NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
ERIC Number: ED432874
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1999-Mar
Pages: 45
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Negotiating the Landscape: The Path to Employment for Individuals with Disabilities in the TANF System.
Timmons, Jaimie Ciulla; Foley, Susan; Whitney-Thomas, Jean; Green, Joseph; Casey, Judi
This report discusses the outcomes of a study that examined the impact of welfare reform on individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. New welfare reforms required individuals to develop marketable skills and acceptable work behaviors and move along a path to employment. For individuals with disabilities in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) system, the path can be complicated by substantial barriers and insufficient transitional supports. Analysis of interview and focus group transcripts from 11 individuals receiving welfare who either have a disability themselves or care for a family member with a disability, 6 welfare agency caseworkers, 5 disability and welfare rights advocates, and 4 employers defined a five-step path to work through the welfare system. Findings suggest a number of significant roadblocks were encountered on this path to work. Individuals with disabilities experienced some of the same roadblocks as the general population receiving welfare benefits, including the ongoing conflict between work and family, and challenges to building rapport in the individual/caseworker relationship. Several participants also described losing jobs due to disability and health issues and a lack of job accommodations. Others described the difficulties in finding child care that accommodates their children's disabilities. Issues in the disability determination process arose for both case workers and individuals applying for welfare benefits. The need for greater access and education, placement into jobs with better long-term prospects, employer and peer support, and increased disability awareness is urged. (CR)
Institute for Community Inclusion, Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115; Tel: 617-355-6506; Tel: 617-355-6956 (TTY); Fax: 617-355-7940; e-mail: ici@a1.tch.harvard.edu; Web site: http://www.childrenshospital.org/ici ($10, order no. MON24).
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Children's Hospital, Boston, MA. Inst. for Community Inclusion.
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts; Wisconsin
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A