Pathways and Barriers to Success in the Workplace:
Perspectives from Consumers and Service Providers (R-1)

Abstract
Full Project Description
        National Need and Statement of the Problem
        Objectives
        Methodology

Abstract

Identifying the employment status and the pathways and barriers to employment success experienced by the key target populations of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing is critical to developing rehabilitation programs. The project will sequentially target the following key groups: (a) persons who are low functioning; (b) persons who are hard of hearing; (c) persons who are late deafened; and (c) persons who are deaf. Within each of these four groups personal attributes such as gender and race will also be addressed.

The study will examine job experiences and outcomes by combining existing databases with new information from focus groups and interviews with 450-500 individuals in order to obtain indepth perspectives from consumers, service providers, and employers. Results will be used to guide the development of interventions and policies to enhance rehabilitation service delivery for these groups.

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Full Project Description

National Need and Statement of the Problem:

Over the past two decades a growing body of knowledge about the employment status and employment outcomes of persons who are deaf has developed, especially for those with postsecondary educations. This group, the most literate, visible, and successful members of the population, has received considerable attention especially in such areas as job entry/placement and job maintenance. In part due to their educational success, many of these persons are moving into supervisory positions. These successes have highlighted the need for more detailed information regarding their job advancement.

By comparison, there is more limited data for other subgroups of the population of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Relatively little information exists regarding the labor force participation of persons who are late deafened, low functioning, or hard of hearing. Furthermore, persons from each of these groups who are also members of culturally diverse ethnic/racial subgroups have been understudied. Detailed information is needed about the employment status and rehabilitation outcomes for these individuals regarding job entry/placement, job maintenance, and job advancement. This information is important to the generation of appropriate rehabilitation policies and programmatic initiatives to address the employment and training needs of these groups (Watson, 1995a, 1995b).

This project proposes to conduct an in-depth analysis of the key employment issues that affect workers from these understudied groups. The goal is to assess the experiences and needs of these groups across the employment continuum from job entry to job maintenance to job advancement. The project will focus on four target groups: persons described as low functioning, persons who are late deafened, persons who are hard of hearing, and persons who are deaf. Individuals from each of these groups undoubtedly have much to say about the challenges they face in the respective areas of the employment continuum--career entry, maintenance, and advancement.

Since the project will target the full employment continuum, it will allow for comparisons across these groups with respect to their needs, successes, and barriers in employment. However, it is likely that specific stages in the continuum may be more problematic for some groups. For example, late deafened persons are frequently described as having problems maintaining jobs (Glass & Elliott, 1993). Low functioning deaf persons have difficulties getting and keeping jobs (Mowry, 1987). By addressing the full continuum of work, the project will provide a more indepth study of the issues faced by each of these groups. Furthermore, the project will look at other factors across each group to determine their impact on employment outcome. Such variables include the impact on outcome of age, gender, ethnic or linguistic background, level of impairment, age at onset of impairment, and co-existing conditions.

Objectives:

1. To determine the employment status and related characteristics of key target populations served by rehabilitation programs: (a) low functioning, (b) late deafened, (c) hard of hearing, and (d) deaf. Within each of these four key groups, demographic variables related to gender and racial or ethnic minority status will also be assessed.
   
2. To ascertain successes and barriers to employment of these four target groups with regard to career entry, maintenance, advancement.
   
3. To learn what strategies and resources that members of these four target groups use to cope with and adjust to the work place.
   
4. To assess the degree to which members of these four target groups are satisfied with various attributes of their jobs.
   
5. To disseminate the findings to consumers, service providers and employers via RT-31 Materials Development, Training, and Technical Assistance activities.

Methodology:

Samples: This study will target representative samples of persons from four target groups: (a) low functioning, (b) late deafened, (c) hard of hearing, and (d) deaf. To clarify specific issues faced by these persons, the perspective of service providers will also be assessed.

• Activity One: Literature Review
• Activity Two: Archival Data Analyses
• Activity Three: Design of the Research Instruments
• Activity Four: Conduct Questionnaire Data Collection
• Activity Five: Conduct Interview Data Collection
• Activity Six: Analyze Interview Data
• Activity Seven: Dissemination

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