Shifting Gears was launched in 2007 by the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based organization focused on improving the quality of life of citizens residing in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The primary goal of Shifting Gears is to increase the number of low-skilled, low-income Midwestern adults who obtain college-level occupational…

Postsecondary education needs to (1) provide "equity tools" to disabled students to enable access to computing technology; (2) provide appropriate education and support; (3) educate human services students in the roles and processes of computing technologies; and (4) research and disseminate information on use of equity tools. (Author/MSE)

This instructor guide for a unit on business opportunities in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 1 of…

These proceedings contain the texts of nine papers presented at a seminar dealing with technology and the rehabilitation of disabled persons in the information age. The first part of the volume consists of the following papers authored by Switzer scholars: "A Philosophical and Cultural Approach to High Technology in Rehabilitation," by…

This instructor guide for a unit on business opportunities in the PACE (Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship) curriculum includes the full text of the student module and lesson plans, instructional suggestions, and other teacher resources. The competencies that are incorporated into this module are at Level 3 of learning--starting…

Expanding upon a report presented to the International Labor Organization (ILO), this book documents the current world employment situation, including how it has fallen short, how current economic policies interact with world employment, and how improvements can be made. Chapter one, "The Commitment to Full Employment," describes how the…

The United States fulfilled its desire to be the country that reopened trade with Japan through the Kanagawa Treaty (1854). Japan reluctantly rejoined the world community at a time when their culture and economy were in disorder. While grappling with the changes within their borders they tried to keep the ways of the "barbarians" from…

A retrospective survey was conducted with 47 school leavers with moderate learning difficulties. The survey, involving individuals who left a Midlands (England) special school in 1976, 1981, or 1983, examined their difficulty in finding and keeping employment, training opportunities available, and the ways in which they spent their leisure time.…

A study examined 17 papers dealing with the issue of equity in vocational education. Synthesized during the study were ideas set forth in papers written by individuals involved in the academic community, vocational education, and special interest group advocacy. All the papers, to varying degrees, focus on the barriers posed by vocational delivery…

This fact sheet provides a basic overview of energy problems and programs in the United States and discusses the role that vocational education can play in solving those problems. The National Energy Plan is described including its objectives, strategies, and seven legislative acts: (1) The National Energy Conservation Act; (2) The Power Plant and…

The paper, intended for parents and families of severely handicapped persons as well as for service providers and others, examines postsecondary opportunities for severely handicapped persons. A review of the legal background (primarily P.L. 94-142--the Education for All Handicapped Children Act--and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) is followed by…

This guide is intended to help in the active recruitment and training of women for nontraditional occupations in the skilled trades and technical fields by providing information for young women, guidance for educators and counselors, and resources for both new and experienced workers. Chapter 1 defines nontraditional jobs and spells out why women…

This manual reviews the use of work samples in the vocational assessment of blind and visually impaired persons and suggests improvements in their use. The information in the manual was gathered through a literature review, a national survey of vocational evaluators in rehabilitation facilities and schools for the blind, and ideas developed by the…

Focus of this guide is a project to identify best practices and programs in preparing foster care youth for career opportunities and economic self-sufficiency. Foster care program context is described as an economy characterized by jobs clustering into two categories (high wage positions with a continuing career pathway and low wage entry-level…

Designed to assist disabled students and professionals working with them to become aware of the Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the fact sheet details how to access and utilize the education-related services of this federal-state funded program. Following a description of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), the fact sheet provides information on:…