Personal interviews and agency records were used to examine month-by-month vocational histories of 53 sheltered workshop employees placed in competitive jobs. Most participants who were still employed after four to five years had parental support, while those who returned to the workshop or were unemployed did not. (Author/CL)

This paper refutes criticism about industrial workshops for individuals with blindness and argues that they are a suitable vocational option that is often underutilized. The paper explores the role of the sheltered workshop as a continuum for multihandicapped blind persons, employment experience for teenagers, opportunity for older individuals,…

Redefinition of placement to include not only competitive employment but sheltered and volunteer employment as well as training on the job setting can increase the probability of success for head-injured adults. Preplacement preparation and placement selectivity can increase the chances for placement success as illustrated in two case histories.…

A job training program in rural Wyoming is described in which 86 percent of the disabled clients served in a two-year period (N=57) were placed in employment after receiving sheltered workshop training in one of 10 vocational training modules. Among data reported are wages, success rates for training, and length of training. (JW)

This fact sheet reports data from a national survey of state mental retardation/developmental disabilities (MR/DD) agencies. The survey was designed to investigate the distribution of people supported by state MR/DD agencies in integrated versus facility-based day and employment services and the levels of funding. Results indicate that while the…

This fact sheet summarizes data on integrated employment (supported and competitive) and facility-based employment activities (sheltered workshops) from two national surveys of community rehabilitation providers (CRPs). The 1986 survey used a random sample of 952 CRPs from all states, while the 1991 survey used a stratified sample of 643 CRPs from…

The article describes the design and implementation of a community-based training program for mentally retarded adults. The program focuses on job preparation, training, and placement, with a secondary emphasis on functional independent living skills. (PHR)

Presented are results from a survey of 2,530 sheltered workshop programs serving handicapped persons. Initial sections review the historical development of workshops, federal regulations affecting workshops, and previous related studies. Data are provided on the following topics: characteristics of workshops and clients (including a table on…

This module provides information on supported employment as outlined in the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, P.L. 99-506. It discusses models of supported employment; the roles of vocational rehabilitation counselors, school district personnel, and job coaches; and what school district personnel can do to prepare students for supported…

The purpose of this guide is to provide procedures, ideas, and examples that will insure the successful use of job sites to the evaluator who chooses to use job site evaluation to assess client potential outside of the rehabilitation facility. The first part gives some very precise reasons for and examples of the different uses of job site…

This document contains 16 papers that were scheduled to be presented at a conference (which was canceled) on approaches and programs for helping developmentally disabled persons to be more self-sufficient. The book is divided into three sections: (1) unmasking vocational abilities, (2) enhancing functional independence, and (3) medical and…

This research brief reports on selected findings from a longitudinal study conducted at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. The study identified the postschool status of young adults and adults with moderate and severe disabilities, and changes in that status over time. Specifically, this study examined the postschool…