Lindsay Sally, McDougall Carolyn, Menna-Dack Dolly, Sanford Robyn, Adams Tracey
Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital , Toronto, Ontario , Canada .
Disabil Rehabil. 2015;37(8):701-11. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2014.939775. Epub 2014 Jul 11.
The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which youth with physical disabilities encounter different barriers to finding employment compared to their typically developing peers.
This study draws on 50 qualitative in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 31 youth (16 typically developing and 15 with a disability), and youth employers and job counselors knowledgeable about employment readiness among adolescents (n = 19). We utilize Bronfrebrenner's ecological framework to reveal the complex web of factors shaping youth's labor market outcomes.
Only half of youth with a disability were working or looking for work compared to their peers. The findings show this was a result of different expectations of, and attitudes toward, youth with disabilities. For many youth with a disability, their peers, family and social networks often acted as a barrier to getting a job. Many youth also lacked independence and life skills that are needed to get a job (i.e. self-care and navigating public transportation) compared to their peers. Job counselors focused on linking youth to employers and mediating parental concerns. Employers appeared to have weaker links to youth with disabilities. System level barriers included lack of funding and policies to enhance disability awareness among employers.
Youth with physical disabilities encounter some similar barriers to finding employment compared to their typically developing peers but in a stronger way. Barriers to employment exist at several levels including individual, sociostructural and environmental. The results highlight that although there are several barriers to employment for young people at the microsystem level, they are linked with larger social and environmental barriers.
Clinicians working with youth should promote the development of skills that can lead to improved self-confidence and communication skills for youth. Encourage the development of extracurricular activities and social networking to build these skills and to make contacts for finding employment. Clinicians should support youth with disabilities and their parents in practicing independence skills (such as self-care, self-advocacy and navigating public transportation) they need prior to seeking employment. Vocational rehabilitation professionals should educate youth on how to disclose their condition to a potential employer, how to ask for ask for accommodations and how to market their abilities. Clinicians should help to link youth with disabilities to volunteer opportunities and to employers. Advocate for disability awareness training for employers regarding how to accommodate people with disabilities and the potential they offer in the workplace.
本研究旨在探讨与发育正常的同龄人相比，身体残疾的青少年在寻找工作时遇到不同障碍的程度。
本研究采用了对31名青少年（16名发育正常的青少年和15名残疾青少年）以及了解青少年就业准备情况的青年雇主和职业顾问进行的50次定性深入访谈（n = 19）。我们运用布朗芬布伦纳的生态框架来揭示影响青年劳动力市场结果的复杂因素网络。
与同龄人相比，只有一半的残疾青年在工作或正在找工作。研究结果表明，这是对残疾青年的不同期望和态度导致的结果。对于许多残疾青年来说，他们的同龄人、家庭和社交网络常常成为他们找到工作的障碍。与同龄人相比，许多残疾青年还缺乏找到工作所需的独立性和生活技能（如自我照顾和乘坐公共交通工具）。职业顾问专注于将青年与雇主联系起来，并调解家长的担忧。雇主与残疾青年的联系似乎较弱。系统层面的障碍包括缺乏资金和提高雇主对残疾意识的政策。
与发育正常的同龄人相比，身体残疾的青少年在寻找工作时遇到一些类似的障碍，但程度更为严重。就业障碍存在于多个层面，包括个人、社会结构和环境层面。结果表明，虽然在微观系统层面年轻人就业存在若干障碍，但这些障碍与更大的社会和环境障碍相关联。
与青少年合作的临床医生应促进有助于提高青少年自信心和沟通能力的技能发展。鼓励开展课外活动和社交网络建设，以培养这些技能并建立就业人脉。临床医生应支持残疾青年及其父母练习求职前所需的独立技能（如自我照顾、自我宣传和乘坐公共交通工具）。职业康复专业人员应教导青年如何向潜在雇主披露自身状况、如何要求提供便利以及如何推销自己的能力。临床医生应帮助将残疾青年与志愿者机会和雇主联系起来。倡导为雇主提供关于如何接纳残疾人以及他们在工作场所的潜力的残疾意识培训。
