitators for finding and maintaining employment after starting this program, the participant-perceived beneficial attributes of the program and participants' recommendations for additional intervention components.
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews (n = 19) were held with former intervention participations. Interviews were recorded and transcribed ad verbatim. Themes were derived using the phenomenological approach.
Results:
Physical functions and capacities, supervisor's attitude, self-esteem and self-efficacy and openness and assertiveness were experienced barriers and facilitators for finding and maintaining employment. Improvement of self-promoting skills and disclosure skills through job interview-training, increased self-esteem or self-efficacy through peer-support, a suitable job through job placement, improvement of work ability through arrangement of adjusted work conditions and change of supervisor's attitude through education provided to the supervisor were perceived as beneficial attributes of the intervention. Respondents recommended to incorporate assertiveness and openness skills training into future intervention programs.
Conclusions:
The findings suggest that programs supporting work participation should be designed to provide challenging, real-world experiential opportunities that provide young adults with physical disabilities with new insights, self-efficacy and life skills. Also, such programs should facilitate context centered learning. Former intervention participants, therefore, evaluated job-interview training, sharing learning and social experiences with peers, job placement, arrangement of adjusted work conditions and education as beneficial attributes of the 'At Work' program. In addition, they recommended, to incorporate more training on assertiveness and disclosure. We advise professionals to include these beneficial attributes in similar interventions in other contexts.
Objectives
This qualitative study examines how and why adolescents living with visible and invisible chronic illnesses choose to share their condition with individuals within their social environments.
Methods
A sample of 25 adolescents were recruited from five subspecialty services: Spina bifida, rheumatology, cardiology, cystic fibrosis, and renal transplant/dialysis. Recruits completed a semi-structured interview designed to explore: (1) to whom adolescents disclose their conditions, (2) motivation and conditions under which they disclose, (3) content of disclosure, and (4) barriers to disclosure.
Results
Family members closely connected to treatment or management are most likely to be primary targets of disclosure. Regardless of social network size, respondents disclosed their illness to few peers. Common reasons for disclosure were perceived trust and shared experience with illness and disability. Reasons for withholding disclosure include perceived fear of rejection, pity, and perceptions of being seen as vulnerable or different.
Discussion
Disclosure was found to be influenced by (a) the visibility of a condition, (b) the anticipated response from the recipient, (c) practical needs, and (d) a decision that disclosure is justified. These findings inform clinical practice, warrant the need for further study, and insinuate practical solutions to combat the socio-emotional impact of nondisclosure among adolescents.
p> Critical disability theory asserts that persons with disabilities ought to have equal access to all aspects of social life and key sites of power, including education and employment. Although provincial and federal laws have resulted in increased numbers of persons with disabilities attending university, many of these students will not obtain the jobs they desire upon graduation, nor feel truly accepted and included within the workforce. This exclusion limits their ability to fully participate in society and adds to the perceived ‘burden’ of disability. This study, which involves interviews with 10 university graduates with disabilities as they made the transition from university to employment, examines: (a) their search for meaningful employment, (b) their experience of discrimination, (c) their concerns about disclosing a disability, and (d) how the transition influenced the construction of their identity. Findings suggest that the state of the employment market does not meet the tenets of the critical disability movement.
Key Words: Disability; Persons with disabilities; school to work transition; post-secondary education; employment; critical disability theory</p
