Consumer and Employer Strategies for Overcoming Employment Barriers. Technical Report.

This report on strategies for overcoming employment barriers for persons with visual impairments summarizes comments and suggestions of 7 focus groups comprised of either consumers (n=49) or employers (n=19). The report first reviews the literature concerning employment barriers and how consumers in previous studies suggested these barriers be overcome, followed by the results and analysis of the consumer focus groups. Then, in a similar fashion, it reviews the literature concerning employment barriers and the focus group suggestions from the employers' standpoint. Barriers discussed are broken down into those concerned with employment, negative attitudes, transportation, print access, and employment preparation. Suggestions address such issues as consumer involvement in the Individualized Plan for Employment, provision of orientation and mobility services, procurement policies and procedures for assistive technology, and counselor willingness to recognize the consumer's "right to fail." Four appendices include the consumer and employer protocols, the consumer and employer background information forms, and the consent form. (Contains 25 references.) (DB)