Social Role Valorization and Employment of People with the Most Significant Disabilities

Social Role Valorization (SRV) posits that social roles influence how society perceives the value of individuals. Employment is a valued integrating influence that moves people from devalued social roles to the valued role of employee. Customized Employment and the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) models of supported employment are practices that lead to successful employment outcomes for people with the most significant disabilities. Aligning supported employment with the principles of SRV is needed to transform supported employment to increase employment access and outcomes for people with the most significant disabilities, thereby moving them into valued social roles. Keywords: Social Role Valorization, supported employment, individuals with the most significant disabilities, interagency collaboration, vocational rehabilitation
Stigma theory argues that the barriers faced by people with disabilities come from inequalities, negative attitudes, and devalued social roles caused from stigmatization rather than a diagnosis (Thomson, 1997). Stigmatization [...]