Purpose: The purpose of this in-depth case study was to better understand how practices, policies, and structures contributed to a large health care organization's track record of hiring, training, and retaining persons with disabilities (PWDs). Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 63 key informants across four hospitals in the hospital…

Progress toward competitive integrated employment (CIE) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) over the last 40 years has been mixed. Despite evidence showing that supported employment interventions can enable adults with IDD to effectively get and keep jobs, national rates of integrated employment remain below a third…

The purpose of this study was to develop and investigate an employer-based 9-month intervention for high school youth with autism spectrum disorder to learn job skills and acquire employment. The intervention modified a program titled Project SEARCH and incorporated the use of applied behavior analysis to develop Project SEARCH plus Autism…

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 (Public Law 105-220) marked a major reform in the nation's job training system. It consolidated more then 60 federal training programs into three block grants to states: (1) adult employment and training; (2) disadvantaged youth employment and training; and (3) adult education and family literacy…

The article describes a supported work approach to providing vocational placement and support to persons with moderate and severe disabilities in competitive employment settings. Four major components (job placement, job-site training, ongoing monitoring, and follow-up) are outlined. Proposals are made for integrating a supported work approach…

The article briefly describes Project Employability, a job training and placement program for the developmentally disabled in Virginia, and presents three case studies to illustrate the project's job placement process. (Author/DLS)

The authors advocate a supported work approach for disabled youth which features four components: (1) job placement, (2) job site training and advocacy, (3) ongoing assessment, and (4) follow-along and transition. Logistical considerations of such an approach in the public schools are explored, including transportation, community-referenced…

Provides an in-depth look at two young women (ages 18 and 22) with severe mental retardation who obtained competitive employment with support from their families, employment specialist, and coworkers while attending public school. The process and design of such employment supports are described. (Author/CR)