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.…

This report resulted from a project designed to involve people with disabilities in the development of employment policies and rehabilitation services. The report presents recommendations addressing employment preparation, placement, postemployment, and support systems. The project, titled "National Agenda for the Employment of People with…

This paper reviews the literature concerned with vocational placement and rehabilitation for individuals with severe mental disorders (SMD), and offers recommendations for rehabilitation counselors. It notes that about 85 percent of this population is unemployed, and the rate of job placement for people with SMD is about half that of other people…

The newsletter contains several separate sections which explore recent research on the information needs of the rehabilitation counselor or address issues counselors face when using supported employment with clients. An interview with Darlene Ackerman, a vocational rehabilitation counselor in Virginia, is include, in which she comments on barriers…

A placement counselor offers his personal guidelines for a vocational placement process to serve blind individuals. Guidelines address the counselor's value system; the functional limitations of visual impairment and adaptive options; and the role of the employing agency in enhancing counselors' motivation for placement. A model placement policy…

Discusses the misguided emphasis on job placement as a final outcome in supported employment and the need for long-term services and retraining to enable individuals with disabilities to change careers. Proposed alternatives to current job placement strategies that will help foster career development are identified. (CR)

This report summarizes contributions, discussions, results, and proposals from a conference focusing on the social and economic integration of the disabled. Introductory materials include the conference objectives and summaries of the opening, words of greeting, and introduction to conference objectives by Ernst Piehl, Henry Scicluna, and Tina…

Traditionally, disabled persons have received vocational training in sheltered workshops and after evaluation have been placed into work activity, extended sheltered employment, or transitional employment programs. Transition then to competitive employment is atypical for persons with severe disabilities. Their employment situation has improved…

A series of articles discusses vocational training for youth, employment standards for the disabled, and educational reform movements in the United States. (SK)

The first part of the paper describes research addressing whether there is a match between vocational preparation and employer expectations for individuals having disabilities, with emphasis on research performed in Alberta, Canada. Research goals include the identification of generic and/or specific skills and behaviors for vocational training of…

This document focuses on employer/employment services in vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs. Vocational rehabilitation is undergoing transformation in employment services to respond to redefined priorities, diverse populations, changing labor markets, state-of-the-art technologies, legislative mandates, and economic factors. Changes in…

Evaluations of programs effective in improving ex-offenders' educational scores, helping them find permanent jobs, and reducing recidivism are reviewed. There is evidence that full-time, relatively well-paid employment can help reduce recidivism, thereby reducing costs of incarceration. Assessments are limited but promising; replicating selected…

Although disabled students need the same comprehensive assistance in making the transition from school to work as their nondisabled counterparts, most disabled youth, and particulary those with severe disabilities, do not receive adequate assistance in this area. This situation can be remedied by approaching the transition to employment as a…

The purpose of this forum was to examine critical issues in the implementation of supported employment from a variety of perspectives and to provide recommendations for future improvement. Eight invited papers and discussions were organized into four topics: issues related to time-limited funding; disabilities other than mental retardation;…