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We conducted a scoping review of the demand-side employment literature to identify promising practices that increase employers' motivation and efforts to recruit and hire people with disabilities (PWD). This scoping review was reported in accordance with the Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Anal-yses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five databases were utilized in our effort to search for demand-side employment articles related to recruiting and hiring of people with disabilities published between 1985 and 2017. After filtering articles based on our search criteria, the final number of articles included in the analysis was 96. An analysis of these articles revealed seven central themes related to employers' motivation and efforts to include people with disabilities in their workforces. These themes include: 1) Employer Attitudes; 2) Disability Employment Legislation; 3) Reasonable Accommodations; 4) Diversity and Inclusion Policies, Procedures and Practices; 5) Past Experiences with Hiring PWD; 6) Company Characteristics; and 7) Recruitment Strategies. Findings of this scoping review provide practical and useful information for rehabilitation counselors, transition specialists, and other disability service providers to engage and assist employers in their efforts to recruit and retain qualified employees with disabilities. Keywords: demand-side employment, recruitment, retention, people with disabilities, disability inclusion, and employer practices, According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 56.7 million people (18.7%) of the civilian non-institutionalized population had a disability in 2010 (Brault, 2012). However, less than half of people with [...]

Social distancing currently in place to reduce community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in negative structural, social, psychological, and financial consequences. Loneliness is linked to adverse mental health and health outcomes, and facing COVID-19 can increase feelings of stress and loneliness. In this study, we aimed to gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 affects mental health in vulnerable populations. Data from 269 individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions (mean age 39.37; 56.1% male; 84.0% white) were collected to understand whether loneliness mediates the relationship between perceived COVID-19 stress and maladaptive COVID-19 coping strategies among people with disabilities and chronic health conditions. The findings suggest that loneliness serves as a partial mediator between perceived COVID-19 stress and maladaptive COVID-19 coping. Implications of the findings for public health and rehabilitation intervention for individuals with disabilities are discussed., There are a number of individual and environmental influences that contribute to college persistence and graduation of students with disabilities (SWD). On an individual level, they include a student's ability [...]

This study examined the extent to which physical and emotional functioning mediated the relationship between psychological well-being (PERMA) and the career domains of the Illinois Work and Well-Being Model (IW2M) in a group of young adult central nervous system (CNS) cancer survivors. The participants consisted of 81 young adult survivors of childhood CNS cancer aged between 18 and 24 years old (M = 18.90, SD = .97). Participants were asked to fill out the research packet containing demographic information and research instruments. The PROCESS macro written by Hayes was used to estimate the total, direct, and indirect effects of psychological well-being on job awareness, job acquisition and job maintenance through emotional and physical functioning. Study finding suggest that physical and emotional functioning have a differential impact on specific career development factors and that psychological well-being was also found to have a significant impact on each of the three career development domains. Overall, the study findings are consistent with the IW2M that indicates that an individual's perceived level of functioning impacts career development factors and that positive psychology constructs, such as psychological well-being, may also be implicated in perceived functioning and the career development process of young adult CNS cancer survivors. Career and vocational interventions targeting young adult CNS cancer survivors should focus on increasing psychological well-being as well as increasing physical and emotional functioning. In addition, career interventions should consider the differential impact across the career domain., Researchers are increasingly interested in understanding how treatment-related late effects including psychosocial, physical, and emotional concerns impact childhood cancer survivors' social functioning and quality of life. Engaging in career development [...]

In describing behaviors exhibited by some individuals applying for rehabilitation services, the terms impulsivity or impulse control are used. However, these terms are often used without a clear understanding of the construct of impulsivity and the underlying mechanisms associated with limited impulse control. In order to provide services consistent with customer needs, rehabilitation service providers should understand what the term impulsivity is describing and how to best assess an individual's ability to control impulses. Recommendations for referrals and rehabilitation planning regarding individuals who display impulsive behaviors are provided., The demographics of individuals applying for rehabilitation services have changed in the last several decades (Lee, Chronister, Tsang, Ingraham, & Oulvey, 2005). This shift in the applicant population has required [...]

Negative perceptions and attitudes toward persons with disabilities persist. These invisible barriers serve to limit social interactions with persons with disabilities and fuel the reciprocity of negative attitudes. Research suggests that social proximity to disability is a major factor affecting how these attitudes manifest themselves. A sample of 218 undergraduate students completed the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP), a direct measure of attitudes toward people with disabilities. Study findings suggest that representation of persons with disabilities in leadership roles in work, education, and other social settings may promote greater attitudinal shifts toward persons with disabilities than contact with persons with disabilities in non-authoritarian roles., There are approximately 54 million persons with disabilities in the United States and they represent one of the largest minority groups (National Council on Disability, 2005). As with other groups [...]

The experience of stress by persons with and without disabilities is common. As cumulative experiences of stress overwhelm coping abilities, distress develops. Theoretical models of career counseling have attempted to minimize the discordance between individuals and their work environments, in part to reduce the experience of stress. However, as work environments continue to change, so too will the experiences of persons with disabilities in employment. A concern in providing rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities is their experience of stress and potentially, distress, due to the dynamic interaction between the person and the work environment. The authors provide a review of the Demand-Control-Support framework and the Person x Environment fit model and how incorporating a Demand-Control-Support framework into this model can facilitate the potential for stress reaction of individuals to the work environment. Key aspects of individuals with disabilities and work environments are identified through the use of Demand-Control-Framework that rehabilitation professionals can review in development of rehabilitation plans., Stress, a psychological construct that people experience on a daily basis, can provide both positive and negative benefits to individuals (Quick, Murphy, & Hurrell, 1992). For instance, Gruen et al. [...]

Objective: Prior research suggests that small businesses are less likely to employ people with disabilities compared to large companies because they may not have the practical knowledge to promote an inclusive and accessible workplace. The goal of this study is to demonstrate a method of facilitating a disability inclusive mindset in small businesses through a case study of two small businesses known for their mission-driven leadership. Research Design: An inductive qualitative case study approach was utilized to develop a comprehensive understanding of two small businesses in the Midwest and their approach to recruiting, hiring, and retaining people with disabilities as employees. Information was obtained primarily through individual interviews with the business owners. Results: Results suggest that both companies were successful in hiring and retaining employees with disabilities through a mission-driven business, a person-first approach, and dynamic leadership. Both companies perceived employing people with disabilities as a primary business goal, and their focus on employees' strengths allowed for a successful pairing of employees' abilities to workplace needs. Conclusions: Results indicate that small businesses led by dynamic leadership can successfully employ people with disabilities while improving workplace climate, creating meaningful products, and operating in line with their missions and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a scoping review of the demand-side employment literature to identify promising practices that increase employers' motivation and efforts to recruit and hire people with disabilities (PWD). This scoping review was reported in accordance with the Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Anal-yses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five databases were utilized in our effort to search for demand-side employment articles related to recruiting and hiring of people with disabilities published between 1985 and 2017. After filtering articles based on our search criteria, the final number of articles included in the analysis was 96. An analysis of these articles revealed seven central themes related to employers' motivation and efforts to include people with disabilities in their workforces. These themes include: 1) Employer Attitudes; 2) Disability Employment Legislation; 3) Reasonable Accommodations; 4) Diversity and Inclusion Policies, Procedures and Practices; 5) Past Experiences with Hiring PWD; 6) Company Characteristics; and 7) Recruitment Strategies. Findings of this scoping review provide practical and useful information for rehabilitation counselors, transition specialists, and other disability service providers to engage and assist employers in their efforts to recruit and retain qualified employees with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement structure and construct validity of a brief measure of employment readiness that was based on the Stages of Change (SOC) theory. The study sample consisted of 277 state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) clients from several states. Results of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed that the employment readiness scale comprised four distinct factors contained in the SOC theory: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, and action. Correlational analyses revealed that participants' levels of employment readiness were associated with other important indices of VR success (i.e., job-seeking self-efficacy, job performance self-efficacy, positive outcome expectations, VR engagement). Implications for future research and practice are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]