Pursuing Productivity: Employment Experiences of College/University Graduates with Disabilities in The Bahamas

Graduates who have disabilities experience difficulty finding their first job after completing college. The transition-age period of 18 to 30 is a stage of life when receiving vocational rehabilitation (VR) support is critical to increase chances of graduates with disabilities towards competitive employment and earnings. Current literature suggest that VR is essential and has been proven to be beneficial in the lives of transition-aged youth and young adults with disabilities. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the employment experiences of transition-aged Bahamian college/university graduates with disabilities from the perspectives of adults who either successfully navigated this transition or who still faced challenges with obtaining and/or maintaining employment. Research questions focused on the lived experience of employment preparation, employment barriers, and VR needs. Criterion-based sampling was used to identify five participants who had one or more disabilities, who experienced job search and/or employment since November 2014, and who were between the ages of 18 and 30 when they graduated from college/university and began their employment pursuits. Five graduates with disabilities, aged 24 through 37, were interviewed twice. Ten interviews were conducted in total. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed based on themes that emerged from the data. Five themes were revealed in response to each research question. Research question one, on employment preparation, revealed themes concerning: (a) family, (b) friends and peers, (c) professionals, (d) upskilling, and (e) updating resume. Research question two, on employment barriers, revealed themes on: (a) inaccessibility, (b) limited accommodations, (c) COVID-19 pandemic, (d) no employer response, and (e) self. Research question three, on factors that would help to achieve competitive integrated employment, revealed themes on: (a) work experience, (b) job training/program/seminars, (c) career counseling, (d) addressing employer biases, and (e) accessibility. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]