Disability Insurance Beneficiaries with Visual Impairments in Vocational Rehabilitation: Socio-demographic Influences on Employment

2013 ◽  
Vol 107 (6) ◽  
pp. 453-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Martin Giesen ◽  
Brenda S. Cavenaugh
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Disability Insurance

Factors Related to Employment Outcomes for Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers with Visual Impairments: A Systematic Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (6) ◽  
pp. 518-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Lund ◽  
Jennifer L. Cmar
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Rehabilitation Services Administration ◽  
Report Data

Introduction:The purpose of this article was to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies on factors related to employment in consumers who are visually impaired using Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) Case Service Report data.Methods:We used database, hand, and ancestral search strategies to systematically identify peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and August 2018 where researchers used RSA-911 data to address the target question. All included articles were coded by two reviewers for study and participant characteristics, quality indicators, and outcomes.Results:Nine articles consisting of 14 analyses were included. Twelve analyses concerned employment outcomes; two concerned earnings. Researchers in most studies used large samples of 3,000 or more consumers and used multivariable analyses, most commonly multilevel logistic regression. Factors that consistently predicted lower employment across studies included presence of a secondary disability and legal blindness; higher education level consistently predicted higher employment, as did earnings and self-support at vocational rehabilitation application. Few analyses included state- or agency-level variables or specific vocational rehabilitation services.Discussion:These results indicate that certain groups of vocational rehabilitation consumers with visual impairments may be at greater risk of unsuccessful closures; researchers should examine specific strategies that may improve outcomes in these groups. These results also highlight the importance of education in securing employment among people with visual impairments. Researchers should examine state- and agency-level variables that may affect outcomes as well as the effects of specific services on outcomes. Additionally, researchers should analyze factors that may affect employment quality as well as employment outcomes.Implications for practitioners:Practitioners who are working with visually impaired people who do not have a postsecondary degree should encourage and assist their clients in obtaining one; practitioners may also wish to provide more targeted support for consumers from potentially high-risk subpopulations.

Latino VR Access Rates by Disability Type and Proportions in the General Population with Disabilities

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey L. Moore ◽  
J. Martin Giesen ◽  
Brenda S. Cavenaugh
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
African Americans ◽  
General Population ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Substance Dependence ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Racial Group ◽  
Group Members

The access (application and entry) rates of Latino and other ethnic/racial group members to the state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) system was provided and compared to proportions with the same corresponding disability in the general population. Percentages were slightly higher (2-3%) for Latinos with visual impairments, and Latinos with deafness and hearing loss, and about the same for Latinos with substance dependence and those with mental retardation relative to the percentages of Latinos with the same types of disabilities in the national population. We concluded that the socioeconomic disadvantages of Latinos with visual impairments and with deafness and hearing loss may increase their need to access VR relative to all other ethnic or racial group members (i.e., African Americans, Whites) with visual impairments or with deafness and hearing loss. There was additional discussion of a strikingly higher percentage of African Americans with substance abuse in VR.

Agency Type as Predictor of Employment Outcomes for Persons with Visual Impairments: Current Trends and Considerations

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 34-42
Author(s):  
Eniko Rak
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Visual Disabilities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Rehabilitation System ◽  
Rehabilitation Services Administration

Persons with visual disabilities receive vocational rehabilitation (VR) services through general, combined or separate agencies within the public system. Currently there are 32 combined, 24 separate and 24 general agencies in the United States (US). This study examined the role of agency type in predicting employment outcome of persons with visual impairments using the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) data, which is a comprehensive database of clients exiting the public vocational rehabilitation system. The study compared separate and combined agencies. Persons with blindness and other visual impairments exiting public vocational rehabilitation during four fiscal years (2008 – 2011) participated in this study. Outcomes of binary logistic regressions indicate that agency affiliation is not a significant predictor of successful closures when controlling for employment status at application and major demographic variables. Implications of these findings, limitations of the current study and future research recommendations are discussed.

Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Visual Impairment: Vocational Rehabilitation Service Provision and Agency-Level Outcomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele C. McDonnall ◽  
Jennifer L. Cmar ◽  
Emily M. Lund
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Rehabilitation Service ◽  
Employment Rate ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Competitive Employment ◽  
Employment Rates

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate how services are provided to state–federal vocational rehabilitation consumers with comorbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and visual impairment and the prevalence of and competitive employment rates for this population. Methods: We utilized a mixed-methods approach by incorporating interview data from 51 vocational rehabilitation agency administrators (to identify strategies used to serve these consumers) and case service data (to identify prevalence and competitive employment rates at the agency level). We combined the data to examine the relationship between strategies used and the prevalence of and employment outcomes for this population. A modified grounded theory approach was used for qualitative data analysis and descriptive statistics, and analyses of variance were used for quantitative data analyses. Results: Strategies used to serve these consumers included collaboration between counselors, involvement of external organizations, specialized TBI units or caseloads, staff training in TBI, and personnel with dual expertise in TBI and visual impairment. Over a third of agency administrators reported that they did not do anything special or different to serve this population. The average percentage of consumers with visual impairments who also had TBIs being served by agencies was 2.1%. Their average competitive employment rate by agency was 43.2%. Employing staff with dual expertise in TBI and visual impairment was associated with serving a greater percentage of consumers and having a higher competitive employment rate. Discussion: No agencies had a unique service delivery program or method to serve this population, perhaps due to its low prevalence. Agencies had substantial variability in the proportion of consumers with TBI and visual impairment served and their competitive employment rates. Implications for practitioners: Training vocational rehabilitation professionals to develop expertise in both TBIs and visual impairments may help agencies better serve these consumers.

Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired Persons in Separate and General Agencies

2000 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda S. Cavenaugh ◽  
J. Martin Giesen ◽  
Steven J. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Title I ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
National Council ◽  
Visually Impaired Persons ◽  
Outcome Criteria

In 1997, the National Council on Disability recommended that separate Title I vocational rehabilitation (VR) grants to state agencies serving only consumers who are visually impaired should be eliminated. This study found that such separate VR agencies serve consumers who are more socially and economically disadvantaged, have more severe visual impairments, have more secondary disabilities, and incur greater service costs than do general agencies. In addition, various outcome criteria indicate the overall superiority of separate agencies.

Rehabilitation Counselors and Rehabilitation Teachers in State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

1998 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lewis ◽  
J.B. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Rehabilitation ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Rehabilitation Counselors

This article presents a survey of the practices of state rehabilitation agencies regarding rehabilitation teachers and rehabilitation counselors who provide services to adults with visual impairments (who are blind or have low vision). The findings indicated that the majority of the agencies employed these professionals in discrete categories and offered them the same starting salaries. However, the rehabilitation counselors’ caseloads were typically 60 percent higher than the rehabilitation teachers’. Projected openings based on the total positions in each agency revealed slightly more openings for rehabilitation teachers than for rehabilitation counselors.

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