John Kregel

From School to Work: A Vocational Transition Model for Handicapped Students

The purpose of this paper is to present a three-stage vocational transition model for handicapped youth as they move into adulthood. The model is characterized by the need for secondary programs which reflect a functional curriculum, integrated services, and community-based instruction. The transition process should be initiated well before graduation, should involve parents and adult service representatives, and should be formalized. Postsecondary vocational alternatives should reflect paid employment outcomes and there should be a diversity of options available for mildly, moderately, and severely handicapped youth. Finally, greater follow-up of handicapped students into adulthood by school systems is mandatory if we are to assess how effective our programs are in reducing the extraordinarily high unemployment rate of disabled persons in this country today.

Productive work and employment for persons with traumatic brain injury: what have we learned after 20 years?

This article describes return to work outcomes for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) through a selective review of the published literature and an examination of TBI labor force participation from the Rehabilitation Services Administration 91l and the Social Security Administration Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach databases. Implications and recommendations to further our understanding about the different parts of the work outcome profile of individuals with TBI are offered.

Beyond Section 504: Satisfaction and Empowerment of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

College and university students with disabilities were surveyed to determine their levels of satisfaction with accessibility, special services, and accommodations at their schools. In addition, students were requested to identify barriers to postsecondary education, improvements in services, and other concerns. Respondents generally expressed satisfaction with the services that they had received. However, the majority indicated that they had encountered barriers to their education, including a lack of understanding and cooperation from administrators, faculty, staff, and other students; lack of adaptive aids and other resources; and inaccessibility of buildings and grounds. Recommendations were made for improving the delivery of services and self-advocacy of students with disabilities.

A Supported Work Approach to Competitive Employment of Individuals with Moderate and Severe Handicaps

This article describes the key features of a supported work approach to providing vocational placement and support to persons with moderate and severe handicaps in competitive employment settings. This approach is based on an ongoing longitudinal study of persons with mental retardation who are competitively employed through the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. The importance of competitive employment is emphasized and the four major components of the supported work approach (job placement, job-site training, ongoing monitoring, and follow-up) are outlined in detail. Specific proposals are made for integrating a supported work approach into community-based adult services and secondary special education programs.

At the Crossroads: Supported Employment a Decade Later:

Supported employment has grown rapidly within the past decade, fueled by the consumer empowerment and inclusion movements. The program has resulted in thousands of people with severe disabilities entering the labor force for the first time. Many consumers have expanded their vocational expectations, and employers have developed a new appreciation of the potential contribution individuals with disabilities can make to the workforce. Unfortunately, despite these dramatic gains, the supported employment movement appears to have lost much of its early momentum and is increasingly at a crossroads. This article addresses major challenges that consumers and professionals alike must face. Conversion of day programs to integrated work options, expansion of program capacity, the need to insure consumer choice and self-determination, and the achievement of meaningful employment outcomes in a highly competitive economy are among the challenges that those dedicated to the supported employment movement must solve in the years ahead. Specific recommendations are offered to meet each challenge. Ultimately, the way to expand and reenergize the supported employment initiative will be to educate and empower more consumers and families.

Return to work for persons with severe traumatic brain injury: A data-based approach to program development

This article presents a review of the literature on return to work for individuals with traumatic brain Injury, reported rates for and factors found to influence return to work, such as injury severity, preinjury variables, and postinjury services. The outcomes for 87 Individuals served in a support

Transition from School to Work for Individuals with Severe Handicaps: A Follow-Up Study.

The present study assessed the employment status of 117 transition age young adults with moderate, severe, or profound mental retardation in Virginia. Data were collected by trained interviewers on variables related to employment level, wages earned, types of jobs, assistance available in job identification, and so forth. The findings of this study indicated high unemployment rates of almost 88%, with only 14 of the 117 persons holding competitive jobs in nonsheltered work environments. Wage accumulation was very limited. Implications of these results and other similar studies for future programming are then discussed.

Employment Outcomes for People with Moderate and Severe Disabilities: An Eight-Year Longitudinal Analysis of Supported Competitive Employment.

The efforts of those advocating supported employment have resulted in expansion of the opportunities for people with moderate and severe disabilities in the past several years. Results reported previously on the benefits and costs associated with supported competitive employment have been extended in this article from the 4-year period in the previous analysis to the present 8-year analysis. This is one of the few benefit-cost analyses to be completed on people with mental retardation who have received supported competitive employment services. As in the previous analysis, these figures do not reflect theoretical projections, but direct placement data resulting from a longitudinal program. Our results show a final positive financial consequence accrued to the public of

Return to work for persons following severe traumatic brain injury. Supported employment outcomes after five years.

1,057,000, of which more than

Supported Employment: Promises Deferred for Persons with Severe Disabilities.

525,000 was a direct benefit of placing consumers with moderate and severe disabilities in supported competitive employment. Since this study extended over 8 years, all figures were corrected for inflation and discounting to 1986 (Quarter 1) dollars. By using individual analyses, it was shown that all consumers served benefited financially from the program. Results showed a substantial savings to taxpayers with the utilization of this model, along with significant financial benefits to all consumers, including those with moderate and severe disabilities.